Kangpokpi: About a month after violence broke out in Manipur, 7-year-old Tonsing Hangsing, his mother Meena Hangsing, and her friend Lydia Lourembam, were burnt alive in an ambulance while on their way to a hospital in Imphal, Manipur.
It has taken over six months, but the mother-son duo was finally laid to rest on December 15. Their bodies were among 19 from the Kuki-Zo community buried at the Martyrs Cemetery during a mass burial programme in Kangpokpi’s Phaijang village.
Speaking to EastMojo Tonsing’s father, Joshua Hangshing, said he could not sleep the whole night before their bodies arrived, longing to meet them one last time.
“Till I received the dead bodies of my son and wife, I could not have a normal life. I always think they would come back home anytime from somewhere. The day I came to know that their dead bodies will be flown home, I could not sleep the whole night longing to meet them,” an emotional Joshua said.
“Even though they would not be able to talk to me like before. Now, I am relieved as they could have a decent and honourable burial,” he added.
Lydia Lourembam was also buried alongside her friend and nephew today. Her husband, Lourembam Inaoton, is finally relieved that after months of struggle, Lydia has received an honourable burial.
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Lourembam Inaoton, Husband of Lydia Lourembam told EastMojo that he had been leading a miserable life till I received the mortal remains of my wife. “It is very difficult to explain how my life was before her lifeless body reached me. But now, I am fine as she got a decent and honourable burial today. I convey my heartfelt gratitude to the leaders of CoTU, KIM, KSO, village chiefs and other CSOs for their exemplary humanitarian gestures in giving a decent and honourable burial to my wife,” he said.
During the program, a ceremony was also held for four other people of the community whose bodies could not be traced so that they could have a decent and honourable burial. The burial programme was administered by Rev Dr Satkhokai Chongloi and the deceased were given a gun salute by village volunteers of COTU defence.
Also Read | Home at last: Mother-son duo burnt alive finally laid to rest in Kangpokpi