'Their tears Would Not Let Me Sleep': DCW Chief Swati Maliwal Meets Survivor Of Manipur Video Ordeal

Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal met the woman who was subjected to sexual abuse in Manipur and her husband, an Indian Army veteran.

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal.

Source : PTI

Chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women Swati Maliwal on Tuesday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Cabinet colleagues to visit the violence-hit Manipur and resolve the issues there. Her appeal came after she met one of the women who was subjected to sexual abuse in Manipur and her husband, an Indian Army veteran. 

"Met the husband of the woman who was raped in Manipur. He fought in the Kargil War for the country. He told me 'you are the first to come here to meet us'. He said that people from Delhi Commission for Women went to meet them with courage and love in these difficult circumstances… I appeal to the Prime Minister and all the big ministers of the country... you have Z+ security and every facility. If I can make it here, you can too. Every problem can be solved with love," Maliwal tweeted. She also posted a video of her hugging the inconsolable woman, wailing in her arms. "Their tears would not let me sleep for a long time. Till now no one has come to meet them," she said.

She was among the two women, who were paraded naked and molested in Kangpokpi district, some 35 km from Manipur's capital Imphal. So far, seven people have been arrested in the Manipur viral video case. The seven accused include a juvenile who allegedly took part in the May 4 incident. 

The case came to light after a 26-second video surfaced on July 19. Over 160 people have lost their lives and several have been injured in the ethnic violence that broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Earlier, Mojo Story, which describes itself as a content and events organisation, interviewed the duo over the phone, in which the husband of the survivor rued that he protected India for 28 years, but couldn't save his family. He had even participated in the Kargil War against Pakistan. "Our village was suddenly attacked late at night. They even killed all the livestock... Even the village church was set on fire. We ran for our lives and informed the police, but they couldn't do anything," he said.

"A few of us managed to hide in the nearby jungles but they caught us and took us away. I was whisked away separately, while my wife was taken away with another girl and her father and brother," he said. "That girl was first raped. When her brother and father protested, they were killed. Then they stripped my wife and raped her," he said.