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The ongoing ethnic conflict in Manipur continues to escalate, resulting in tragic loss of life and deepening the divide between the Kuki and Meitei communities. The latest victim is Limlal Mate, a 65-year-old former Indian Army soldier from the Kuki community, whose body was found in the fields of Lairensajik in Imphal West, an area dominated by the Meiteis. The police suspect he was abducted and killed by members of the Meitei armed group, Arambai Tenggol.
Mate was reportedly heading to Imphal West from Kangpokpi when he accidentally crossed the buffer zone that separates the Kuki and Meitei areas. This crossing, unfortunately, triggered a fatal response, as he was found with injuries consistent with a beating. The police have registered an FIR based on the complaint filed by Mate’s son, Thangminlun, who discovered his father’s lifeless body through a disturbing video circulating on social media.
The video depicts Mate’s body, bearing visible injuries and lying amongst a group of Meitei men who are heard laughing and making derogatory remarks about the Kukis. This gruesome discovery has left Thangminlun devastated, filled with fear and regret for not being able to protect his father. His attempt to retrieve the body is met with the harsh reality of the conflict, as the ongoing violence prevents safe passage through areas controlled by the opposing community.
Thangminlun and his mother are left in a state of despair, unable to bring their loved one home for a proper burial. The fear of being targeted themselves deters them from venturing into Imphal, leaving them with no other option but to rely on the army to retrieve the body and facilitate the last rites. This situation highlights the deep-seated fear and insecurity that pervades the conflict-ridden state, where even the deceased are not safe from the violence.
Source: Kuki ex-serviceman who crossed Manipur buffer zone found dead. ‘Can’t even get his body,’ says son