Manipur violence: Bodies of 87 Kuki-Zo people laid to rest in Churachandpur amid tight security

Support independent journalism! Join us: https://bit.ly/3Rz1uCH

Amid tight security, a total of 87 bodies of violence victims in Manipur were laid to rest at the Kuki-Zo martyrs cemetery, Sehken in Churachandpur district on Wednesday. This marks one of the largest mass burial ceremonies for victims of ethnic violence in Manipur.

Last week, eight months after the Manipur crisis, bodies of 60 members of the Kuki-Zo community lying at Imphal morgues were flown to Churachandpur (41) and Kangpokpi (19) districts, while four bodies of the Meitei 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.

Organised by the Joint Philanthropic Organisation (JPO), the members of the victims’ families were among the thousands of Kuki-Zo community who attended the mass burial ceremony at peace ground, Tuibuong in Churachandpur district. Later, the victims were laid to rest at Kuki-Zo martyrs cemetery, Sehken.

Apart from the rituals, the funeral service also witnessed choral singing from Joint Artistes Association and a condolence message from Rev Dr S Vungminthang, President of Goodwill Council, Lamka. A speech on behalf of the victims’ families was given by Laldawnkien Varte, convenor, JPO.

In a video, members of the Central Village Defense Force (CVDF) were seen giving gun salutes as a sign of honour and respect to the victims as the bodies marched towards the mass burial site from Peace Ground.

“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.

Earlier, the bodies of 23 Kuki-Zo were laid to rest in Kangpokpi’s Phaijang village during a mass burial ceremony organised by Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU).

Ethnic clashes erupted in Manipur on May 3 following a protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The conflict has resulted in the loss of at least 196 lives and displaced thousands.

#EastMojo #EastStory #northeastindia #northeast #manipur #manipurcrisis #churachandpur #burialceremony #kuki #kukizo

*****

Subscribe:    / @eastmojoofficial  

*****

Visit our website: https://www.eastmojo.com/
Facebook:   / eastmojo  
Twitter:   / eastmojo  
Instagram:   / east.mojo  

*****