Corpses lay unclaimed in Manipur morgues amid Centre's directions on violence probe

As the situation in Manipur continues to remain tense amid violent protests that have been going on in the state since May 3, atleast 75 people have lost their lives so far.

While the people in the state grapple with the pain of losing their loved ones, what makes matters worse is that many of the victims' kin have been unable to find the mortal remains of their loved ones.

Owing to the incidents of violence that continue to hit Manipur, it has become difficult for family member to travel to hospitals and claim the bodies of their loved ones who lie lifeless in the mortuaries, a report in The Indian Express said.

All 19 bodies broght in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) and an unspecified number of corpses brought in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal remain unclaimed.

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In Churachandpur, one of the worst-hit districts, all the 24 bodies brought to a district hospital's mortuary remain unclaimed.

The families of the victims say they have been informed of the bodies by others but have not been able to verify it themselves.

Some families have "left it to the hands of the tribal leaders," to get the bodies of the loved ones.

In some cases, even though the families got access to the body of their relative, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum has asked them not to take it back home till the demands of the community are fulfilled.

One Seilen Ngam, whose father's dead body has been kept in the Churachandpur District Hospital since May 5 remains unclear as to why they have been asked to let their loved one's bodies be at the morgue.

“I don’t know very clearly but the leaders say that all the tribal people will be buried together. Personally, I want to bury him as soon as possible but it’s not in my control,” he told the publication.

In related developments, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who recently visited Manipur held a security review meeting with top officials in Imphal. An official statement said, "He directed them to take stern and prompt actions to prevent violence, against armed miscreants and recover looted weapons to bring back normalcy at the earliest."

Shah reached Imphal on Monday evening as sporadic violence continued to be worrisome for government and the security forces for the past 28 days.

Also Read | Curfew relaxed in parts of Manipur as tensions ease

Nearly 2,000 houses have been burnt down in a riot involving the majority Meiteis and the tribal Kukis since May 3.

Meanwhile, tribal organisations from Manipur held a "solidarity march" at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Wednesday alleging that an ethnic cleansing is under way in Manipur.

Shah on Thursday announced a slew of measures including investigation by a CBI special team and a Judicial Inquiry Commission in order to restore peace and bridge distrust in Manipur.

The minister said a CBI team would take over six cases related to the riot while the Judicial Inquiry Commission headed by a retired High Court judge would probe into the genesis of the violence and identify those behind the possible conspiracy that pushed the Northeastern state into a turmoil.