‘Fought for country but could not protect his wife’

Imphal: The husband of one of the two women paraded naked and molested by a group of men in Manipur is a Kargil war veteran, who lamented that though he protected the country, he could not save his wife from humiliation. The incident, which drew nationwide condemnation, came to light when a video shot on May 4 surfaced on Wednesday night.

The husband served in the Indian Army as a Subedar of the Assam Regiment. “I fought for the country in the Kargil war and was also in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian peacekeeping force. “I protected the country, but I am disappointed that after my retirement, I could not protect my home, my wife and fellow villagers… I am sad and disappointed,” he told a Hindi news channel.

He said that on the morning of May 4, a mob torched several houses in the area, stripped two women naked and forced them to walk on village trails in front of people. “The police were present but took no action. I want severe punishment for all those who burnt houses and humiliated women,” he said.

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Four people have been arrested in the case on Thursday, a day after the video surfaced. Manipur Police said in a Twitter post, “The State Police is making all efforts to arrest the other culprits at the earliest. Raids are on.”

Over 160 people have lost their lives, and many have been injured, since caste violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a ‘tribal solidarity march’ was held in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. status.

The Meitei people account for about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while the tribals, including the Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 percent and live mostly in the hill districts.