Manipur rape survivor's death a 'national shame', says CPM's Brinda Karat

Guwahati: CPM has stated that the tragic death of a gang rape victim from the Kuki community in Manipur was deeply saddening. Senior CPM leader Brinda Karat, in a video released on social media, said the death of the young Kuki Scheduled Tribe woman, who survived a brutal gang rape during the Manipur violence, was a "national shame", underscoring the failure of the state and justice system nearly two years after the crime.

People in Churachandpur gathered for a candlelight vigil Sunday night, demanding justice for the girl. The incident happened on May 15, 2023, and she died on January 11, 2026.

Karat said the survivor, who had been abducted, gang raped and left for dead, died due to prolonged medical complications without seeing justice delivered. Karat said the woman had been "victimised twice" - first by politics that fuelled hatred and violence, and then by a system that failed to act with urgency.


Karat blamed the political climate fostered by the RSS-BJP, and alleged that it created an atmosphere of division and impunity that allowed armed groups to operate without fear. She said this environment emboldened the perpetrators and enabled the crime to take place during the unrest that tore through the state.

Karat said, even as investigations moved slowly, "her death without justice is a damning reflection on our administrative and judicial institutions. The delay had cost the survivor not just dignity, but her life".