Manipur News: Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an organization of the Kuki-Jomi community, also said that it is postponing the funeral program for seven days following the request of the Union Home Ministry.
Manipur
Manipur High Court: The Manipur High Court on Thursday decided to maintain status quo on the proposed cremation ground at Haolai Khopi village in Churachandpur district, hours ahead of the scheduled mass burial of the bodies of the Kuki-Jomi community killed in the caste violence. ordered to.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), an organization of the Kuki-Jomi community, also said that it is postponing the funeral program for seven days following the request of the Union Home Ministry.
- Security forces released tear gas shells
At the time, Army and RAF (Rapid Task Force) personnel lobbed tear gas shells in Kangwai and Phougakchao areas of Bishnupur district on Thursday to prevent a procession from moving towards the proposed cremation site in violation of restrictions on assemblies, officials said. . He told that during this clash 25 people were injured.
The district magistrates of Imphal East and Imphal West have withdrawn the curfew relaxation announced earlier as a precautionary measure. At the same time, curfew continues in the entire Imphal valley.
- There was a plan to bury the bodies of 35 people killed in the violence
Earlier, the ITLF had planned to bury the bodies of 35 people killed in caste violence in the state on Thursday at a site in Haolai Khopi village, triggering tension in several districts of Manipur.
Acting Chief Justice M.V. Muraleedharan and Justice A. A bench of Justice Guneshwar Sharma began the hearing at 6 am in view of the urgent need to hear the matter and ordered the state and central governments and their law enforcement agencies and the general public to “maintain status quo” regarding the land earmarked for cremation .
Justice Muraleedharan said that further hearing in the matter would be held on August 9. The bench also took note of the ‘apprehension of fresh outbreak of violence and bloodshed and further aggravation of the already unstable law and order situation due to the gathering of a large crowd at the said place’.
The bench said that the Centre, the state government and the aggrieved parties are also directed to make efforts to find an amicable solution to the matter.
Briefing reporters, Manipur Law and Legislative Affairs Minister T. Basanthkumar said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai also “appealed to both the fighting communities – Kuki and Meitei – to maintain peace and communal harmony”.
Quoting the Union minister’s letter, the minister said, “The Government of India also took up the issue of cremation of bodies of those killed in caste violence in Manipur and assured that it would do so within a period of seven days to the satisfaction of all parties.” Will leave no stone unturned to resolve this issue amicably.
- What did ITLF say?
An ITLF spokesperson said that Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga has also made the same request. ITLF’s media convenor Ginja Wualjong told reporters, “We held the meeting from last night till 4 am because of a new development. MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) requested us to postpone the funeral program and if we accept this request then we will get permission to perform the last rites (of 35 people) at the same place and government will give that land for this purpose will make it valid. The Chief Minister of Mizoram had also made a similar request.
ITLF officials had earlier in the day said that they had postponed the plan by five days, however, later they said that they have accepted the request of the central government and extended it by two more days .
“After long late night discussions with various stakeholders, ITLF has come to the conclusion that we will consider the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs, provided it gives written assurance on our five demands,” Wualjong said.
In Churachandpur S. Legalizing the cremation site at Bolzang and the withdrawal of state forces, including personnel from the Meitei community, from the hill districts of Manipur were among the five demands made by the Kuki-Jomi organisation.
Earlier, additional central security forces were sent to Bishnupur-Churachandpur district following the ITLF’s funeral plan. Two people, including a Manipur Rifles policeman, were injured in the firing that took place at Senjam Chirang in Imphal West district on Thursday morning, police said.
In another development, miscreants looted arms and ammunition from the 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion post at Naransena in Bishnupur district, official sources said.
Another group of miscreants attempted to loot arms and ammunition from the 2nd Manipur Rifles compound in Imphal, but the security personnel deployed in that camp foiled the attempt by firing several tear gas shells.
- So far more than 160 deaths in violence
More than 160 people have died in the caste violence that broke out in Manipur after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in the hill districts on May 3 to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
The population of the Meitei community in the state is about 53 percent and they mainly live in the Imphal Valley. At the same time, tribal communities like Naga and Kuki constitute 40 percent of the population and live mostly in the hilly districts.
Tension prevailed in Bishnupur district since morning as hundreds of locals took to the streets to march towards the cremation site and block the movement of security forces.
Locals, led by women, tried to cross the barricades put up by Army and RAF personnel, demanding that they be allowed access to the cremation site.
Security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, injuring people.
Manipur Police tweeted, In the last 24 hours, 130 outposts were set up in various districts in both hill and valley areas and police detained 347 people in connection with various violations.
About Author
