Justice and Mourning in Jiribam: Bringing Back the Meitei Victims

In response to the murder of nine Meitei individuals, including women and children, by suspected militants, the Jiribam-based Joint Action Committee plans to bring their bodies back to Manipur for last rites. The committee urges accountability and demands state assistance for the victims' families.

The Joint Action Committee in Jiribam is set to repatriate the bodies of nine Meitei individuals, including three women and three children, who were killed in an alleged militant attack. Their bodies will be brought from Silchar to their native villages in Manipur for funeral rites, officials reported on Thursday.

Committee convenor Y Sanjoy announced in a video message that the bodies, previously held at Silchar Medical College and Hospital for autopsy, would be relocated to Jiribam to enable grieving family members to perform the last rites. This decision comes after the state's commitment to an NIA investigation into the killings.

The killings, linked to a clash between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants, have sparked widespread unrest and demands for action against those responsible. The committee also calls for compensation and government support for the victims' families and demands accountability from potentially implicated groups.

(With inputs from agencies.)