Manipur: Tribals headed for mass burial tear-gassed, 19 hurt

Injured women after security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse local people who were marching towards Tuibuong, the mass burial site of the Kuki-Zomi people, in Bishnupur district on Thursday. Pic/PTI

At least 19 people were injured when Army and RAF personnel fired tear gas shells on local residents in Kangvai and Phougakchao areas of Bishnupur district in Manipur, on Thursday, while they were heading to the mass burial site for the Kuki-Zomi people, officials said.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) had planned the burial of 35 people, who were killed in ethnic riots in the state, on Thursday at Tuibuong in Churachandpur, on the border with Bishnupur.

This resulted in tension in many districts of Manipur. Thousands of local residents, led by women, tried to pass the barricade put up by the Army and RAF personnel, demanding that they be allowed to go to Tuibuong.

Day curfew withdrawn

The district magistrates of Imphal East and Imphal West also withdrew curfew relaxations earlier announced, imposing the restrictions during the day as a precautionary measure, on top of night curfew throughout the Imphal valley.

The high court ruling

Hours before the clashes, around 6 am, the state's high court ordered that the status quo be maintained at the proposed burial site. The bench took into consideration the "potential of aggravating the already volatile law and order situation and the possibility of igniting a fresh wave of violence and bloodshed due to gathering of a large mob at the land in question".

It said the matter would come up for further hearing on August 9. The ITLF also said it was postponing the mass burial by seven days, after a request from the Ministry of Home Affairs, and assurance of permission to bury the 35 dead the proposed site. The legalisation of the burial site and the withdrawal of state forces comprising personnel from the Meitei community from the hill districts of Manipur were among the five demands made by the ITLF.

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