Manipur: 87 Kuki-Zos laid to rest in mass burial, hundreds pay tribute
Imphal: At least 87 Kuki-Zo tribals who lost their lives in the ongoing communal violence in Manipur were laid to rest in a mass burial ceremony on Wednesday.
The ritual, held at the Martyrs' Cemetery near Sehken village in Churachandpur district, saw hundreds of mourners gather to pay their final respects.
The Joint Philanthropic Organisation (JPO) organized the burial, honouring the wishes of the next of kin.
This comes after 19 Kuki-Zo more were laid to rest earlier in Kangpokpi District on December 16.
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The 87 bodies laid to rest today included 46 from Churachandpur District Hospital and 41 airlifted from hospitals in Imphal.
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This phase-wise burial was necessitated due to the bodies being scattered across various hospitals following the outbreak of violence on May 3rd, 2023.
The violence, triggered by a protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, has claimed the lives of around 200 people from both the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities.
