Brinda Karat Mourns Death of Manipur Rape Survivor, Calls It a “National Shame”
Senior CPI(M) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat on Monday expressed deep sorrow over the death of a young Kuki woman who survived abduction and brutal sexual violence during Manipur’s ethnic clashes in May 2023, describing the tragedy as a “national shame.”
Karat said the woman was “victimised twice over”—first by the politics of hatred that fuelled ethnic violence in the state, and then by a justice system that failed to deliver accountability despite the survivor’s prolonged and courageous struggle.
“The young woman was first targeted by a politics that deliberately stoked hatred against the Kuki and Christian communities,” Karat said, holding the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ecosystem responsible for creating an atmosphere of division, fear, and impunity in Manipur.
Grievously injured and left with life-altering trauma, the survivor battled serious medical complications for nearly two years. Despite repeated setbacks, Karat noted, she never abandoned her fight for justice and continued to stand firm with the support of her family.
“She never gave up her fight for justice, standing firm with the support of her family even as institutions meant to protect her failed repeatedly,” Karat said. “That she has died without justice being delivered is a devastating indictment of both hatred-driven politics and our judicial and administrative systems.”
Brinda Karat, the first woman member of the CPI(M) Politburo and former General Secretary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), has long been associated with campaigns for gender justice and survivors’ rights. During the height of the Manipur violence, Karat and other AIDWA leaders had visited the state and met members of the survivor’s family.
“To think that the family we met is now enduring this second, unbearable tragedy is heartbreaking beyond words,” she said, extending her condolences. “We stand with them in their continuing struggle for justice for their brave and courageous daughter—not just a daughter of Manipur, but a daughter of India.”
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