Tripartite MoU inked in Manipur, tribals to claim 8 dead bodies

Imphal May 10 (IANS) A tripartite MoU was signed in Churachandpur district of Manipur on Wednesday over claiming of eight dead bodies lying in the district hospital morgue since September 2015 following dispute over demands of some agitating tribal bodies.

Following the signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU), the bodies will now be claimed within May 25 to perform their last rites.

The parties to the tripartite MoU are the Manipur government, central government and the Joint Action Committee, which has been spearheading agitations against the "three anti-tribal bills".

While A.K. Jha, Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, signed papers for the Centre, Manipur Chief Secretary Oinam Nabakishore represented the state government and the Joint Action Committee representatives were there to give their consent to the MoU.

Nabakishore said: "The government shall pay ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the nine persons who had died. Besides, government job will be provided to one member each of the bereaved families and compensation would be paid to the 48 injured persons."

On August 31, 2015, the assembly had passed three Inner Line Permit System bills. But within hours, the tribals in Churachandpur district had launched violent agitations. Houses of almost all MLAs and ministers and government buildings in the district were torched.

Nine persons had died in the violence, out of which one body had been claimed earlier.

With the signing of this MoU government, it is believed that the impasse over non-claiming of dead bodies stands resolved.

The government efforts to resolve it had repeatedly failed as the activists demanded much more, according to Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

The Chief Minister said: "The activists demanded a rollback of the creation of the seven districts, extension of the 6th Schedule and creation of yet another district. The talks could not proceed since a Chief Minister cannot make commitments on all these issues."

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