Manipur, 3 August 2023: In response to a plea from a tribal organization for the mass burial of 35 Kuki-Zo community members who have been killed since May 3 in the current ethnic unrest in the State, central security forces have been hurried to the Bishnupur-Churachandpur district line in Manipur.
The Churachandpur District Hospital is currently housing the bodies, three bodies of which were preserved using ice slabs and white pumpkins (a traditional method). The facility over there has just nine cold storage facilities.
This week earlier, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) had announced the mass burial on August 3.
Territorial power
There would be “unwanted consequences” if the burial went place in Torbung Bangla, a government land in the Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district, according to the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a significant civil society organization in Imphal.
According to the ITLF, the burial will take place on a public field in Churachandpur district’s S. Boljang village.
Regarding the territorial jurisdiction, there are conflicting assertions. The revenue district is Churachandpur, however the region is under the jurisdiction of the Bishnupur police station. Special protections are provided for Manipur’s hilly regions under Article 371C of the Constitution.
An ITLF member claimed that they had received a verbal request from the police to halt the mass burial plan. However, the ITLF warned in a statement that “anyone or any group attempting to disrupt the event will be held accountable for the consequences.”
According to a police source, more Assam Rifles, Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and Army columns have been mobilized in the vicinity to quell any potential violence.
This location, which is located in the foothills and has experienced numerous conflicts between the two populations, also has a sizable Central security force presence.
The Supreme Court was notified by the Center on Tuesday that 150 people have died in the continuous violence since May 3.
Conditions bodies in Imphal
A Kuki community leader claims that there are 60 community members’ bodies buried in two Imphal government hospitals.
“We have been able to identify 10 further bodies in addition to the 60 unidentified remains, which are severely decayed and have distorted faces. We were handed images in some cases instead of bodies so that we could do the last rites because we are unable to travel to Imphal owing to security reasons,” the member said.
The situation in Manipur remains highly sensitive and complex, with concerns over communal tensions, territorial disputes, and the handling of deceased bodies adding to the challenges faced by authorities in restoring peace and stability to the region.
