GUWAHATI: The bodies of eight tribal persons in Manipur were laid to rest, more than 600 days after they had lost their lives in police firing in the state’s Churachandpur district.
Six people were killed when the police opened fire on a mob which was staging a protest against the introduction of three Bills – the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 – by the then Congress government in 2015.
A resultant violence had left three more locals dead. The protestors had viewed the Bills as anti-tribal. While a body was reportedly stolen from the morgue earlier this year, the remaining eight bodies were not claimed in protest. The State government broke the deadlock recently by striking a deal with the protestors.
As per the agreement, the government had agreed to compensate the families of the victims, take into account tribal opinion in all future actions and probe the deaths. Accordingly, the protestors had agreed to collect the bodies and arrange burial by May 25.
Thousands of people, including ministers and leaders of various communities from across Manipur and elsewhere, on Wednesday gathered at a public ground where a public service was held before the bodies were laid to rest.
Ministers Thongam Biswajit, Nemcha Kipgen, Losii Dikho and V Hangkhanlian, besides senior government officials, were among those in attendance.
Biswajit said it was of immense pleasure for the BJP-led coalition government that it was able to iron out differences with the protestors through a concerted effort.