On August 31, 2015, a group of people gathered to protest the passage “anti-tribal’ laws, in Manipur’s Churachandpur. As often happens in protests, spectators gathered around to watch. Then, the police opened fire. Nine people were killed. One of them was a 10-year-old boy who had stepped out of the house to play football with friends. Another was a young man who had become a father just a few days ago.

The prevalent custom is to bury the dead within a day or two, but not this time. The nine remained in open coffins for weeks. For three months, Churachandpur remained in shutdown mode. Meanwhile the bodies bloated, outgrowing their coffins. Eventually, urged on by the community, the state government and district hospital ordered a cold storage in which the bodies could be kept and there they rest even today. A special “temporary” electric line makes sure that there’s no power cut in the morgue. Because Churachandpur is not going to bury these bodies in protest.  

Yesterday was Tribal Unity Day and the first death anniversary of the nine “martyrs”. The day was observed in Manipur at a college campus in Churachandpur district by the Joint Action Committee Against Anti Tribal Bills (JAC-ATB). In Delhi, approximately 100 people came to Jantar Mantar and paid tributes to the dead in an event organised by the Manipur Tribals Forum Delhi (MTFD).

Manipur has been traditionally divided between tribal groups in hill areas and Meiteis, the majority ethnic group in the state. Maivio J Woba, co-convenor, MTFD told Newslaundry, “The issue between tribals and the valley people is long-running. But the brutal killings have united tribals like never before.”

“The nine martyrs will not be buried until and unless the government fulfils the demand of the tribal people,” said chief convenor, JAC-ATB, Mangchinkhup Hauzel, speaking to Newslaundry from Manipur.

In June this year, the Centre sent back the three “anti-tribal bills” for re-examination by constitutional experts. A report said that this happened because of the exclusionary definition of a “Manipuri” proposed by the state government – which would have rendered “half of the tribes stateless”. The state government on August 9 this year made public a draft bill seeking suggestions from various stakeholders. However, tribal groups are still not impressed.

“The new bill is no better than the previous one. It is like old wine in a new bottle. The hill areas must be excluded from any bill aimed to bring Inner Line Permit (ILP),” Mangchinkhup told Newslaundry.

Days before the “Tribal Unity Day”, cracks appeared in the JAC-ATB. The apex body of Kuki people in Manipur, Kuki Inpi, Churachandpur (KIC), as well as Hmar Students’ Association (Ghqs), and Kuki Students’ Organisation (KSO), severed ties with it.

On Wednesday, the president of Thadou Inpi (Thadous are one of the Kuki tribes)—a tribal body supporting the JAC-ATB— obliquely hit out at those opposing the tribal movement in Churachandpur. He termed them worse than “animals”, which at least stick with their own kind.

In Delhi, Maivio glossed over the differences. “In any society, there are different types of people who have different opinions,” he said. The eventual aspiration, he said, was total separation of the tribal areas from Manipur. However, that is a demand which has been heard in Manipur at least since the last 30 years on and off – without much success.

Asked about the plan of action for the coming months, he said there was no question of stopping the stir, and JAC-ATB will continue to oppose the draft bill. With the state government and tribals not on the same page on the draft bill, a repeat of last year’s cycle of violence and killings cannot be ruled out. People in Churachandpur say that Imphal is becoming more and more hostile to them, lashing out at them for wanting to safeguard the rights of tribals. Congress has suggested foreign influence (read: Myanmar) is fuelling the agitation for no reason.

Meanwhile, the nine have become martyrs in death, keeping the protest alive.