Mon Nov 18 16:19:21 UTC 2024: **Manipur Six Missing Found Dead: Autopsies Completed, Protests Erupt**
SILCHAR, ASSAM – The post-mortem examinations of five bodies recovered from the Jiri and Barak rivers have been completed, officials confirmed Monday. These bodies are believed to be those of six Meitei individuals – three women and three children – who went missing from a relief camp in Manipur’s Jiribam district following a November 11th gunfight between security forces and suspected Kuki-Zo militants.
The bodies, highly decomposed, were discovered over several days. A sixth body, believed to be that of the remaining missing person, was found floating in the Barak River on Sunday. All bodies have been sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) for autopsies. Assam police confirmed the discovery of the sixth body and said it was sent to SMCH for examination. Manipur Police will repatriate the remains once identification is confirmed.
The six missing individuals were identified as Yumrembam Rani Devi (60), Telem Thoibi Devi (31) and her daughter Telem Thajamanbi Devi (8), Laishram Heithoibi Devi (25) and her two children Laishram Chingkheinganba Singh (2.5 years old) and Laishram Lamnganba Singh (10 months).
The discovery has sparked outrage. Hundreds of Meitei people staged a candlelight vigil in Silchar on Sunday night, protesting the suspected abduction and murder. The incident occurred in Jiribam, a district previously largely unaffected by the wider ethnic violence plaguing Manipur.
The ongoing conflict between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups has claimed over 220 lives and displaced thousands since May 2022, triggered by a tribal solidarity march protesting the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The conflict highlights the deep ethnic divisions within Manipur, a state where Meiteis constitute around 53% of the population and primarily reside in the Imphal Valley, while Tribals make up over 40% and live in the hill districts.
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