Manipur: Tribals to Be Laid to Rest Following Fatal Encounter with CRPF
Click to start listening
Imphal, Dec 4 (NationPress) Nearly 10 individuals who were tragically killed during an exchange of gunfire with the CRPF in Manipur's Jiribam district on November 11, along with two additional victims, are set to be laid to rest tomorrow in Churachandpur, as declared by the leaders of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) on Wednesday.
The mass burial will be attended by Mizoram Chief Minister's Adviser H Ginzalala, along with representatives from the Young Mizo Association, various tribal groups, and Church leaders.
The ITLF leaders confirmed that the remains of the 12 Kuki-Zo-Hmar youths were retrieved from the hospital morgue and returned to their families.
A senior leader from the ITLF stated that a significant silent rally will take place prior to the mass burial on Thursday. Student organisations have been urged to prepare placards and banners for the event. The ITLF has announced a total shutdown on Thursday in honor of the martyrs.
The funeral will occur in two distinct sessions. The first session is scheduled for 11 am at Peace Ground in Tuibuong, where individuals from all walks of life will gather to pay their final respects.
The second session will commence at 2 pm at the Martyrs Cemetery in Sehken, where the deceased will receive a gun salute from village volunteers followed by their burial.
On November 19, thousands participated in a 'coffin rally' in Churachandpur, showing solidarity with the 10 Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal 'Village Volunteers'.
This event was jointly organized by various tribal organizations, with numerous men and women dressed in black, symbolically carrying 10 dummy coffins in tribute to the fallen volunteers.
The post-mortem of the 10 bodies, along with two others, was conducted at Assam’s Silchar Medical College and Hospital, after which the remains were airlifted to Churachandpur on November 16.
The Manipur Police previously asserted that all 10 'militants' were killed in a retaliatory strike by the CRPF following an attack on the CRPF camp and the adjacent police station in Jakuradhor village, within the Jiribam district’s Borobekra sub-division on November 11.
Additionally, two CRPF personnel sustained injuries during the conflict.
However, the ITLF, Kuki-Zo Council, and Hmar Students’ Association (HSA) have consistently argued that all 10 deceased 'Hmar Village Volunteers' were engaged in protective duties for the community.
