Manipur High Court Orders Status Quo At Proposed Burial Site For 35 Kuki-Zo Victims Amid Ethnic Conflict

Shortly before the planned mass burial of 35 Kuki-Zo individuals who lost their lives in the Manipur conflict, a Bench led by Acting Chief Justice M.V. Muralidharan issued an order at a 6 a.m. hearing to maintain the status quo at the proposed burial site in Haolai Khopi village of Churachandpur.

The Manipur High Court directed both the State Government and Central Government to ensure the status quo is upheld and also allowed the Kuki-Zo people to apply for an alternate burial site. Notices were served to the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) and Joint Philanthropic Organizations, and the court scheduled the matter for further hearing on August 9.

Meanwhile, the ITLF decided to postpone the burial for five days after receiving requests from Home Minister Amit Shah and the Chief Minister of Mizoram. The ITLF spokesperson mentioned that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) assured them that legalizing the proposed burial site would be considered if the burial is deferred.

In response to the situation, additional Central security forces have been deployed to the Bishnupur-Churachandpur district boundary in Manipur. The bodies of the deceased, including three women, have been preserved using white pumpkins and ice slabs in traditional practice and are currently at the Churachandpur District Hospital, where only nine cold-storage units are available.

Furthermore, on Wednesday, a group of 21 Members of Parliament (MPs) from the newly formed Opposition bloc INDIA alliance sent a letter to President Droupadi Murmu, expressing their concern about the hardships faced by the people of Manipur. The northeastern state has been grappling with ethnic clashes between the Meitei and Kuki communities since May 3.

In the letter, the MPs highlighted that the people of Manipur are living in a constant state of fear and insecurity, compounded by food shortages and a lack of access to relief materials. They emphasized the urgent need for secure and fair rehabilitation measures to help the people of Manipur rebuild their lives.

In their letter dated August 2, the INDIA alliance MPs conveyed that people residing in relief camps are facing significant hardships due to limited availability of food and relief materials. The prevailing situation has left them living in a perpetual state of fear and insecurity. The MPs stressed the urgent necessity for a secure and fair rehabilitation process to enable these individuals to reconstruct their lives.

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh, shared the letter on X (formerly known as Twitter) and mentioned that the 21 INDIA MPs, who had visited Manipur on July 29th and 30th, met with the Hon'ble President of India on the same morning, along with the floor leaders of INDIA parties. During the meeting, they presented a memorandum to the Hon'ble President, urging her intervention to establish peace and harmony in Manipur.