GUWAHATI: A mass burial of tribals, killed in the ethnic violence in Manipur, has been put on hold following a request from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The Manipur High Court also issued an order calling for the maintenance of “status quo ante” of the land where the burial of 35 tribals, including three females, was planned on Thursday.
Tension flared up surrounding the proposed site of burial. Several Meitei organisations claimed Meiteis lived there before they were displaced by the violence. The Kukis claimed the site falls under Churachandpur district while the Meiteis claimed it is within Bishnupur district.
The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) said the decision to defer burial was taken in deference to MHA’s request.
“We had a marathon meeting last night till 4 in the morning due to a new development. The MHA requested us to delay the burial for 5 more days and that if we comply to that request, we will be allowed to bury on the same location and the govt will legalize the land for the burial. This request also came from the Mizoram CM (Zoramthanga),” the ITLF said in a statement.
“After (a) long deliberation with various stakeholders late in the night, we have come to a conclusion that we will consider the request of MHA provided they have given us a written assurance on 5 demands. If the MHA fails to give us this written assurance before the start of the program, we will continue the burial as planned. If the MHA give us a written assurance to our demand, we will continue with the program but postpone the burial part,” the tribal organisation further said.
Soon, junior home minister Nityanand Rai appealed to both communities to maintain peace and communal harmony. He assured that the Centre would spare no efforts to resolve the issue amicably “to the utmost satisfaction of all parties within a period of seven days”.
The ITLF’s demands include the legalisation of the burial site in S Boljang. It demanded that “Meitei state forces” are not deployed to any of the hill districts for the safety of the Kuki-Zo communities. Further, it demanded that the bodies of Kuki-Zo tribals lying in Imphal be brought to Churachandpur; that the political demand of “total separation” from Manipur is sped up and tribal jail inmates in Imphal are transferred to other states for their safety.
In its order, the Manipur High Court said: “The State Government and the Central Government and their law enforcing agencies/personnel as well as the public belonging to both the communities are directed to maintain status quo ante of the land in question till the next date (August 9).”
“The Central Government and the State Government…and any aggrieved parties are directed to make an effort to make amicable settlement in this matter. The private respondents and all the representatives of the Kuki-Zo community are also given liberty to apply to the official respondents for allotment of land for the purpose of burial within a period of 1 (one) week,” the court said in the order.