Imphal: Four days after Lucy Marem, a Naga woman, died during a brutal mob attack in Imphal East district, her family members claimed her body from Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) on Wednesday.
The family has made arrangements for her burial in her hometown of Chandel district, where she will be laid to rest in the presence of relatives, Naga leaders, and well-wishers, according to a reliable source.
Lucy Marem, a Maring Naga woman who lived in Imphal’s Game village but was originally from Narum (Beulahram) village in Chandel district, lost her life during mob violence in Sawombung on July 15.
Following a meeting with Chief Minister N Biren Singh at the CM’s secretariat on Tuesday evening, an agreement was reached between the United Naga Council (UNC) and the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), as reported by a credible source. Notable attendees included Minister Khashim Vashum, Hill Areas Committee (HAC) Chairman Dinganglung Gangmei, and Chandel MLA SS Olish.
During the meeting, representatives of the Naga apex body UNC took the opportunity to voice their grievances to the chief minister regarding Marem’s death.
Additionally, COCOMI expressed remorse for the brutal killing of the Naga woman and extended an apology to the Naga delegates led by the UNC.
Meanwhile, the chief minister condemned the tragic incident and reassured justice to the victim’s family members and the representatives of the UNC. During the meeting, the CM committed to ensuring the timely arrest of the culprits and their subsequent punishment in accordance with the law.
As per Naga customary law, the state government pledged to provide a compensation amount of Rs 10 lakh to the deceased’s next of kin. An additional sum of Rs 5 lakh will be allocated to fulfill the ritual requirements as per Maring customary law, and an equal amount of Rs 5 lakh will be dedicated to fulfilling the educational needs of the deceased’s 16-year-old daughter, Marim Shangpui.
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Moreover, once Marem’s daughter becomes eligible, the state government has committed to offering her a government job corresponding to her educational qualifications.
The UNC stated that COCOMI will take measures to prevent any future incidents of harassment or untoward acts targeting any community. Additionally it decided to temporarily halt all forms of agitation and extend cooperation to the police to expedite the investigation.
Earlier this week, on Monday, the UNC imposed a 12-hour-long total shutdown across Naga-inhabited areas as a demonstration of resentment against the brutal killing of the Naga woman and to pay tribute to the deceased amidst the ongoing unrest in Manipur.
9 people, including 5 women, were arrested in connection with the brutal killing of the woman in the Sawombung area of Manipur’s Imphal East district, police said.
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