Khwairakpam ningol Leichombam ongbo Abemcha, the middle-aged Meira Paibi of Kangchup who succumbed to bullet injuries inflicted by Kuki militants on November 7 were finally laid to rest after last rites on Sunday at Kangchup Chingkhong.
Nine individuals, including Abemcha, were injured when suspected Kuki militants fired several rounds of bullets at around 11.25 am from Songlung village in Kangchup hills on November 7.
She is survived by her husband, a 17-year-old daughter, an 11-year-old and a seven-year-old son. Body of the deceased has been kept at RIMS mortuary.
Her words spoken in anguish ‘Am I going to die?’ captured in a video clip went viral in the social media afterwards.
The JAC that formed against the killing of Khwairakpam Ningol Leichonbam Ongbi Abemcha Leima by Kuki militants met Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Saturday to raise their demands concerning the incident.
Her lifeless body was claimed by family members and JAC on Saturday and a huge procession escorted the body till Kangchup Chingkhong where the last rites were conducted after due honours and respect.
A memorandum submitted by the JAC had said they will not collect the body unless an agreement with the state government is reached.
The main demand was state government must take up urgent measures to flush out the Kuki militants who have been constantly firing towards the Meitei villages located at periphery areas under Sekmai and Lamsang assembly constituency.
The memorandum pointed out that the Kangchup Reserved Forest, Kangchup Chiru Reserved Forest, and the areas at the boundaries of Imphal West which rightly belong to the Meitei villages have been illegally occupied by Kuki immigrants by encroaching upon them. It demanded the state government to flush them out within three days.
It further demanded the state government to hand out appropriate compensation to the victim’s family as well as provide a government job to the next of kin of the deceased.
