Security has been beefed up in Manipur's Churachandpur district, where tribal organisations have planned mass burial of slain Kukis on Thursday.
Tribal leaders on Wednesday said that the burial of Kuki-Zo "martyrs" would be done on Thursday at Peace Ground, Tuibuong (Lamka) in Churachandpur.
"We have about 30-35 dead bodies in Lamka morgue and if the state government sends us the remaining 'martyrs' bodies from Imphal, those would be buried too. We would give our highest tribute to the 'martyrs'," Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) spokesman Ginza Vualzong told the media.
"There are many bodies of Kuki 'martyrs' in the morgues of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal. We have requested the district administration to collect the bodies of the 'martyrs' and hand them over to us for the mass burial on Thursday."
A large gathering of tribals expected to be held in Churachandpur on Thursday on the occasion.
Police said that additional security forces have been deployed in the mass burial site and adjoining areas to prevent any untoward incident.
Meanwhile, the Meitei organisations strongly opposed the tribal organisations' mass burial move.
The leader of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an umbrella body of the Meitei community, said that the so-called Kuki leaders should not play politics over the dead bodies.
"Every dead body of the Meitei community was being cremated at their native villages with due respect and recognition by their own near and dear ones. Likewise we expect the Kuki people to follow the same practice in performing the last rites of the dead persons," a COCOMI leader said.
He said that encroaching of the government land is also a violation of laws and burying all together to newly create a mass grave at the abandoned Meitei villages would not only provoke the sentiments of the people in both sides but also remain as a symbol of permanent enmity among the villagers.
Since May 3, when the ethnic violence broke out, so far Kuki groups had never done anything that is acceptable to the law of the land, the COCOMI leader alleged.
The COCOMI requested the government to do something which would prove that the rule of law prevails in Manipur. "We also request to check the identity of all the dead bodies too before being cremated at their respective village as per the law and confirm their citizenship," the organisation said in a statement.
Central Detective Training Institute in Tripura to strengthen security in NE
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Central Detective Training Institute (CDTI) in Tripura to strengthen security in the northeastern region and neighbouring countries, and to establish high standards in policing.
Per capita income in BJP-ruled Tripura Rs 1.77 lakh higher than Bengal: HM Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the per capita income in the BJP-ruled Tripura is now Rs 1.77 lakh higher than the neighbouring state of West Bengal (where the Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee is in power).
Peace and development in Tripura, says HM Shah after meeting Reang tribals
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi peace has been established in Tripura, various development works have been stepped up and also the 23-year-old imbroglio of Reang tribals has been resolved.
HM Shah stresses on mapping of demographic data of people along India-Myanmar border
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the demographic data of people along the India-Myanmar border, especially in Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur, should be mapped so that it can help in fencing of the border and infiltration can be stopped.
Drugs worth Rs 78 crore seized in Tripura, one held
In a major haul, the Assam Rifles in coordination with the other law enforcing agencies on Saturday seized 3.9 lakh methamphetamine tablets valued at around Rs 78 crore and arrested a drug peddler in Tripura, officials said on Saturday.
New Maha Cabinet: Fadnavis keeps Home, Shinde gets Urban Development, Ajit Pawar in charge of Finance
Finally, the wait is over. Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday approved the portfolio allocation to the ministers as recommended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The list was released after the conclusion of a weeklong winter session.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar brings peace through meditation to UN headquarters consumed by global turmoil
Eighteen minutes of tranquility descended on the world organisation’s headquarters consumed by global turmoil as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led a meditation session as a path to peace at the United Nations.
NE not just strategically important but also an epitome of nation's diversity, culture: Minister
Union Minister of State for DoNER Sukanta Majumdar on Friday underscored the strategic importance of the northeastern region and said that the region is not just a geographically significant part of the country but it is also an epitome of the nation's diversity, culture, and strategic importance.