Six Naga men killed in Kangpokpi to be laid to rest on November 16

The bodies of six Naga men who were abducted and killed in Manipur's Kangpokpi district earlier this year will finally be laid to rest on November 16, more than five months after they were found, the Joint Tribe Council (JTC), Manipur, announced in Imphal on Tuesday.

The remains have been kept at the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal since June, as the families declined to perform the last rites while their demands were pending.

Funeral at Naga Martyrs' Park

According to the JTC, the bodies will be released to the families on November 16 and the final rites will be held at Naga Martyrs' Park in the victims' home village. The programme will be organised at the statewide level.

JTC co-convenor Timothy Wijunamai, speaking at a press conference at the Manipur Press Club, appealed to people of all communities, church leaders, civil society groups, student, women's and youth organisations to attend and stand with the bereaved families. Two of the six men were pastors, NE Now reported.

The JTC said the decision to go ahead with the funeral follows an understanding reached in Guwahati on September 26 in talks involving the Government of India, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Manipur government and the United Naga Council (UNC), on the charter of demands submitted by the UNC. The JTC did not make the details of that understanding public at the press conference.

What happened

The six men were abducted in May, and their bodies were recovered on June 10 from an area between Leilon Phaipei and Kharam Phaipei villages in Kangpokpi district. The JTC has blamed armed Kuki militants operating under the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement for the killings. That allegation has not been tested in court.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) later took over the criminal investigation. No outcome of the probe has been announced.

In June, the Kuki Zo Council admitted the role of members of the community in the killings and offered an apology. The All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM), rejected the apology, saying it could not be accepted until those responsible were held to account.

Why it matters

The killings deepened tension between Naga and Kuki-Zo groups in the hill districts of Manipur, already strained by the conflict that began in May 2023. Naga organisations have spent months demanding justice for the six men before agreeing to the funeral.

The November 16 funeral is expected to draw large gatherings. Authorities have not yet announced security arrangements for the day.

NEInsider will report on the funeral and any developments in the NIA investigation.