4 Manipuris beaten, kicked by group of people in Delhi
A man from Manipur, his wife, sister, and a family friend were reportedly brutally assaulted by a group of eight to nine people in South East Delhi's Sunlight Colony on Thursday night. The victims were allegedly assaulted while assisting two men and a woman who claimed to have a dead phone battery and needed help booking a cab to Munirka in South Delhi.
Group pulled my hair, tried to drag me: Woman
Things took a dark turn when the man who requested assistance began making explicit comments about the man's wife and sister. "When we objected to their behavior, they became aggressive, called some eight-nine of their friends, and started beating us," the man said. The man's wife, meanwhile, alleged that the group pulled her hair, kicked her on the ground, and tried to drag her.
FIR filed in the matter
A first information report (FIR) was filed on Friday night against several unknown accused, according to a Sunlight Colony Police officer. Sexual assault is also among the charges filed against them. While there is no official confirmation that the victims are from the Meitei community, several posts on X claimed so while alleging that the attackers are from the Kuki tribe.
Video of the alleged incident
Victim suspects attack might have been pre-planned
Based on how events unfolded, the victim man suspected foul play and alleged the incident was pre-planned. Back in Manipur, Meitis and Kukis have been at war since May 3 over the former's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Notably, the Meiteis, constituting the state's 53% population, are restricted to the Imphal Valley. In comparison, the tribal-dominated hill areas reportedly cover 90% of Manipur.
Why the 2 sides are at war
Imphal is too small to hold the swelling Meitei population. Migration from Bangladesh and Myanmar has compounded the problem. This has driven Meiteis to demand ST status to have access to tribals' lands. Lopsided fund distribution is another issue. The majority of funds are utilized in the valley. The tribals have allegedly long been discriminated against, leading to demands of having a separate administration.
