Unburied woman's body remains in state
Source: The Sangai Express / Mungchan Zimik

Ukhrul, August 11 2017: Even as the village authority of Leingangching has strongly reacted against the statement of the Catholic community over the report that the village authority has objected to her burial at her native place, Leingangching, the husband of the late woman has declared that her body would not be buried anywhere but at her native village.

Briefing a team of media persons from Ukhrul at Leingangching (S Lohe) today, the village headman Wungreikhan Kasar contested the statement "denial to bury dead woman" and explained that it had nothing to do with the denomination to which the late woman belonged, but was due to an internal affair of the village.

The claim of the Tangkhul Catholic Committee (TCC) was meant to tarnish the image of Sharkaphung (Leingangching) village, he claimed.

The family of Yangmi, husband of the late woman, and four other families were banished from the village in 2010 for trying to divide the village, he said.

The crisis started in 1996, recalled the headman and added that Yangmi and his party appointed a self styled chairman of a committee and renamed the village as Ramshairam in 2001 .

Yangmi and his men were warned and ultimately the villagers decided to ex-communciate them for 9 years.

Despite the effort of the villagers to reconcile and settle the issue through the customary route, Yangmi and his men remained stubborn, claimed the chairman and added that in 2010, Sharkaphung village unanimously resolved to banish Yangmi and his four associates (Lungshi, Moon, Robin and Yuimi) from the village for their persistent efforts to divide the village.

To a query on the denial to bury the body of the woman in the village, the headman said that Yangmi has no legal rights to claim that he is a native of Leingangching because he has been banished from the village in 2010 .

The headman further mentioned that irrespective of denomination whosoever seeks permission to bury bodies in the village, the same has never been denied.

According to him, some years back a Catholic identified as Naolin D/o Khathing from Kaihao village was buried at the village.

The Leingangching village community appealed to all individuals or groups not to interfere in the internal affairs of the village in future.

The body of late Rita was found still kept in a Catholic Church at Litan, during the visit by the media persons from Ukhrul.

Talking to the media persons, the bereaved husband, Yangmi said that the mortal remains of his wife is still in state even after 6 days of her death.

Leingangching (S.Lohe) VA opposed our decision to bury her body at the village, he said and added that this is inhuman and not tolerable.

He added that until the matter is resolved, the body of his wife will remain in state and she will not be buried anywhere else.

Father Dominic, Parish Priest, said that the Catholic community at Leingangching have been marginalised and discriminated adding that this is the fourth instance of not allowing a Catholic to be buried at their native village.

The idea of "one village, one denomination" has to be abolished for peaceful co-existence, he added.

Extending solidarity to the bereaved family, a large number of people drawn from the Kukis, Anals, Maos and Meiteis have visited the bereaved family members to share their grief and pain.

However no Tangkhul civil society organization leaders have visited the family to console or resolve the present impasse, said the Catholic community.

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