Symbolic ‘Banana Stems’ Replace Bodies of Missing Kuki Volunteers Killed in Phailengmol Region

In a heartbreaking event, thousands of Kuki community, together with the family members, loved ones, and close friends of the two Kuki volunteers brutally killed and dismembered in the Phailengmol Region on April 13, held a symbolic burial ceremony today at Martyrs’ Cemetery, Phaijang, in Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District, more than a month after their brutal killing, under the aegis of Committee on Tribal Unity, or the CoTU, Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District.

“Banana stems” were placed inside the coffins of the two Kuki volunteers, Kamlengsat Khongsai and Kamminlal Lupheng, whose remains are yet to be found.

This unusual, yet deeply symbolic act underscored the desperation and grief faced by the families who cannot find the remains of their deceased sons.

The practice of using banana stems in funerary rituals is not new for the Kuki community, as their customs, culture, and tradition sometimes involve using symbolic objects in the absence of the body.

The symbolic burials with banana stems also serve multiple purposes, as it allowed the community to perform the necessary rites, which are crucial for a cultural and emotional closure. Additionally, these ceremonies provide a space for mourning, where collective grief can be shared and supported.

The killing of Kamlengsat Khongsai and Kamminlal Lupheng in the Phailengmol Region on April 13 was hailed as “the century’s most gruesome human rights offence” considering the brutality and inhumane nature of the crime committed by the Meitei militants over the two dead bodies. In a chilling act of barbarity, the armed groups, dragged the dead bodies of the two fallen Kuki volunteers, brutalized their faces, shot them multiple times after desecration, and brutally hacked off their arms with machetes, sending shockwaves across the globe and prompting widespread condemnation for the ruthless violation of human rights.

It may be recalled that CoTU had organized a monumental 2 km long protest rally and imposed a 24-hour total shutdown in response to the gruesome Phailengmol killings. Additionally, CoTU also closed down government offices within the district which remains enforced to date.

In a poignant gesture of honouring their fallen comrades, CoTU enforced a solemn 9-hour Total Shutdown throughout Sadar Hills Kangpokpi District from 9:00 AM till 6:00 PM on May 24, while halting all government and private operations, along with business activities.

Mourning, under the aegis of Kangpokpi Town Committee, KYU, and KWWO, began on Thursday night at Brig. M. Thomas Ground at Kangpokpi District Headquarters, where the coffins of the two missing Kuki volunteers were kept in the office premises of CoTU.

In Sadar Hills Phaijang’s Kuki Martyrs’ Cemetery on Friday, thousands congregated for the solemn symbolic burial ceremony, where they paid their respects with heartfelt condolences and a reverent gun salute.

Dr. Rev. Satkai Chongloi, Secretary of the Kuki-Zo Christian Relief Committee, solemnly conducted the symbolic burial ceremony, resonating with the theme “You Sacrifice Your Today for Our Tomorrow.”

Family members of the two fallen Kuki volunteers, representatives of the Sadar Hills Chiefs’ Association, the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills, the Phailengmol Core Committee, and leaders from various other organizations, delivered heartfelt addresses at the solemn symbolic event.

At the sideline of the symbolic burial ceremony, CoTU’s Media Cell Coordinator, Ng. Lun Kipgen said that together with our people, and the family members have accorded our two fallen Kuki volunteers, Kamlengsat Lunkim and Kamminlal Lupheng, the highest tribute for their selfless sacrifice to defend our land and for our freedom against tyranny and subjugation by the majoritarian Meitei led administration as we have performed their last ritual-rites at Martyrs’ Cemetery, Phaijang.

Expressing strong discontentment over the Government’s failure to locate the bodies of the two Kuki volunteers, Ng. Lun Kipgen recalled that fervent appeals have been made to locate the dismembered bodies and be handed over to the families for an honourable burial while adding that a monumental 2 km long rally was organized and Government offices in the district have been shut to pressure the government, but despite waiting for more than a month, their bodies could not be traced to this day.

“By failing to locate the dead bodies of our two fallen heroes and showing a complete lack of concern over the closure of Government offices in the district, the Manipur Meitei Government has once again proven our complete separation. In acknowledgement of this divide, we have decided to conduct a symbolic burial ceremony for our two fallen heroes”, he asserted.

He further said that the current dispensation’s inability to address crimes against the minority Kuki community is a clear indication of the existence of a Separate Administration between the Kuki tribal Christian community-dominated hills and the valley predominantly occupied by the majoritarian Meitei community.

Therefore, reaffirming our faith in the Central Government and with the mandate of our people, the Committee urged the Central Investigative Agency/Agencies to take up the case of (L) Kamlengsat Lunkim and (L) Kamminlal Lupheng, who were brutally murdered in the most gruesome violations of human rights and human decency, he further added.

In connection with the closure of Government offices, Ng. Lun Kipgen said that having now performed the burial rites for our beloved fallen heroes, we have resolved to reopen Government offices, which were previously shuttered indefinitely, on May 27 as these institutions no longer hold significance for the Kuki community.