Editor's Note: This story discusses sexualized violence.

On Monday, members of the South Asian community in Montreal gathered outside of Parc metro to protest an incident of sexual violence in Manipur, India, and call for the removal of the chief minister of the state.

Members of the South Asian Diaspora Action Collective (SADAC), and the Centre sur l’Asie du sud (CERAS), condemned a viral video of the incident that had surfaced the week before. The video showed two women being assaulted and stripped naked by a crowd of men. One was later gang raped.

The conflict in Manipur has been ongoing for months. It was initially sparked by a disagreement over rights to land and jobs between the Hindu Meitei and the Christian Kuki communities.

Protestors also condemned the BJP government’s handling of the situation in Manipur. They say the government’s exclusionary Hindu nationalism has led Prime Minister Narendra Modi to overlook violence toward minority communities.

After over two months of silence, Modi finally spoke out, calling the incident “shameful for any civilized nation.” He also warned the perpetrators, saying, “what has happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven.”

For protestors, however, this was nothing but empty words.

“For all these two months, he had been silent while the whole state had been burning,” said one protestor, who asked to be identified as Haaji for fear of reprisal.

“Now when he comes out, he gives a two-minute speech, and still within that speech he plays politics.”

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