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The attack on two women in the state of Manipur led to the first public comments from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however indirect, about the monthslong violence in the state.
It took more than two months for word of the shocking sexual assault to spread, partly because the internet in the region had been shut down.
This increasingly common tactic of restricting the flow of information has been part of the Indian government’s response to bloody ethnic clashes in the northeastern state of Manipur, where for several weeks, two communities have essentially been at war over access to government benefits.
So when a video — showing two women being paraded naked and assaulted in Manipur — went viral on Wednesday in India, it shocked the nation, further inflamed tensions and brought renewed attention to a conflict that has left more than 130 people dead, and over 35,000 displaced.