Manipur: Tribals hold mass ‘coffin rally’ in Churachandpur; Assam tightens vigil along Manipur border

Imphal: Thousands of men and women on Tuesday took part in a 'coffin rally' in Manipur’s Churachandpur in solidarity with the 10 Kuki-Zo-Hmar tribal 'Village Volunteers,' who were killed in a reported encounter with CRPF in Jiribam district on November 11.

The rally was taken out on the day the BJP-led ruling NDA MLAs urged the Centre to withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) from the six police stations and to ban the Kuki militants within seven days; otherwise, they would decide the future course of action in consultation with the people of the state.

Following the restive situation in Manipur, the Assam police have tightened their vigil along the Assam-Manipur border to prevent any untoward situation in Assam. A large number of Assam police personnel and commandos have been deployed along the bordering areas of Assam and Manipur.

The 'coffin rally' was jointly organized by the Zomi Students' Federation, Kuki Students' Organisation and Hmar Students' Association, where thousands of men and women wearing black attire symbolically carried 10 dummy coffins to pay homage to the 10 slain Village Volunteers, as all the 10 bodies are still kept in the morgue of a local hospital. The three tribal organizations on Monday urged the authorities of all schools and colleges in Churachandpur district and adjoining areas to close down their educational institutions and to send students from Class X and above to participate in Tuesday's rally. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), an apex body of the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur, earlier said that they have decided that the last rites of 10 village volunteers would not be performed till their post-mortem examination reports are handed over to the families.

The police claimed that all 10 ‘militants’ were killed in retaliatory firing by the CRPF after the militants attacked the CRPF camp and the adjoining police station at Jakuradhor village in Jiribam district’s Borobekra sub-division.

Meanwhile, the NDA MLAs urged the Centre to declare the Kuki militants responsible for the killing of the six innocent women and children as an 'unlawful organization' within 7 days and to review the imposition of AFSPA in six police stations; otherwise, they would decide the future course of action in consultation with the people of the state. The NDA legislators urged the central government to adopt the 8-point resolutions after an emergency meeting at the secretariat of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Monday night.

CM Singh chaired the marathon meeting, which assumed significance amidst the escalating violence in the state and the withdrawal of support from the BJP government in Manipur by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party (NPP), which has seven MLAs in the 60-member Manipur Assembly.

The NDA meeting also urged the Centre to start mass operations against the Kuki militants responsible for the killing of three women and three children in Jiribam within seven days. The meeting also requested the Centre to hand over three cases of killings to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The cases include the killing of six innocent Meitei women and children in Jiribam, the death of a Hmar tribal woman who was burnt to death on November 7 in Jiribam, and the killing of a Meitei community woman farmer in Saiton in Bishnupur district on November 9.

 In light of the prevailing situation in Manipur, the Assam police tightened their vigil along the Assam-Manipur border, and a large number of Assam police personnel and commandos have been deployed along the bordering areas to prevent any untoward situation in Assam.

Numal Mahatta, Superintendent of Police of Cachar district, said that a large number of police personnel and commandos have been deployed in the bordering areas to maintain peace.

"We are on alert in Cachar district to ensure no untoward incident or law & order situation happens in the district. We have made day & night police patrolling in the bordering areas. A large number of commandos and security personnel have been deployed. Apart from this, riverine patrolling is also continuing in the Jiri and Barak rivers. We have made all arrangements and precautionary measures to ensure that no miscreant or any force can enter Assam and create a chaotic law & order situation on the Assam side. If anyone tries to do this, then we will take stringent lawful action against them," Numal Mahatta said.

He further said that the Assam Chief Minister and DGP have directed taking strict lawful action against those who will try to disturb the peaceful environment in Assam.

Cachar Police have regularly embarked on area domination exercises and rigorous vehicle inspections along the Assam-Manipur border to thwart unauthorized entries, bolster public safety, and cultivate a secure and vigilant environment. (Agencies)

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