On Wednesday, the bodies of 87 victims who had been killed in ethnic clashes in the state of Manipur were laid to rest in a mass burial ceremony that had been held in the Churachandpur district. These bodies were of people from the Kuki-Zo tribe, one of the tribes from Manipur that has been engaged in an ongoing ethnic war in the state. It has been reported that the oldest of the victims buried was a 70-year-old woman, while the youngest was a one-month-old baby.
The ceremony was held at a location named the “Kuki-Zo martyrs cemetery” in Sekhen. The ceremony was held with Christian rituals and tributes, along with a gun salute by village defence volunteers. This was preceded by a meeting that was held in Tuibuong.
Many came to this burial site to be with the family members of the victims of ethnic war, who were biding their final farewell to the deceased. Coffins were covered with traditional shawls and wreaths before they were placed in their graves.
However, the event was held under tight security because of the imposition of a curfew in the entire district after the resurgence of violence in the state. On Monday night, Section 144 was imposed in the entire state for a period of two months until February 18 because of fresh clashes that took place between two groups of Kuki and Zomi residents. In this clash, about 30 people were seriously injured.
This was the second mass burial ceremony in December for the victims of the Kuki-Zo tribe, following the directives of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had ordered that all the victims should be given a “dignified burial.”
The burial ceremony took place after six months of the deceased’s passing. This was because the bodies of Kuki-Zo victims in Meitei-dominated Imphal and those of Meitei victims kept in Kuki-dominated Churachandpur remained unclaimed. Due to sharp divisions in the aftermath of the clashes, one community was not allowing the other to enter its territory.
Following the directives, the bodies of 60 Kuki-Zo victims were shifted from two mortuaries in Imphal to Kangpokpi and Churachandpur districts. Along with this, the bodies of four Meitei victims were airlifted from a mortuary in Churachandpur to Imphal.
Earlier this month, a similar burial ceremony had been held for victims who had lost their lives in the ongoing conflict. For this, on December 15, the bodies of 19 Kuki-Zo victims were taken to Kangpokpi and laid to rest at a mass burial that was held in Phaijang village.
Ngaineikim, president of the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights, told the media that the people of this tribe felt a deep sense of relief after the bodies of their tribesmen were laid to rest respectfully, following all the necessary customs and rituals. She added that the family members of the deceased had to wait for a long time to bid farewell to their loved ones. She also said that the Kuki-Zo tribe will continue their struggle to attain justice for the deceased victims and for their demand of a separate administration for their tribe.
HOW DID THE ETHNIC VIOLENCE BEGAN IN MANIPUR?
Since May 3, Manipur has witnessed ethnic clashes between the Meitei community and the Kuki-Zo tribe. The violence that erupted claimed several lives and left many displaced. This happened because members of the Kuki tribe, who inhabit hills in Manipur and are regarded as Scheduled Tribes, launched a protest against the Meities when they learned about a possible extension of their benefits to them.
Meiteis form more than half of Manipur’s population, and the Kuki-Zo tribe believed extending the Schedule Tribe quota to them would mean the Meiteis would get a share in education and government jobs reserved for Kukis and Nagas, another Scheduled Tribe in Manipur.
Meiteis have traditionally lived in Manipur but have started to demand ST status from the court in the last decade. This is due to the influx of refugees from Mayanmar. Kukis are believed to share ethnic lineage with Myanmar’s Chin tribe, and Meiteis feared they would be outnumbered by the arrival of the refugees. This has led them to ask for an extension of their ST status to their community.
Another reason for the violence is that the state government, which is mostly made up of people from the Meitei community, asked tribal communities living in the hills to leave the area. The government found the Kuki-zo tribe to be living on government lands. This sparked anger among tribal people, as they felt that they were wrongfully being forced out of their homes.
After the first outburst of violence in May, sporadic reprisals of attacks have been reported in the state, with the latest one taking place this Monday.
