Our Correspondent
Imphal | February 13
The proposed burial service of the nine Churachandpur ‘martyrs’ did not take place today due to protest by several Kuki civil bodies.
Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People’s Front (UPF), two separate conglomerates of Kuki militant groups, in consultations with the Churachandpur JAC, JPO and Inpi groups took a resolution to bury the nine bodies today, February 13 after a meeting was held on February 7.
But a number of Kuki civil societies opposed the plan to perform the funeral service of the nine people who were killed during protests in Churachandpur district against three ILP Bills passed by the Manipur Assembly on August 31. The tribal communities in Manipur have said the Bills impinge upon their rights and hence they should be withdrawn.
The bodies are now lying unclaimed in the mortuary of the district government hospital since they were killed during the confrontations with security forces. Withdrawal of the controversial Bills is one of the key demands of the Churachandpur JAC and Kuki social organisations.
The KNO clarified that the decision of the February 7 was to consult the civil societies concerned regarding the burial ceremony of the martyrs, adding fixing the date for the event was not an agenda.
It further made it clear that the proposal of the February 13 burial service was made by KNO president PS Haokip and that it was endorsed by the civil societies. KNO also claimed that the Kuki civil bodies agreed to the proposal.
KNO said one of the groups in the UPF posted a contradictory statement following the crucial meeting where a consensus was reached among all stakeholders. It claimed that neither JAC members nor the JPO held a meeting to pass a resolution concerning the media reports which said that no decision was taken on the burial service.
