The Naked Protest
It’s an iconic image — 12 naked Manipuri women carrying banners which screamed in Halloween font: “Indian Army rape us”, “Indian Army take our flesh”. According to reports, as the women stood outside the gates of Assam Rifles, the Manipur police, for 45 minutes, Army and the paramilitary forces were alert but too shamed and shocked to do anything.
This unique protest, organised by a group of Manipuri women in Imphal on July 15, 2004, sent shockwaves across the nation. These women were protesting against the custodial rape and killing of 32-year-old Thangjam Manorama who had been picked up by the paramilitary troops on the night of July 10 on the suspicion of having links with militants. When her bullet-riddled body bearing signs of torture was found the next day, not far from her home, it triggered a wave of anger.
The Manipuri women were particularly enraged over the brutalities perpetrated by the security forces on a defenceless woman. They came out on the streets, sat in dharna, called for a state-wide strike but their cries were falling on deaf ears. That’s when they decided to do something drastic. Defying prohibitory orders, a dozen middle-aged women assembled outside the Assam Rifles headquarters at Kangla Gate and stripped. This was unprecedented.
The naked protest disturbed the collective conscience of Indians. What several organisations could not achieve with guns and grenades, these women had accomplished with their bare bodies. By shedding their clothes, these women, living in a remote corner of India, shamed the security forces, local administration and the Government of India and brought into focus the blatant misuse of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act by security personnel.
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THIS IS SHAMEFUL ACT ON OUR DEMOCRACY TO WHOM WE TRUST.
I couldn't believe my eyes. Naked protest shows how much she has been tortured. It's a shame that the force which is meant to secure the people are miss-using the power. Culprits must be hanged. I severely condemn the act. My salutes for the ladies who protested.
Not all defence or police personnel do this. Those personnel involved in this type of crimes shoud be shot immediately.
I can't believe this is happening in our country and the Army is allegedly culpable. The Central government should probe this further. Either get rid of the bad apples in the Army or clear their name. My heart goes out to these women and the kin of the lady who was murdered. It must have been an extreme degree of provocation to protest in such a way by women. I hope they achieve the objective of getting justice. Otherwise looking at the trend world over and some parts of India, people will start resorting to weapons and killing and terrorising to make their voice heard.
If it is like this Nagaland just think about Kashmir. Kodus to the woman for their courage. My sympathies are with them. I am ashamed of Army cruelty.
It is non-violent India.
Really it is shame for all Indians the army is the last hope of people when army started doing all these thing nobody is safe.All culprits should and must be immediately and permanently removed from the army besides there should be a monitoring committee to check activities of armed forces to make sure that victims should get justice and these should not be happened in future otherwise the victims will try to take the revenge we must understand that the way they protest they can do anything just think only one moment if it is done to our sister and mother what would be the reaction because we did not feel the pain for others.
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