This story is from August 03, 2023

2. Mass burial put on hold in Manipur but…

| Aug 3, 2023, 23:52 IST

Large-scale violence

Assembly Election Results

Exactly three months after violence first broke out in Manipur, the sensitive border state slipped back into lawlessness on Thursday as hundreds of women protesters clashed with central security forces over a dispute pertaining to a burial site for the Kuki-Zomi people killed in the ethnic turmoil, leaving 23 people injured.
Over 160 people have been killed in clashes between Meiteis and Kukis since May 3.

A 6am hearing

A Manipur High Court bench headed by Acting Chief Justice MV Muralidaran started hearing the case at 6 am, given the urgency of the issue and directed the state and central governments and their law-enforcing agencies as well as the public to “maintain status quo” with regard to the land in question.
It also said the matter would come up for further hearing on August 9.

The dispute

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF), which represents Kuki-Zomi people, had planned the burial of 35 bodies on Thursday at a site in Haolai Khopi village of Churachandpur, resulting in tension in many districts of Manipur.

Centre steps in

In a letter, junior home minister Nityanand Rai too appealed to both warring communities to maintain peace and communal harmony.
Rai assured ITLF of solving the issues related to the burial of the bodies within the next seven days, and accordingly, the organisation postponed its programme.

But…

Ignoring these developments, protesters from the valley began a march to Churachandpur. Some protesters clashed with central security forces in Bishnupur district, forcing security personnel to retaliate, leaving almost two dozen people, mostly women, injured.
Security forces fired tear gas shells and mock bombs to disperse the mob. The authorities have re-imposed a total curfew in both Imphal East and West districts.
A mob reportedly looted a large cache of arms and ammunition from the armoury of 2nd India Reserve Battalion (IRB) based at Naransena in Bishnupur district.

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