Imphal: In Churachandpur district of Manipur, the bodies of 87 victims from the Kuki-Zo community, who lost their lives in the ongoing ethnic clashes, were laid to rest in a solemn mass burial ceremony. The poignant event took place in Sekhen at the Kuki-Zo martyrs cemetery and featured tributes, Christian rituals, and a gun salute by village defense volunteers. The ceremony drew thousands of onlookers, witnessing the emotional scenes as the coffins, adorned with traditional shawls and wreaths, were reverently placed in graves. The solemn occasion unfolded under tight security, coinciding with a district-wide curfew imposed following clashes between two factions of Kuki and Zomi residents.

This mass burial marks the second such event this month, prompted by directives from the Supreme Court. Manipur has been grappling with ethnic clashes since May 3, primarily between the Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo communities. The violence has resulted in a staggering toll of at least 196 lives lost and approximately 50,000 people displaced. The bodies of the Kuki-Zo victims had languished unclaimed in Meitei-dominated Imphal, and those of Meitei victims were similarly held in Churachandpur, a Kuki-dominated region, for over six months. This prolonged delay was fueled by sharp divisions on the ground, with one community preventing the other from entering its territory.

The ongoing struggle for justice for the victims and the demand for a separate administration for the Kuki-Zo people persist in the wake of this solemn burial, signifying both a commemoration of lives lost and a testament to the enduring challenges faced by the affected communities.

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