The Kuki groups on Thursday postponed the mass burial of 35 Kuki victims killed in the ongoing ethnic clashes with the dominant Meiteis at S Boljang village in Churachandpur district until next week. The burial was due on Thursday.The decision has been taken following the request from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the intervention of Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum.According to the reports, the decision has been taken to avoid any kind of violence because the land that was chosen for the burial of the graves was planned for Meiteis settlement.The court ordered the Union government, the state government, and members of both communities to keep things as they are at the contested location until the next hearing date. Additionally, the governments have been advised to make an effort to reach amicable settlements on the issue. The issue will be heard again in court on August 9 after the chief secretary and DGP of Manipur were ordered to submit their reply.According to the reports, earlier this week, reacting to the decision for the mass burial of the Kuki victims, one of the Meitei civil society groups, the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) said that choosing Torbung looks like a provocation for further violence by Kuki community. Notably, villages in the Torbung area are located on the edge of the Meitei-dominated Bishnupur district and have a few Meitei settlements.
