Manipur: 9 bodies of Jiribam victims sent back from Assam hospital amid tight security
Bodies of nine Jiribam residents, killed between November 11 and 17 during the recent violence, were taken back to their home district in Manipur amid tight security after Assam’s Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) handed over their mortal remains to family members on Friday morning.
The victims included six members of a family who were abducted from Jiribam’s Jaukrador on November 11. The bodies of three women, two children and an 8-month-old infant were later found floating in Barak river near the Assam-Manipur border.
In another attack on November 11, two senior citizens died in Jiribam’s Borobekra and one of them was burnt alive, according to family members. On November 17, a 21-year-old youth was killed in a police firing in Jiribam. All nine bodies were sent to SMCH for postmortem.
The family members had initially refused to accept the bodies, demanding justice for the killings. But on Friday they said since the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the matter, they will accept the bodies.
Maibam Laijingamba, son of victim Maibang Kesho Meitei, said, “We wanted the Kuki attackers to be declared militants and also some strict action by the government against them. Now, since the NIA is investigating, we are convinced.”
According to him, his father was shot and burnt alive by armed miscreants on November 11. “They burnt our house as well. Now the entire family is living in a shelter camp in Jiribam, which is nearly 27 kilometres from our village. We appeal to the Prime Minister to intervene, so that we can go home,” he added.
After accepting the bodies, the family members performed some rituals at SMCH before the convoy headed to Cachar’s Lakhipur in Assam. People from the Meitei community gathered in various places to pay floral tributes to the deceased members of their community.
Family members of another deceased person said that they want the attackers to be considered as militants.
“They said they were a village defence party but later it turned out that they were residents of Churachandpur. What were they doing in Jiribam with weapons that day? The fact is they were militants, and we believe the NIA will find the truth,” one of them said.
Along with these nine bodies, another 12 bodies were brought to SMCH between November 12 and 18, as per official records. Bodies of 10 Jiribam residents, killed in an encounter with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on November 11, were brought to the Assam hospital on November 12 and on November 16, and those were airlifted to Churachandpur.
However, the situation got tense at SMCH due to a protest by villagers from Jiribam and Assam. On November 16, protesters pelted stones at police. Later, Cachar superintendent of police Numal Mahatta and other officials intervened, and the bodies were taken out.
The Assam police subsequently intensified security arrangements along the Manipur border and deployed additional forces. The police also cancelled the unauthorised boat services from Manipur on the river Barak.
