MANIPUR, India: Almost six months after they were stripped, paraded naked and allegedly gang raped by a mob in north-east Indian state of Manipur, two women talk to the BBC in their first face-to-face interview.
The women whose ordeal was made public in a viral video, speak about living in hiding, their fight for justice and their call for a separate administration for their community.
With their eyes lowered, big black masks hide faces of Glory and Mercy (fake names) and scarves cover their foreheads. The two Kuki-Zomi women do not want to be seen but they want to be heard.
According to the BBC News, their ordeal was filmed and shared online. It is disturbing to watch in less than a minute long video that a mob of men from the majority Meitei community in Manipur state walking around two naked women, pushing, groping them, and then dragging them into a field where they say they were gang raped.
“I was treated like an animal,” said Glory, breaking down as she talked to BBC. “It was difficult to live with that trauma, but then two months later when the video of the attack went viral, I almost lost all hope to continue living,” she added.
“You know how Indian society is, how they look at women after such an incident,” said Mercy. “I find it hard to face other people, even in my own community. My pride is gone. I will never be the same again.”
The video amplified their suffering but it also brought attention to the ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities that broke out in Manipur in May.
Before these women were assaulted, Glory was a student and Mercy would take care of her two young children, helping them with homework and going to church. But after the incident, both victims had to flee to a different town where they are now living in hiding.
They stay indoors now as Mercy no longer goes to church or takes her children to school herself. “I don’t think I will ever be able to live like I lived before,” she says. She finds it hard to step out of the walls of her temporary home as she feels scared and ashamed of meeting people.
Glory feels the same as she told BBC that she was still “in a lot of trauma”, scared to meet people and afraid of crowds. Counselling has helped them but the anger and hate have seeped in deep.
Six months back, Glory was studying in a mixed class of Meitei and Kuki students in a college where she had lots of friends, but now she says she never wants to see another Meitei person again.
“I will never go back to my village. I grew up there, it was my home, but living there would mean interacting with neighbouring Meiteis and I never ever want to meet them again,” she says. Mercy clenches her hands and she thumps the table as she agrees.
When their village was attacked and everyone present there ran for their life, Glory’s father and younger brother were pulled away by the mob and killed.
“I saw them die in front of my eyes,” she said softly. Since the violence erupted, there is no crossover between the Meitei and Kuki-Zomi communities in Manipur and people are divided by a de-facto border, lined with checkpoints manned by the police, army and volunteers from the two communities.
Mercy told BBC that as tribal women they are strong, they do not give up. “I want to tell all mothers of all communities to teach their children, no matter what happens, never disrespect women.”
(The names of the two women have been changed for the story)
