87 tribal Christians buried months after Manipur riots

Thousands of Christians paid their last respects to 87 indigenous Christians during a mass funeral on Dec. 20, eight months after sectarian violence rocked India’s hilly state of Manipur.

The victims from the Kuki and Zomi communities were buried in separate places in Churachandpur district, where the strife started on May 3, claiming 200 lives.

“We buried 87 people in two different places in two sessions,” Barnabas Simte, district president of the All-Manipur Catholic Union, told UCA News on Dec. 20.

“The bodies included those airlifted from capital Imphal and those kept in the district hospital,” Simte added.

The government airlifted 60 bodies of indigenous Kukis from Imphal on Dec. 14 as the authorities feared transporting them by road could fuel fresh tension.

Their burial was sanctioned on Nov. 28 by the Supreme Court, India’s top court.

According to government records, 175 bodies mostly of indigenous people were preserved in mortuaries.

The top court ordered the government to hand over the bodies to their relatives and dispose of the unidentified bodies.

On Dec. 18, the district administration imposed prohibitory orders in Churachandpur following fresh clashes ahead of the mass burial, hurting several people.

The prohibitory orders “will be in place until February 18, 2024.”

This, however, did not have any impact on thousands of Christians who gathered to pay homage to the victims of ethnic violence.

The violence also displaced some 50,000 people, mostly Christians, who continue to live in state-run relief camps as their homes were burnt down.

Simte wanted the administration to withdraw the prohibitory order at the earliest.

Violence broke out between Kuki Christians and Meitei Hindus over a demand, seeking the tribal status for the Meiteis.

The status will help them avail government welfare schemes meant for tribal people such as reservation of seats in government jobs and educational institutions under India’s affirmative action.

The Meiteis account for 53 percent and tribal Christians make up 41.29 percent of Manipur’s 3.2 million population.

This article is originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/87-tribal-christians-buried-months-after-manipur-riots/103651