Manipur Violence: Funeral rites of the Kuki-Zo dead shed light on the state’s ongoing ethnic violence

A 12-hour complete closure of Manipur’s Kangpokpi district coincided with the waving of the black flag, mourning, and the burial of the Kuki-Zo dead bodies in the ongoing ethnic violence that has been occurring in the state since May 3.

23 bodies, including four who were unidentified or missing, were buried respectably and respectfully today in the Martyrs Cemetery in the Kangpokpi district’s Phaijang village.

58 Kuki-Zo people have been killed in the ongoing violence in Manipur to date; of these, 22 had already been buried, four were unidentified or missing, 13 had been moved to the Churachandpur district at their families’ request, and 19 had been flown home from Imphal yesterday.

Among the twenty-three dead bodies including the four untraceable dead bodies buried today, include the dead bodies of a 7-year-old Tonsing Hangshing and his mother Meena Hangshing who were burnt alive inside an ambulance.

Meitei woman Lydia Lourembam, wife of Lourembam Inaoton, who was burnt alive along with Tonsing Hangshing and Meena Hangshing was also among the dead bodies buried today.

The dead bodies of Florence Nempichong Hangshing and Olivia Lhingneithem Chongloi, who were raped and brutally murdered, were also among the dead bodies buried today.

The decent and honorable mass burial ceremony under the theme, “You Sacrifice Your Today For Our Tomorrow” conducted under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity Sadar Hills at the Martyrs Cemetery at Phaijang village was attended by more than ten thousand people across the district.

Kuki Inpi Manipur, Sadar Hills Chiefs’ Association, and various other civil society organizations, Kuki-Zo prominent leaders across the District and state also attended the mass burial ceremony.

While CoTU Chairman Thanglen Kipgen gave the welcome speech, CoTU General Secretary, Lamminlun Singsit gave a brief report of the victims from the district. Condolence and gun salute to the Martyrs of Kuki-Zo was conducted by the Kuki-Zo volunteers under the aegis of the CoTU Defence Department.

Apart from the CSO leaders, the victim’s family members also spoke on the occasion.

Dr. Satkhokai Chongloi, who attended the Mass Burial Ceremony as Minister led the burial ceremony after a mass prayer with all the Church leaders.

Joshua Hangshing, father of Tonsing Hangshing and husband of Meena Hangshing said, “Till I received the dead bodies of my son and wife, I could not have a normal life thinking that they would come back home anytime from somewhere”.

“The day I came to know that their dead bodies will be flown home, I could not sleep the whole night longing to meet them, though, they would not be able to talk to me like before”, he added.

He also said that now I am relieved as they could have a decent and honorable burial.

Lourembam Inaoton, a Meitei by ethnicity, and husband of Lydia Lourembam said that I had been leading a miserable life till I received the dead bodies of my wife.

“It’s very difficult to explain how my life was before her lifeless body reached me, but, now, I am fine as she got a decent and honorable burial today”, he added.

Lourembam Inaoton also conveyed his heartfelt gratitude to the leaders of CoTU, KIM, KSO, and other CSOs for their exemplary humanitarian gestures in giving a decent and honorable burial to his wife’s dead body.

CoTU’s Information and Publicity Secretary, Thangtinlen Haokip once again thanked the Supreme Court as the Kuki-Zo victims could be finally put to rest.

He said that the Kuki-Zo people appreciated the Supreme Court in directing the state to hand over the mortal remains of our fallen brethren to us.

He also thanked the IGAR South and the 22 AR on behalf of the Kuki-Zo people of Kangpokpi for the transportation of the dead bodies.

Thangtinlen Haokip also said that CoTU is extremely thankful to the public for supporting us in times of grief by adhering to the 12-hour total shutdown which ended this afternoon at 5:00 p.m.

“May our departed souls rest in peace and their sacrifice will never be lost in our quest for freedom from the oppressive administration”, he added.