New Delhi: Kuki organisations in Manipur have announced plans for a ‘coffin rally’ in Churachandpur on Tuesday to pay tribute to the 10 Kuki-Zo youths allegedly killed in a gunfight with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jiribam district. The rally, which will take place in the Kuki-majority district, aims to honour the deceased youths whose bodies are currently being held in a local hospital’s mortuary.
The Zomi Students’ Federation (ZSF), Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), and Hmar Students’ Association (HSA) issued a joint notice on Monday, calling for students from Class 10 onwards to attend the rally in black shirts as a mark of respect. Organisers confirmed that 10 symbolic coffins will be carried during the rally to honour the slain youths.
The bodies, which were transferred to Churachandpur on Saturday afternoon after an autopsy in Assam’s Silchar, are yet to be laid to rest. The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a key Kuki-Zo community organisation in Manipur, announced that funerals would be delayed until postmortem reports are made available to the families.
Violent Encounter Leads to Deaths of Suspected Militants
Manipur Police have confirmed that the 10 individuals were suspected militants, killed on November 11 during a fierce encounter with security forces. According to police, the insurgents, dressed in camouflage and armed with sophisticated weapons, attacked the Borobekra Police Station and a nearby CRPF camp in Jakuradhor, located in Jiribam district.
The police also claimed that the suspected militants had abducted six civilians, including three women and three children, during the attack.
The violence comes amid ongoing ethnic strife between the Meitei community in the Imphal Valley and the Kuki-Zo groups in the surrounding hills. Since May 2023, more than 220 people have been killed, and thousands have been displaced by the violence that continues to ravage the region.
Political Repercussions and Government Response
Amid the ongoing unrest, the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), a BJP ally with five MLAs in the Manipur Legislative Assembly, expressed its confidence in the state government’s ability to handle the crisis. The NPF made it clear on Monday that it would not withdraw its support from the N Biren Singh-led government, despite mounting pressures.
This statement follows the withdrawal of support by the National People’s Party (NPP), which holds seven seats in the 60-member assembly. The NPP cited the government’s failure to resolve the ongoing crisis and restore normalcy in the state as the primary reason for its decision.
As tensions continue to rise in the state, the situation remains volatile, with the Kuki community planning the rally as a show of solidarity for the slain youths, while political dynamics in the state government continue to shift.
