IMPHAL, Jan 20: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) said the death of a young Kuki Scheduled Tribe woman, who had survived a brutal gang rape during the ethnic violence in Manipur in 2023, was “deeply saddening” and a “national shame,” reflecting a grave failure of the state and the justice system.

Senior CPM leader Brinda Karat, in a video statement released on social media, said the survivor died on January 11, 2026, nearly two years after the crime, without seeing justice delivered. The incident had occurred on May 15, 2023, at the height of violence in the state, when the woman was abducted, gang raped and left for dead.

Karat said the survivor suffered prolonged medical complications following the assault and succumbed before accountability could be fixed. “She was victimised twice — first by the politics that fuelled hatred and violence, and then by a system that failed to act with urgency,” Karat said.

Describing the death as a damning indictment of governance, Karat said the slow pace of investigation and lack of timely justice had cost the survivor not just her dignity, but ultimately her life. “Her death without justice is a reflection of the collapse of our administrative and judicial institutions,” she said.

Karat also blamed the political climate fostered by the RSS-BJP, alleging that it created an atmosphere of division and impunity in Manipur. According to her, this environment emboldened armed groups to operate without fear and enabled such heinous crimes to take place during the unrest that tore through the state.

Meanwhile, people in Churachandpur district gathered on Sunday night for a candlelight vigil to mourn the victim and demand justice. Participants called for swift action against the perpetrators and accountability from authorities for the prolonged delay in the case.

The CPM reiterated its demand for fast-track investigations, protection and support for survivors of sexual violence, and concrete steps to ensure justice in cases arising from the Manipur violence, warning that continued delays would further erode public faith in democratic institutions.