Source: The Sangai Express / S Singlianmang Guite
Lamka, July 14:
Five days after a twenty year old woman was rape by three armed men inside her jhum hut, atleast five different organizations including the armed groups have cogently, in unison, condemn the incident.
A couple of armed groups, the HPC (D) and the Samuel faction of KNF claimed that they was deeply grieved by the incident.
The groups have expressed in detail the various suffering the hill tribes were subjected to and the observation it has in this regard.
With its emphasis on the various grievances of the tribals ranging from Tamenglong to Moreh and Chandel to Tipaimukh, the HPC (D) has said it wants to make it clear to the valley based armed outfits that the land we (tribals) lived in is our land, the land of our forefathers, our ancestral land and no sort of weapon they wield here would not be able to expel the tribals.
The KNF (S) meanwhile said, it will investigate the case and award a befitting punishment, which according to them is a death penalty, if the perpetrators failed to come out in public.
In the same breath, but with a different tone, the Hmar Women Association, the Zomi Mothers' Association and the Sinlung Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Organisation condemned the incident and expressed their grief with the victim.
HWA in its statement said, it "presumed that the Parbung rape incident would be the first and the last atrocities committed by the UGs on the innocent and helpless women of hill tribes.
But, this incident proves that the ongoing iquiry commission of Parbung rape case seems to be a farce".
SIPHRO said the irreparable damage inflicted on Lamneilhing is a serious crime not only to the victim or the women, but to the entire humanity, while the ZMA calls on every armed wings, be it underground or overground to stop considering the tribal women in particular and the women community in general as mere objects of lust which can be exploited according to their whim.