Manipur HC orders status quo on proposed burial site for Kuki-Zomi victims

The Manipur High Court on Thursday directed that the status quo be maintained at the proposed burial site in Haolai Khopi village of Churachandpur district where the KukiZo community had planned a burial service for 35 people who were killed in the ethnic strife reported news agency PTIThe HC order was passed by Acting Chief Justice MV Muralidharan after a hearing at 6 amMeanwhile the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum ITLF an organisation of the KukiZo community also agreed to conditionally postpone the burial for five days after requests from Union Home Minister Amit Shah They said Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga also requested the sameWe had a marathon meeting last night till 4 am due to a new development The MHA Ministry of Home Affairs requested us to delay the burial for five more days and that if we comply with that request we will be allowed to bury in the same location and the government will legalise the land for the burial The Mizoram CM had also made a similar request the ITLF saidAfter long deliberation with various stakeholders late in the night we have come to a conclusion that we will consider the request of the MHA provided they give us a written assurance on five demands it saidEarlier additional central security forces had rushed to the BishnupurChurachandpur district boundary following the call by the ITLFMore than 160 people lost their lives and several hundred were injured since the ethnic clashes broke out in Manipur on May 3 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe ST statusMeiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley Tribals Nagas and Kukis constitute little over 40 per cent and reside in the hill districtsMore recently on Wednesday two abandoned houses were set on fire by unidentified people in Manipurs Imphal West district in the early hours Fire tenders were rushed to the spot in the Langol area and the blaze was doused he said adding that no injuries were reported in the incident The incident took place during a time gap between the change of guards in the area he said Imphal West is a Meiteimajority district from where most tribal residents have left since ethnic rioting began in MayThe houses were being guarded by army personnel since those were abandoned by the residents and CRPF personnel were to take over the security of the houses the official saidThe miscreants torched the houses as the army personnel were moving out and the CRPF personnel were moving in he saidWith PTI inputs