Dead bodies of nine people killed during November 11-17 violent clashes in Jiribam were returned to their home district this morning.
The victims, who include six members of the same family and two senior citizens, were handed over to their families after post-mortem examinations at Assam’s Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH).
Six Women and Children Abducted then Killed
On November 11, six family members-which included a woman, her infant, her two-year-old son, her mother, her sister, and her sister’s daughter-were abducted by Kuki militants and were later found to have been killed in captivity whose bodies were later retrieved from the Barak River.
Police sources said the attack coincided with a counter-operation by the Central Reserve Police Force in which 10 militants were killed in an encounter in Jiribam’s Borobekra village.
The two elderly Meitei community individuals who lost their lives in the Borobekra attack were gunned down and burned alive, according to reports.
Armed Kuki groups have been blamed for the violence, which the Manipur government has called “terrorists” in a cabinet resolution. According to some families, justice must be done.
Relatives initially refused to accept the bodies unless there was justice and a formal declaration that the attackers were militants.
However, they agreed once NIA started inquiring into the matter. Maibam Laijingamba, whose father is one of the deceased, said, “We wanted stringent action against the attackers. Now, since the NIA is probing, we are convinced.”
On November 16, protesters from Jiribam and Assam clashed with police at SMCH, pushing back the release of the bodies. Security has since been strengthened along the Manipur-Assam border to deter further violence.
The killers were demanded to be officially declared as militants by members of the victim’s family and local community leaders. “They said they were a village defence party, but they were heavily armed and came from Churachandpur. This was a planned attack,” said a family member.
As the bodies were taken back to Jiribam, there was gathering at various points to pay their respects from the people of Meitei community. The situation is tense in the region with pressure on both state and central governments for peace and justice to be prevailed.
Violence in Manipur
The November 11 attack was part of a spate of violent incidents that date back to October 19. Official records indicate that the Kuki militants have targeted Meitei villages consistently, with retaliatory violence from Meitei groups.
The deaths of a Hmar woman on November 7 following an attack on Zairawn village had caused further disturbances.
ALSO READ: SC To Pass Orders On Monday Over Plea To Remove ‘Secular’ And ‘Socialist’ From Preamble
