The tragic ethnic violence in Manipur’s Jiribam was laid to rest on Friday, following an emotive ceremony marking the end of a heart-wrenching chapter. Nine victims belonging to the Meitei community included six women and children who were abducted and brutally murdered by extremists on November 11.
Their bodies, earlier kept at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam’s Cachar district, were handed over to their families for final rites, marking a somber moment in the aftermath of the violence.
The bodies were escorted to Jiribam, which lies around 45 kilometers from Silchar, by police personnel. The transfer was marked by emotional scenes as family members, with the help of local organizations, prepared to go through the last rites. Elangbam D. Singh, president of the Jiri Development Organisation, which assisted the families during their hour of distress, spoke about the anguish that the community felt.
“We took away the bodies with a heavy heart and a demand for the government to punish the culprits who felt no remorse in killing women and children. They are nothing but terrorists and not village volunteers as some people claim,” Singh stated.
Justice And Compensation Demands
The families assented to receive the bodies after Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh was addressed a five-point memorandum, submitted by the Imphal-based Joint Action Committee (comprising various civil society organizations). Their demands included immediate measures to nab the perpetrators, a compensation package for the families of the victims before the cremation, and government jobs for the survivors of the deceased.
We are very disappointed with the rejection of our demands,” a committee spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the committee revealed the response from the Chief Minister: “The Chief Minister said it would be impossible to catch the killers within 72 hours and assured us that the case would be handed over to the National Investigation Agency instead.” The committee also called for the designation of a terrorist tag for a group of Hmar village volunteers, allegedly involved in the attacks. These protesters had also insisted that Meiteis and security personnel leave Jiribam.
Situation Under Control But Vigilant
Meanwhile, the situation in Jiribam has been described as relatively calm over the past few days. According to Jiribam’s Superintendent of Police, Robinson Singh, the district’s security situation has been largely under control. “Since it is difficult for us to reach Imphal, we have been coordinating with the Cachar district police for night patrolling and vigil along the Assam-Manipur border,” Singh said. The cooperation between Manipur and Cachar districts has been instrumental in ensuring security, with the added support of intelligence and healthcare facilities like the Silchar Medical College and Hospital.
Arrests In Arson And Looting Cases
Another major development is the arrest of seven individuals by the Manipur police in connection with cases of arson and loot of houses belonging to ministers and MLAs across the Imphal Valley on November 16. So far, 32 people have been arrested in connection with the mob violence that erupted following the killing of the six Meitei women and children. The extremists belonging to the Kuki group are accused of perpetrating the violence in the Jiribam district.
Chief minister Biren Singh has condemned the attacks and stated that though democratic protests are fine, acts of vandalism and violence can never be accepted. “We support democratic protests and agitations. But some gangs burnt the houses of ministers and looted properties in the name of a democratic movement. We have initiated appropriate legal actions after identifying them through CCTV,” Singh said.
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