Manipur violence: Wife of freedom fighter who was honoured by APJ Abdul Kalam burnt alive inside her house

Unimaginable stories of horror from Manipur have continued to jolt the rest of the country as the ethnic clashes in the northeast state have turned inhumane. Days after the viral video of two tribal women being paraded naked by a mob, another shocking report has appeared. 

According to a report, the wife of a freedom fighter was burnt alive inside her house in Kakching district's Serou village.

This ghastly incident took place in the early hours on 28 May. Once, the picturesque village some 45 km from the state capital Imphal, has now been engulfed with violence and gunfires.

The news channel's report said that Serou is one of the worst-hit villages during the clashes between the valley-majority Meiteis and the hill-majority Kuki tribe.

Premkanta, 22, the grandson of freedom fighter's wife said that 80-year-old Ibetomb was inside the house that was allegedly locked from outside by those who attacked her village. They set the house on fire.

He said, "When we came under attack, my grandmother told us to run now and return for her after some time. 'Come back to get me,' she said as we left. Those were her last words," he told the news channel.

Around two months after the ethnic clashes broke out, Premkanta returned to the burnt house where he recovered most precious possessions that Ibetombi held very dearly - a photograph of her freedom fighter husband with former President APJ Abdul Kalam.

Manipur has been witnessing violence since May 3, following the protests by the Kuki and Meitei communities against the High Court's order asking the state government to consider the inclusion of Meitei community in the category of Scheduled Tribes (ST). Only STs can buy lands in hilly areas.

The majority Meitei community, which occupies the Imphal valley and nearby areas, sought the ST status keeping in view their increasing population and increased requirement of land so that they could purchase lands in the hilly areas.

Earlier on Friday, state Chief Minister N Biren Singh evaded a question over the demand for him to step down, stating that his job was to restore peace to the state and ensure that the perpetrators of the alleged incident in the viral video are brought to book.