The funeral service for the 35 lives from Kuki-Zo community who died in the conflict in Manipur and kept at Churachandpur District Hospital morgue was held on Thursday at Peace Ground, Tuibong in Churachandpur district with the attendance of hundreds of mourners.
However, the burial date was postponed for seven days after the Union Home Ministry reportedly assured to take up the five-point demands raised by the ITLF. The ITLF stated that it will go ahead with the burial if the government does not agree to their demands.
The five-point demand raised to the Union government with Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga as the intermediary are to expedite the talks for a separate administration with the tribal groups; shifting of all tribal prisoners in Imphal jail to other states; to pull out all the state force from the hills, and legalisation of the proposed burial ground at Haolai Khopi.
At the funeral service, ITLF chairman Pagin Haokip said that the decision to halt the burial was taken at the eleventh hour as they received communication from the government in the late evening.
MLA of Singhat assembly constituency Chinlunthang Zou, speaking on behalf of all the 10 Kuki -Zo MLAs, said that as their representatives they had submitted a signed petition to the Union government that they must get the separate administration.
He also praised the ITLF, student union, evangelists, womenfolks, frontline workers etc for their part and the unity they have shown, which he said, will lead them to achieve their goals.
He also thanked Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, philanthropic organisations of Mizoram, Christian brothers from different states and the world for their support.
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