Kin of beheaded Naga man refuse to accept body: ‘Against traditions’

The mortal remains of the three victims, including Ajinpou’s, were taken to the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) on October 11. (File Photo)

The family of a Naga man, who was allegedly beheaded by Kuki militants during an attack on Makui village in Manipur’s Kangpokpi district on October 10, has refused to accept his remains.

The headless body cannot be identified with certainty, and thus cannot be accepted as per their traditions, the family said.

R Ajinpou was among three Naga men killed in the attack on Makui, a Liangmai Naga village along the Imphal-Tamenglong road (IT Road). The mortal remains of the three victims, including Ajinpou’s, were taken to the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) on October 11.

Ajinpou’s elder brother R Stoneson said the family would accept the body only after the severed head is recovered. “A person’s head is their identity. Without it, how can anyone identify the deceased? No one can be certain that the headless body belongs to my brother; it could belong to anyone. According to our traditions, we cannot accept the body under these circumstances. We will accept it only when the severed head is recovered.”

Meanwhile, the Joint Tribe Council-Manipur’s Working Committee has issued a “non-negotiable” 48-hour ultimatum to the Central and the state governments, beginning Saturday, demanding “recovery” of the missing head, which it alleged was taken by Kuki militants sheltered under the Suspension of Operations pact. The committee also demanded the arrest of the alleged perpetrators — Thangboi Kipgen, David Hangsing and Sailen Haokip (Kuki militant leaders)— and called for them to “face the full force of the law”.

A video has been circulating on social media, purportedly showing armed men, suspected to be Kuki militants, displaying the severed head of Ajinpou.