Mass burial deferred as MHA, HC intervene; many hurt
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 03 2023: Hours before a planned mass burial of Kuki-Zomi people killed in the ethnic violence, the High Court of Manipur on Thursday ordered that the status quo be maintained at the proposed burial site in Churachandpur district, while ITLF, an apex tribal body, said it was postponing the funeral service plans by seven days following request from the Union home ministry.

Though the burial ceremony could not go ahead as planned, the condolence service for the Kuki-Zo 'martyrs' took place at the Peace Ground, Tuibuong in the presence of the victims' families and leaders from various civil society organisations.

A sea of people dressed in black attires thronged Peace Ground to attend the last rites.

Meanwhile, many people were injured in clashes as Army and RAF personnel bred tear gas shells in Kangvai and Phougakchao areas in Bishnupur district on Thursday to stop processions from proceeding to the proposed burial site violating restrictions on gatherings.

The district magistrates of Imphal East and Imphal West withdrew curfew relaxations earlier announced, imposing day curfew as a precautionary measure, throughout the Imphal valley.

The Kuki-Zomi organisation, Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum, had planned the burial of 35 people, who were killed in ethnic riots in the state, on Thursday at a site in Haolai Khopi village of Churachandpur, which Meetei organisations in Bishnupur district and other valley areas claim is under Torbung village under Moirang assembly constituency, resulting in tension in many districts of Manipur.

The HC bench headed by acting chief justice MV Muralidaran started hearing the case early at 6 am, given the urgency of the issue and directed the state and central governments and their law-enforcing agencies as well as the public to "maintain status quo" with regard to the land in question.

It also said the matter would come up for further hearing on August 9 .

The bench took into consideration the "potential of aggravating the already volatile law and order situation and the possibility of igniting a fresh wave of violence and bloodshed due to gathering of a large mob at the land in question" .

The Centre, the state government and aggrieved parties are also directed to make effort for an amicable settlement in the matter, the bench, also comprising Justice A Guneshwar Sharma, said.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai too appealed to both warring communities- Kuki and Meitei- to maintain peace and communal harmony and said in a letter that the "Centre is seized of the issue of last rites of mortal remains of those killed in ethnic violence" in Manipur.

Rai assured the ITLF of solving the issues related to the burial of the bodies within the next seven days, and accordingly, the latter postponed its programme.

"We had a marathon meeting last night till 4 am due to a new development.

The MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) requested us to delay the burial and that if we comply with the request, we will be allowed to bury (35 people) in the same location and the government will legalise the land for the burial.

The Mizoram CM had also made a similar request," ITLF Media Convenor Ginza Vualzong told reporters.

ITLF officials, who had earlier in the day said they had postponed plans for five days, said that they acceded to the Union government's request and extended it by two more days.

After long deliberation with various stakeholders late in the night, the ITLF concluded that it would consider the request of the MHA provided "they give us a written assurance on five demands", Vualzong said.

The five-point demand includes legalisation of the burial site in S Boljang of Churachandpur; no deployment of Meitei state forces in the hill districts for the safety of the Kuki-Zo communities; to bring the dead bodies of the Kuki-Zo communities lying in Imphal to Churachandpur; to speed up the demand for total separation from Manipur; and to transfer Kuki jail inmates in Imphal to other states.

The Ministry of Home Affairs also made an appeal to Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a platform of Meitei groups to maintain peace.

Earlier, additional central security forces had rushed to the Bishnupur-Churachandpur district boundary following the call by the ITLF.

Tension has been brewing since morning in Bishnupur district as hundreds of locals came out on the streets to go towards the burial site and to block the movement of security forces.

Locals led by women tried to pass the barricade put up by the'Army and RAF personnel, demanding that they be allowed to go to Tuibuong, the burial site.

The security forces fifed tear gas shells to disperse the mob, resulting in injuries.

Fearing the spread of violence, the district magistrates of Imphal East and West issued separate orders, re-imposing the day curfew.

Earlier this week, curfew hours had been relaxed as the situation had improved in Imphal Valley.

Even before the clashes erupted, tension had been brewing since Thursday morning in Churachandpur, Bishnupur and the adjoining districts as mobs comprising thousands of men and women came out to the streets to block the movement of security forces.

The mobs wanted to go to Tuibuong.

Meitei organisations have strongly opposed the mass burial.

A COCOMI leader said that the "so-called Kuki leaders should not play politics over the dead bodies".

"Every dead body of the Meitei community was being cremated at their native villages with due respect and recognition by their own near and dear ones.

Likewise we expect the Kuki people to follow the same practice in performing the last rites of the dead persons".

He said that encroaching of the government land is also a violation of laws and burying all together to newly create a mass grave at the abandoned Meitei villages would not only provoke the sentiments of the people in both sides but also remain as a symbol of permanent enmity among the villagers.

"We also request to check the identity of all the dead bodies too before being cremated at their respective village as per the law and confirm their citizenship," the organisation said in a statement.

Meanwhile, as news spread that security forces are making arrangement to transport unclaimed bodies of deceased Kuki from RIMS and JNIMS morgues for burial at Torbung, people in different parts of Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur district enforced blocked the roads leading to and from the two hospitals on Wednesday night in an attempt to prevent transportation of the corpses.

A huge crowd also thronged RIMS and JNIMS mortuaries resulting in the police firing tear gas shells to disperse the people, who retaliated by pelting stones at the police.

The stand-off continued till 12.30 am Thursday.

Several of the protestors were also detained by police, a report conveyed.

(With inputs from PTI) .

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