87 Kuki-Zo victims of violence laid to rest
Source: Chronicle News Service / Kaimuanthang Mangte

CCpur, December 20 2023: After over seven months since the ethnic clash broke out and fell victims to mob violence, bodies of 87 Kuki-Zo people were laid to rest at the 'Kuki-Zo Martyrs' Cemetery' near Sehken village close to the Tribal Martyrs' Park at Mata village and Khuga Dam on Wednesday with full honour and respect under the supervision of the Joint Philanthropic Organisations (JPO) .

The mass burial of the 87 tribal 'martyrs' was conducted in the second session of the funeral service the first of which was held at Peace Ground near the Wall of Remembrance under the theme 'Final tribute to the Kuki-Zo Martyrs' from 11 am.

The programme was marked by speech from Zo United convener Albert Renthlei, condolence message by Goodwill Council president Rev Dr S Vungminthang and speeches on behalf of the victims' families by JPO convener Laldawnlien Varte.

The burial service commenced from 3 pm.

The youngest victim was one month old baby and the oldest 87 years in age.

The burial ceremony was an emotional moment for the near and dear ones of the martyrs as they cried inconsolably, the sight of which would never be erasable in .their memory.

Before the funeral took place, all the 87 coffins were loaded on 16 trucks from district hospital and taken to the burial site near from 11 am through a procession that covered IB, Tipaimukh and Tedim roads.

The procession ended at about 1.30 pm at the burial site where all the coffins were lowered in the graves earmarked for the 87 victims.

After 87 rounds of gun salute given by JPO volunteers and representatives led by Kuki Khanglai Lompi (KKL), the martyrs were laid to rest A four-member delegation of Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) of Mizoram led by president Lalhmachuana also took part in the burial programme.

During his speech, Lalhmachuana said Mizo people of Mizoram are with Kuki-Zo people of Manipur and ready to stand by the Zo descendants whenever and wherever needed.

He urged Zo descendants to remain united though some minor misunderstanding crops up occasionally them.

The funeral procession and mass burial carried out amid tight security marked one of the largest burial ceremonies for victims of ethnic violence.

Mention may be made that eight months after the crisis, bodies of 60 Kuki-Zo victims lying at Imphal morgues were flown to Churachandpur (41) and Kangpokpi (19) districts, while four bodies of the Meetei community were airlifted to Imphal from Churachandpur district on the same day.

An additional 46 bodies of victims of Kuki-Zo violence were already at the Churachandpur District Hospital.

Apart from the rituals, the funeral service also witnessed choral singing from Joint Artistes Association.

"Rest, warriors, under our ancestral land's embrace.

Your sacrifice etches justice's trace.

We'll carry you every stride, Until our tapestry, whole and wide," Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) posted on X .

The 87 bodies laid to rest included 46 from Churachandpur District Hospital and 41 airlifted from hospitals in Imphal.

This phase-wise burial was necessitated due to the bodies being scattered across various hospitals following the outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023 .

On December 15, the last rites of 19 tribals of the community, also killed in the ethnic hostility in May, were carried out in a similar mass burial ceremony in Kangpokpi district.

The airlifting exercises of the bodies and related other actions were taken by the state government, district administrations and other authorities only after the Supreme Court issued a directive last month to the state government for dignified disposal of the bodies.

The Supreme Court had formed a committee in August of three former high court judges - Gita Mittal, Shalini Joshi, and Asha Menon - to look into the investigation, relief, remedial measures, compensation and rehabilitation in violence-devastated Manipur.

Considering the committee's report, the apex court issued directives for the burial or cremation of those killed in the ethnic violence.

The ethnic riot between Meetei and Kuki communities has so far claimed 182 lives, injured several hundreds and displaced more than 70,000 people of both communities.

(With inputs from agencies) .

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