The last rites of nine individuals, including three women and three children from the Meitei community, were conducted under heavy security in Jiribam district, Manipur, on Friday.
The bodies, retrieved after being missing since a deadly gunfight on 11 November, were transported from Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Assam's Cachar district, officials confirmed.
Crowds lined the roads to pay their respects as the funeral procession passed, reflecting the communal grief that has gripped the area.
The bodies were sent to SMCH for post-mortem examinations, with their return facilitated after the Joint Action Committee (JAC) agreed to proceed with the last rites following assurances from the state government.
The government had referred the case of the killings to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a step welcomed by the JAC, which had earlier resisted the burial until their demands were met.
Harrowing Events Leading to the Funerals
The victims had gone missing during a gunfight between security forces and armed Kuk-Zo militants. The skirmish ensued after an alleged assault on the Borobekra police station and a nearby CRPF camp.
The attack left 10 suspected insurgents dead.
Amid the retreat, the militants allegedly abducted women and children sheltering in a relief camp within the police station's premises.
Days later, their bodies were discovered floating in the Jiri and Barak rivers, with reports of brutal injuries.
The attack also saw the charred remains of two elderly men recovered from the razed Jakuradhor market.
In the protests that followed, one demonstrator, identified as Kh Athouba, succumbed to gunfire allegedly from security forces.
His body was also taken to SMCH for examination.
Demands of the bereaved
The JAC demanded government intervention, including compensation for the victims' families and employment for next of kin.
While initially refusing to receive the bodies, the group relented upon assurances from authorities.
Jiribam, known for its ethnic diversity, has largely been insulated from the ethnic clashes that have plagued Manipur.
However, tensions have simmered since the discovery of a mutilated farmer’s body in June, triggering violence in the district.
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