Got no response to 3 letters to Manipur authorities: NCW Chief Rekha Sharma

National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma said on Friday that she had written three letters to Manipur authorities expressing concern over violence against women, but that there was no response.

Her comment came after the emergence of a viral video depicting an alleged sexual assault on two women in Manipur, which raised widespread anger.

Speaking in Delhi, Sharma said she had not received any report on the incident but took suo motu cognisance of it after the video surfaced and sought explanation from the state’s authorities on the matter. The NCW chairperson said she also spoke to Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh. Sharma said on May 23, she had forwarded complaints received from a group in Manipur to the state chief secretary Vineet Joshi and DGP Rajiv Singh.


On May 29, she wrote to Joshi, saying that the commission “has taken cognisance” of the violence that had erupted in Manipur on May 3. In the letter, among other directions, she said “a mechanism needs to be in place for quick response to the incidences of violence and harassment of women”, and requested the state government to provide support to the women affected by the unrest. On June 19, she forwarded to the chief secretary a representation requesting the state government for immediate support to the women affected by the strife and asked him to “take appropriate action”.

On Thursday, the NCW said it directed the head of public policy at Twitter India to remove the video from the platform. Sharma also tweeted, “Just spoke to DGP of Manipur and he apprised that the main accused has been arrested. He assured me that others will also be arrested soon.