Eighty-year-old Thenglien Chongloi and his wife Lhengtinneng, 76, from Leimakhong in Kangkopki district in Manipur, saw their son, Haominthang Chongloi, for the last time on May 4, 2023. “He was there right outside the house. I saw him. Since my wife and I were not well, we did not move outside anywhere,” Thenglien recalled the day.
The eldest of three siblings, 30-year-old Haominthang, helped his father, a watchman at a nearby church, in his job and was very active in local sports clubs. He was also a gym trainer. “He was also a good football player,” said his father. Holding a card from a local club with Haominthang’s photo, Lhengtinneng cried as she explained how they did not know what happened that fateful day and how Haominthang disappeared.
According to the village leaders, he was beaten to death by an angry Meitei mob on May 4 in a buffer zone region in Imphal West. He was taken to a hospital in Imphal but had already succumbed to his injuries. The village of Leimakhong shares a border with Imphal West district, and falls under the buffer zone. A few hundred meters from Haominthang’s house is the Imphal West district, where he was killed. Currently, there are multiple checkposts by the Gorkha Regiment on the border between Imphal West and Leimakhong. It also borders a stretch of five kilometres with the valley, making it one of the most restive regions in Manipur.
Ngamboi Haokip, a volunteer and social activist in Leimakhong, told TNM that Haominthang’s body was kept at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. Haominthang’s body was one of the 16 unclaimed bodies in RIMS that were identified.
“The families have been denied their basic rights as we have not been able to transport the dead bodies from Imphal to Kuki regions. They cannot even see their loved one for one last time and give them a proper funeral,” he said.
Thenglien said, “He moved to the frontline region that day. Late in the night, we came to know that he was killed. Everyone said he was beaten to death, and his body is at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. We haven't seen him yet.”
“I knew he was dead, but I cannot confirm how and under what circumstances he died. Grief is intense inside us. So, we don't talk or ask anyone about the details of his death. He has gone,” he added.
The couple wished they could see Haominthang for one last time and give him a funeral.
“I was under bed rest after a heart surgery. My husband also had spinal issues, so we did not move out those days. We did not know the situation was this bad,” Lhengtinneng said.
The crying mother said, “He was such a smart boy. He just disappeared that day. For some days, I thought he might come back. Now, I wish at least I could get his body back.”
The aged parents of Haominthang told TNM that they just want peace to be back.
There are 57 unclaimed bodies kept in the hospitals of Manipur. TNM had earlier reported that three government hospitals in the state recorded 150 deaths in connection with the clashes that began on May 3. Of these, 57 bodies are unclaimed, and 30 bodies are yet to be identified by the state government.
In RIMS alone, there are 27 unclaimed bodies, of which 11 are unidentified.
Manipur Dispatches: Our reporters Prajwal Bhat, Haritha John and Bhuvan Malik are in Manipur to provide you with exclusive, in-depth ground reports that delve into the heart of the matter. If you believe that human rights violations in a distant land should be a topic of conversation in this part of India, support our intrepid truth-seeking mission. Contribute here.