Tensions spiralled into chaos on Saturday at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Assam, as a crowd of nearly 400 people clashed with police over the handing over of the bodies of 10 individuals from Manipur’s Jiribam district, who were killed in an encounter with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on 11 November.
The bodies had been brought to SMCH on 12 November, with post-mortems completed within two days.
However, locals from Jiribam and Assam, camped outside the hospital since their arrival, prevented authorities from transporting the bodies, demanding they be handed over locally.
At approximately 10 a.m., senior police officials, accompanied by additional forces, attempted to retrieve the bodies from the morgue.
Protesters, however, sat in front of the facility, physically barring the police from entering.
They insisted the bodies should be handed over at SMCH instead of being transported to Churachandpur, Manipur.
One protester said, “We have been waiting here for the last five days. We won’t allow airlifting the bodies. Please hand them over here, we’ll leave.”
Efforts to resolve the impasse through dialogue failed.
After an hour-long discussion, police attempted to disperse the crowd.
This led to a scuffle, with protesters pushing back and some police officers falling to the ground.
The situation escalated into a lathicharge, prompting protesters to retaliate with stone pelting, forcing the police to retreat.
Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Assam, Prasanta Kumar Bhuiyan, and Cachar Superintendent of Police (SP) Numal Mahatta intervened, giving protesters a 15-minute ultimatum to cooperate.
Mahatta sternly remarked, “This is not Manipur, this is Assam, and we won’t allow such acts of violence. The bodies came from Manipur, and it is our duty to send them to Manipur’s Churachandpur. If you want to attend the last rites, you can go there.”
Sources indicated that the bodies were later handed over to the Hmar community people and protesting students and that they would be transported to Masimpur Military Base before being airlifted to Churachandpur.
The unrest comes amidst heightened tensions between the Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur.
Earlier, the bodies of three women were discovered near the Assam-Manipur border by the Assam Rifles, raising concerns over a potential link to six individuals abducted by militants from Manipur’s Jiribam district.
The missing persons include three women and three minors, all from the Meitei community.
The missing individuals had reportedly been abducted from a relief camp near a police station in Manipur’s Borobekra area during a militant assault later the day after 11 alleged 'Kuki militants' were gunned down by the CRPF.
Cachar SP Numal Mahatta stated, “We can confirm only after the post-mortem report is available.” An Assam Rifles spokesperson said, “Details can be obtained once investigations and identification processes are complete.”
A massive search operation is underway to trace the missing individuals amidst ongoing efforts to manage the volatile situation in the region.
The recovery of the bodies has provoked widespread outrage across the valley districts of Manipur.
Grieving families of the victims have demanded that the bodies be returned to them for final rites.
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