Ritah Haorei gets proper funeral after 43 days

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 20

The conflict between Leinganching village authorities and JAC for burial of (L) Ritah Haorei at Leinganching village has finally come to an end with both parties agreeing to burial of the body somewhere in the village outskirts. 

Convener of the JAC formed for burial of (L) Ritah Haorei at Leingangching and president of All Manipur Catholic Union (AMCU), Aloysius Zangkhosei Mate while briefing the media at a church at Leingangching said the agreement between the two parties was arrived only yesterday. 

It may be recalled, Ritah Haorei wife of Yangmi Haorei of Leingangching, Kamjong district, aged 42, died on August 7 and was denied burial at her own village as her family was excommunicated from the village seven years ago for converting into Catholic Christian. Leingangching or Litan allowed only Baptist Christian to inhabit at the village.

The village headman’s refusal for burial in the village provoked condemnation not only from the catholic Christian community but other from across the country have also joined to express their disapproval over the village rule. 

 “We are glad at least that we have reached this agreement to bury Ritah in her village area, but not totally satisfied as we are not allowed to bury in her village itself,” said the convener. “We have compromised with the judgment of the village authorities so as not to create any more chaos from this conflict,” he continued.

Five families of village who converted to Catholic were outcaste from the Leingangching and they live in the nearby villages as mere refugees, and among them was Ritah’s family too.   

President of AMCU said that this is the third instance that the villagers did not allow burial and the other two were forced to be buried in Hundung, Ukhrul district.

He continued saying that only parts of their JAC’s demands have been met, he urged the resettlement of five families and compensation for the losses of the said families that were excommunicated from the village in 2010 for converting their denomination of Baptist Christian to Catholic Christian.

He also said that “one village, one denomination” rule of the Leingangching village should be abolished terming it as against the Constitution of India.

Ritah’s body was kept at Hundung till the recent agreement between the two parties was made (which took 43 days). The late wife of Yangmi Haorei was buried with proper burial ceremony today at Sikhibung, outskirts of Leingangching and Catholics from over the state came to witness the grand funeral service despite bad weather.