New Delhi: A Supreme Court-appointed committee investigating the ethnic conflicts in Manipur has leveled serious accusations against state-based NGOs. The committee's ground report highlighted the obstruction of cremations for 88 bodies held in Imphal mortuaries, interference in the acceptance of ex gratia payments by the deceased's kin, and deliberate efforts to perpetuate ethnic tensions.
Led by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Justice Gita Mittal, the committee submitted its report to the Supreme Court after conducting its initial on-site assessment. It revealed that among the 94 unclaimed bodies in three mortuaries, 88 had been identified. However, civil society organizations (CSOs) operating in the state were allegedly exerting immense pressure on relatives, discouraging them from accepting the bodies, despite the families being willing to conduct the last rites.
Citing instances where kin were prepared to perform the final rites, the committee accused certain CSOs of actively opposing and impeding these ceremonies, driven by vested interests and motives to extract concessions from authorities.
Expressing concern, the committee stated, "There are suspicions of certain entities deliberately fueling tensions between communities, hindering efforts to restore peace and harmony in the state. Consequently, accurate and factual information is not being presented to the Supreme Court by some of the petitioner NGOs."
The report acknowledged the state government's identification of nine locations for the cremation and burial of victims of the ethnic clashes, offering the families the choice among them. However, it lamented the CSOs' insistence on mass burials at inappropriate sites, warning that this stance could perpetuate tension among Manipur's communities and impede the return to normalcy.
The committee urged the Supreme Court to direct CSOs to refrain from interfering in the acceptance of ex gratia payments and bodies for last rites by relatives. Additionally, it suggested that if the bodies were not claimed within a stipulated timeframe, authorities should conduct the last rites free of charge, adhering to the Manipur Municipalities Act, 1994.
