Manipur tribal org seeks bodies of Kuki victims lying in morgues
A tribal organisation of Manipur has requested the authorities to bring to Kangpokpi district the bodies of Kuki-Zo community people killed in the five-month-long ethnic strife in the state and currently lying in morgues in state capital Imphal.
The Kangpokpi district-based Committee on Tribal Unity (COTU) also sought security for the bodies during transportation.
A senior official of Imphal East district said they will act according to government instructions but are yet to receive any formal request from the tribal body.
“We would appreciate if the authorities allowed the bodies of Kukis lying in Imphal morgues to be brought to Kangpokpi. After consulting with the family of the victims, the mortal remains will be buried at a cemetery at Phaijang,” COTU Media Cell Coordinator Lun Kipgen said.
Though the COTU leader did not mention the number of bodies they would receive, according to an estimate, it could be 50.
“We request the authorities and civil society organisations of Imphal to she said, adding that all the bodies were cremated at the Bharatpur crematorium by the BMC.
An NGO was engaged to light the funeral pyre and collect the bone pieces for immersion in water bodies, according to ritual.
The unidentified bodies were kept in AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a container after the triple train accident on June 2 at Baganaga Bazaar in Balasore district. The hospital authorities handed over the bodies to BMC in the presence of officials of the CBI, which is probing the train tragedy which claimed 297 lives.
The official said that the DNA samples of the bodies were preserved for investigation as well as for legal issues if any.
The AIIMS Bhubaneswar in a release said the hospital had received 123 bodies on the night of June 4 and another 39 from Capital Hospital and other private health facilities.
Among them, 81 bodies were identified by the relatives. The identity of another 53 was confirmed by DNA profiling and handed over to the families.
“The remaining 28 bodies were handed over to BMC for final cremation on October 10,” AIIMS Bhubaneswar said.
