GUWAHATI : In a poignant development, bodies of at least 64 victims, representing both Kukis and Meiteis, who fell victim to the violence in Manipur over seven months ago, were airlifted from morgues on Thursday to facilitate their long-awaited last rites.
Kuki organizations reported that 19 victims’ bodies arrived in Kangpokpi, while 41 others were transported to Churachandpur via separate helicopters on Thursday. These bodies, belonging to the Kuki community, had remained abandoned in the morgues of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Science (JNIMS) and Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal since the clashes between the Meiteis and Kukis in May. Notably, Kangpokpi and Churachandpur are Kuki-dominated districts.
Officials confirmed that four bodies belonging to the Meiteis were also airlifted from Churachandpur to Imphal. An additional 64 bodies, all Kukis, had similarly languished in morgues in Churachandpur. This significant development followed a Supreme Court order on November 28, mandating the dignified disposal of the bodies.
The violent clashes between the Kukis and Meiteis, which erupted on May 3, claimed nearly 200 lives and displaced 60,000 individuals. The aftermath led to an ethnic divide, with the Kukis seeking refuge in the hills and the Meiteis fleeing the Meitei-dominated Imphal Valley. The bodies of the victims had remained unattended as tension persisted in the state.
Earlier attempts by Kuki organizations to bury the bodies in August had triggered fresh tensions, prompting Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intervention. The burial plans were postponed by Kuki groups following Shah’s involvement.
On Thursday, the Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU), a Kuki organization, announced that the last rites for the 19 bodies reaching Kangpokpi would take place at the Martyr Cemetery at Phaijang on Friday. The COTU expressed appreciation for the Supreme Court’s intervention, acknowledging its understanding of the sentiments of the Kuki-Zo people. In conjunction with the funeral proceedings, the COTU declared a 12-hour “shutdown” within Kangpokpi from 5 am to 5 pm on Friday.
