Northeast Desk, 21st November: The Manipur Government, on November 20, revealed to the Supreme Court that it has deposited Rs 5 crore into a dedicated bank account to compensate women survivors of sexual assault and related crimes since May 3, coinciding with the outbreak of ethnic violence in the State.
However, the State Government’s affidavit lacked details on the number of women who have received compensation to date. In September, the Court directed the State to identify all religious structures in the State.
The ethnic conflict between the tribal Kuki-Zo and the Meitei people has led to at least 180 fatalities since May 3. In August, the State reported to the apex Court that the Central Bureau of Investigation was investigating 20 cases related to the molestation, rape, and murder of women.
In response to the Supreme Court’s instructions, the Manipur Government, in September, introduced an enhanced compensation scheme for women victims and survivors of sexual assault and other crimes. Compensation for victims who were either killed or gang-raped ranges from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh. For other crimes such as rape, sexual assault, and injuries like loss of limbs or body parts, the compensation varies from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 9 lakh.
The State Government submitted a ‘short affidavit’ to the Court, outlining measures taken for the identification of religious buildings across all 16 districts. This comes in the aftermath of violence that began on May 3, affecting Churches, Hindu temples, Sanamahi temples, Mosques, and other religious structures.
The Court had previously emphasized the need for protection of these places from encroachment and destruction. The October 16 affidavit reveals that inspections could not be carried out in Noney and Senapati districts due to current circumstances.
The affidavit confirms that directives for identifying all religious buildings in the State, whether intact or vandalized, have been dispatched. In August, the State reported to the Court that approximately 386 religious institutions from both communities had suffered damage, with further assessment underway.
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