Family accepts bodies of minors after 25 days

AFter 25 years of bereavement, fellowship members feature accepted the bodies of the two minors who were killed during the Tronglaobi bomb blast incident in Bishnupur.This comes following the appeal by chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh to the parents of the deceased children to accept the bodies.The two minors, a five-year-old boy and her 5 months old sister, were killed during a mortar attack on April 7, while sleeping with their mother. The incident also injured their mother. Subsequently, an irate mob stormed and vandalised a CRPF camp located at Gelmol village, Churachandpur district adjacent to Tronglaobi village, alleging that the security force failed to protect the civilians from such fatal attack. While controlling the agitating mob three youths were killed in a CRPF firing.The bodies of the minors that have been lying in Regional Institution of Medical Science (RIMS), Imphal, were handed over to the family members at around 11 am on Saturday, officials said.Large number of people marched a procession from RIMS hospital to their birthplace Tronglaobi, Bishnupur. Later, after performing a funeral, the bodies were buried at Lamthabung ground of Phougakchao Ikhai, Bishnnupur, next to where the three youths were buried who were killed during CRPF firing incident.Meanwhile, the government assured a job in Indian Reserved Battalion (IRB) or Manipur Rifles (MR) with equivalent rank for the father of the minors, who is currently serving in Border Security Force (BSF), and mother who is working as a nurse at All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Guwahati, will be provided an equivalent service in Manipur.Chief minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh earlier said, “If the father of the decease minors works under Manipur government, then he could monitor the status of the case easily.”Since the Bishnupur blast, unrest in Manipur has been reignited as multiple torch rallies had been demonstrated almost daily across five districts of Manipur including Imphal West, Imphal East, Bishnupur, Thoubal and Kakching demanding for justice for the deceased.Following the incident, government had launched a military crackdown in the suspected area around Tronglaobi, Bishnupur and Churachandpur district. The government also handed over the case to National Investigating Agency (NIA). During the investigation till date 5 suspects belonging to banned underground outfit United Kuki National Army (UKNA) had been arrested.