Silchar/Imphal: The decomposed bodies of two children, including an infant, and a woman were found near the Manipur-Assam border on Friday, officials aware of the matter said, days after six members of a family were abducted by suspected militants in Jiribam.
According to officers, the bodies were found near a river close to the inter-state border and roughly 15km from where the abductions took place. It was not immediately clear if the bodies were of any of the abductees. “The bodies have been taken to Silchar for identification. They are yet to be identified. They were found 15-20km from the spot where the family of six was taken. If the police are unable to confirm the identity, a DNA test will be conducted,” an officer said, requesting anonymity.
On Tuesday, bodies of two civilians were recovered from a Jiribam village a day after security officers gunned down 10 suspected militants after a group of armed men attacked a CRPF post. Six members of a Meitei family from the same village—three women and three children—were reported missing, with officials saying that they were likely abducted by militants.“My wife, two children, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and her child were abducted from the house. I was at home when they were taken by militants. I urge the government in New Delhi to please intervene and rescue my family,” Laishram Herojit, a Jirbam resident, said on Wednesday.
Manipur has been in the throes of a violent conflict since May last year, with the Centre rushing additional troops to the state amid a fresh wave of violence, shutdowns and agitations. On Friday, two separate protests over the killing of 10 tribal people in the Jirbam gunfight and the reimposition of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or Afspa in areas under the jurisdiction of six police stations rocked Manipur.
Hundreds of people hit the streets in the tribal-dominated Churachandpur district demanding justice for those killed in a gunfight in Jiribam on Monday, saying that the deceased were village volunteers and not militants. “We have submitted a memorandum to the home minister and the NHRC. The recent killing of village volunteers by CRPF is a grave violation of human rights. It is imperative that CRPF personnel manning the buffer zones be replaced by the Assam Rifles in order to prevent further bloodshed…,” Ngaineikim, president of Kuki Women Organisation For Human Rights, said.
Another tribal protester said: “They killed tribal volunteers, not terrorists; they were trying protect innocent villagers from the Meiteis’ attacks. We are demanding a judicial enquiry into the incident.”
In the Meitei-majority Imphal valley, a group of seven women’s organisations opposed the Centre’s decision on Thursday to reimpose Afspa. “Re-imposition of Afspa is an example of the current government being irresponsible and cowardly and failing to maintain law and order. Afspa cannot restore peace in Manipur. People have already witnessed its impact,” said Lourembam Nganbi, the president of Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup (AMKIL).
In the Silchar district of neighbouring Assam, families of those killed in Monday’s gunfight continued their protest outside the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), demanding that the bodies of the ten men be handed over to them. “DNA profiling is a long process and it is yet to be conducted, so the bodies are held up,” said a senior police officer.
The abduction also fuelled fresh protests. Targeting state chief minister, N Biren Singh, Nganbi said: “If you don’t have the strength to protect Manipur’s people, step down from your post.”
Th Ramani, president of woman outfit Nupi Samaj said: “The people of Manipur want PM Modi to address the violence rather than remain silent.”