A proposed mass burial of Kuki tribal victims was postponed for a week on Thursday after opposition by Meitei groups triggered hectic parleys through the night between the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), security forces, the state government, and the Union home ministry, even as high court ordered “status quo ante” at the burial site. Even then, at least 30 women suffered minor injuries when Meitei groups opposed to the mass burial attempted to cross barricaded zones into Churachandpur and pelted stones at personnel of the Assam Rifles and Rapid Action Force who then used tear gas shells to disperse the mob.
On Monday, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum, a conglomerate of Kuki organisations in Churachandpur district, announced they intended to bury 35 victims from the community at S Boljiang village in Churachandpur, bordering Bishnupur district. This was opposed by Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of Meitei groups that said that the proposed burial site was government land, located near the homes of Meitei families displaced in the Manipur violence, and that the very act of this mass burial would disrupt law and order and constitute a provocation.
Ethnic clashes in Manipur since May 3 have left at least 150 dead, over 300 injured and displaced more than 50,000 people. There are at least 87 bodies that are lying unclaimed in hospitals in Imphal and Churachandpur. Some have been unable to collect the bodies of their family members because they are afraid of attacks during travel in the violence torn state, while others have refuse to conduct last rites as a mark of protest.
In an urgent hearing on a petition filed by the International Meitei Forum held at 6am, acting chief justice of the Manipur high court MV Muralidaran directed status quo ante be maintained at the proposed site, directing the Centre, state government, and all stakeholders to find an “amicable settlement”. The decision was taken, the court said in its order, because of the “potentiality of aggravating the already volatile law and order situation and the possibility of igniting a fresh wave of violence and bloodshed due to the gathering of a large mob from both the communities at the land in question”.
{{/usCountry}}In an urgent hearing on a petition filed by the International Meitei Forum held at 6am, acting chief justice of the Manipur high court MV Muralidaran directed status quo ante be maintained at the proposed site, directing the Centre, state government, and all stakeholders to find an “amicable settlement”. The decision was taken, the court said in its order, because of the “potentiality of aggravating the already volatile law and order situation and the possibility of igniting a fresh wave of violence and bloodshed due to the gathering of a large mob from both the communities at the land in question”.
{{/usCountry}}But even before the high court had met, given the sensitivity of the issue and the potential for a new flare-up, officials of the state government, police, security agencies and representatives of the MHA were locked in closed door negotiations with civil society organisations through Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday morning, officials said.
ITLF in a press statement on Thursday put forth five demands, legalisation of the burial site at S Boljang, non-deployment of Meitei state security forces in the hill districts where Kuki-Zo people reside, return of bodies of Kuki victims lying in two hospitals in Imphal, “total separation from Manipur”, and the transfer of tribal jail inmates lodged in prisons in Imphal to other states.
On Thursday morning, MHA reached out to both ITLF and COCOMI and appealed to them to maintain calm. In a letter to ITLF, which HT has seen, Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai said, “Government of India appeals to all concerned to maintain peace and communal harmony and assures that it will spare no efforts to resolve the aforesaid issue amicably to the utmost satisfaction of parties within a period of seven days.”
Hours later, ITLF announced that it had postponed the burial programme for seven days. “Since MHA has given us written assurance, we have decided to postpone the burial by a week,” said Ginza Vualzong, ITLF spokesperson.
But even after this announcement that came around 9am, there was tension in parts of Manipur, with hundreds of Kuki men and women honouring the “martyrs” at the Peace Grounds in Tuibuong on the outskirts of Churachandpur, and Meitei crowds and COCOMI volunteers positioning themselves on the road to S Boljang village.
Security was correspondingly strengthened, particularly in Imphal, Bishnupur and Churachanpur through the day, even as there were fresh attempts made to storm Manipur Rifles battalions at Kabo Leikai and Khabeisoi in Imphal East as well as Singjamei police station with mobs urging personnel to hand over weapons so people could protect themselves, police officials said.
Khuraijam Athouba, spokesperson of COCOMI, said, “We also held a meeting with police on Thursday morning near the place where ITLF has proposed the mass grave. Our volunteers are there at the spot to ensure that no one defies the government and court orders. COCOMI will also write to the Union home minister on Friday through the state security advisor on why there should not be a mass grave. This will only fan tensions.”