Bodies of 8 Manipur tribals killed in 2015 violence finally buried

Imphal, May 24 (EMN): The mortal remains of eight tribal activists killed in mob violence in September 2015 in Manipur’s Churachandpur district headquarters were buried in the outskirt of hill town, 65 km south of here on Wednesday.
State works minister Th Biswajit, PHE minister L Dikho, Agriculture minister V Hangkhalian, Social welfare minister Nemcha Kipgen and state chief secretary O Nabakishore and officials besides the functionaries of the Churachandpur based Joint Action Committee against anti-tribal bill(JACAATB), attended the burial of the bodies which had been preserved in the morgue since September 2015, at Khuga Dam area.
Prior to the formal burial, the visiting ministers and general public including the relatives of the activists paid floral tribute to the departed souls and take out a silent procession from the district hospital mortuary to Khuga dam area. The main market and shops and other business establishments in the district headquarters were shut during the day’s procession.
It may be recalled that the said activists were killed in the violence that took place after the Manipur assembly passed three Inner Line Permit Bills on August 31, 2015. The tribals in Churachandpur district, however, had protested from the next day and called the bills ‘anti-tribal’.
On Tuesday, the ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each were distributed to the victim’s families while financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each were also given to the families of the injured ones as per a Memorandum of Understanding reached between the state government and JACAATB on May 10 this year. Under the MoU, the government also agreed to provide a job to a member from each of the bereaved families and probe police excesses, if any.
Earlier, the JACAATB had demanded a new district, and extension of the 6th schedule of the Constitution. But the government is yet to consider the demands.