12-hour shutdown, hoisting up of black flag during mass burial in Manipur's Kangpokpi

A decent and honorable mass burial ceremony of the Kuki-Zo dead bodies from Manipur's Kangpokpi District will be held tomorrow under the theme, "You Sacrifice Your Today For Our Tomorrow" at Martyr's Cemetery at Phaijang village in Kangpokpi District.

There will be a 12-hour total shutdown from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the entire district of Kangpokpi as instructed by the Committee on Tribal Unity, Sadar Hills while it [CoTU] also instructed all the Kuki-Zo people across Kangpokpi to hoist up a black flag in every household to mark as a mourning day.

The mass burial ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. in the morning.

Nineteen Kuki-Zo dead bodies were flown home this morning in an IAF Chopper from Imphal almost eight months after the eruption of the wide-scale violence in the state on May 3.

Altogether, 23 Kuki-Zo dead bodies including the nineteen dead bodies flown home today, and another four untraceable dead bodies will be given a decent and honorable burial as per the Kuki-Zo custom and tradition tomorrow.

Condolence with a Gun Salute will be performed by Kuki-Zo volunteers during the burial ceremony.

Speaking on the sideline of the preparation work for the mass burial at the Martyr's Cemetery, CoTU's Information and Publicity Secretary, Thangtinlen Haokip said that the much-awaited homecoming of our fallen brothers and sisters after a long tumultuous 8 months of despair, heartbreak and hopelessness have eventually reached their resting place here in our homeland.

He continued that we will honor our fallen Kuki-Zo brethren with the highest burial rites tomorrow at Martyr Cemetery at Phaijang on December 15.

"The Committee on Tribal Unity appreciated the Supreme Court for having to intervene and understand the sentiments of the Kuki-Zo communities", he added.

While announcing the 12-hour total shutdown in connection with the burial ceremony, Thangtinlen Haokip appeals to the general public to cooperate.

Emergency services and funeral parties are exempted from the purview.

The Kuki-Zo people across the district will be mourning this whole night at the Martyr Cemetery where the dead bodies are laid.