Senior CPI(M) leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat on January 19 described the death of a young Kuki Scheduled Tribe woman — who had survived a brutal gang rape during the Manipur violence — as a “national shame”, highlighting what she called the grave failure of the state and justice system nearly two years after the crime.
The woman, who was abducted, gang raped and left for dead amid the ethnic unrest in Manipur, died after suffering prolonged medical complications, without seeing justice delivered. Karat said the survivor had been “victimised twice” — first by the politics that fuelled hatred and violence, and later by a system that failed to respond with urgency and accountability.
Karat accused the RSS–BJP of fostering a political climate of division and impunity, alleging that it enabled armed groups to operate without fear of consequences. According to her, this environment emboldened the perpetrators and allowed such crimes to take place during the violence that engulfed the state.
Despite severe injuries and lasting trauma, the survivor continued to pursue justice with the support of her family, Karat said, even as investigations and accountability progressed slowly. “Her death without justice is a damning indictment of our administrative and judicial institutions,” she said, adding that the delays had cost the survivor not only her dignity, but ultimately her life.
A member of the CPI(M) politburo and former general secretary of the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Karat has been actively involved in documenting cases of sexual violence during the Manipur crisis. She said she met the survivor’s family during a visit to the state with AIDWA leaders.
Calling the family’s loss an “unbearable second tragedy”, Karat expressed her condolences and reiterated support for their continued struggle for justice. “She was not only a daughter of Manipur, but a daughter of India,” she said.
The woman’s death has renewed national attention on the handling of sexual violence cases linked to the Manipur conflict, raising fresh questions about political responsibility, accountability, and the human cost of prolonged inaction.
