Manipur Violence: 23 bodies buried, another burial likely next week

A mass burial of the bodies of 23 people who died during ethnic clashes was held at Phaijang village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district on Friday. Another mass burial is likely on December 20. Out of the 23 bodies, four were unidentified, a person associated with the burial process said.

The mass burial was held even as the district observed a total shutdown from 5 am to 5 pm on Friday. The decision on the mass burial was made as per the wishes of the close relatives of the deceased, said Laldawnlian Varte, convenor of the Joint Philanthropic Organisations. Another 87 bodies would likely be buried next week on December 20, he said.

The bodies had been lying in morgues in Imphal for eight months. The Supreme Court on November 28 directed that they be given a dignified burial.


The 23 bodies had earlier been shifted to Kangpokpi, while another 41 had been transported to Churachandpur district. Other bodies would also be shifted to the respective hill districts where the deceased belonged to for the burial.

An SC-appointed committee had informed the court that there were 175 dead bodies that had not been buried. Of these, 169 were identified - 81 of those were claimed by the relatives of the deceased and 88 were unclaimed - and the remaining six bodies were unidentified. The report said the Manipur government had identified nine sites for cremation or burial. However, civil society organisations were preventing the relatives of the deceased from accepting the bodies, the report said.