IMPHAL: In response to fresh outbreaks of ethnic clashes in Manipur’s Churachandpur district, the state government swiftly imposed Section 144 for the next two months on Tuesday.
The decision came on the heels of a violent incident between two opposing groups in Thingkangphai village on December 18.
District Magistrate Dharun Kuma, IAS, exercised the power conferred under section 144(2) CrPC 1973, imposed the order to February 18, 2024.
The order highlights the serious apprehension of a breach of law and order in the area, specifically in Thingkangphi village and its surroundings.
The prohibitory order extends beyond assembly restrictions, forbidding the gathering of five or more persons and the carrying of arms, sticks, swords, chemicals, or any other lethal weapons.
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However, the order exempts government agencies involved in law enforcement and the maintenance of essential services.
The development follows also follows a declaration of plans by the Indigenous Tribal Leader’s Forum (ITFL), a prominent tribal body in Churachandpur, for a mass burial of over 60 people who lost their lives during the ongoing ethnic clashes.
Earlier on December 14, 60 bodies were airlifted and handed over to their families that had been held in government mortuaries since early May.
Under heavy security cover provided by central forces, the bodies were transferred from the morgues in Imphal to Kangpokpi district, predominantly inhabited by the Kuki-Zo tribal community.
Reportedly, 19 bodies had reached the Motbung LS ground in Kangpokpi district on the same day, where the district police handed them over to representatives of the Committee on the Unidentified (COTU) on behalf of the bereaved families.
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A day prior to that, the Joint Philanthropic Organisation (JPO) had issued a statement on December 13 requesting the closure of shops, vendors, vehicles, and business establishments as a mark of respect during the transportation of the martyrs’ remains.
The Supreme Court, on November 28, had directed the Manipur government to facilitate dignified burials for the victims of the Manipur violence.
A committee, led by Justice Gita Mital, had apprised the court of 175 dead bodies without burials in the state, including 169 identified bodies.
Of these, 81 were claimed by relatives, 88 remained unclaimed, and six were unidentified in the mortuaries.
The court’s directive followed the committee’s report, stressing on the need for respectful and proper arrangements for the deceased.
