Naga Family Refuses to Accept Beheaded Brother's Body Amid 48-Hour Ultimatum

Family members of R Ajinpou, a Naga man killed in an October 10 attack on Makui village in Manipur's Kangpokpi district, have expressed reluctance to accept his mortal remains due to the severe head injury inflicted upon him. The lack of a severed head has raised concerns about the identification of the deceased.

As the Naga community places significant importance on the preservation of the head as a means of verifying identity. According to Stoneson, Ajinpou's elder brother, the family cannot bring themselves to accept the body without the head, citing the cultural significance of the head in Naga traditions.

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The three victims, including Ajinpou, were initially taken to the mortuary of the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) on October 11. There, they remain awaiting further developments. The Imphal-Tamenglong road, also known as the IT Road, passes through the Liangmai Naga village where the attack took place, highlighting the vulnerability of the region to militant activity.

The situation remains fluid, with the family and authorities working to resolve the issue in a manner that respects the community's customs and traditions.

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”.

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

The Joint Tribe Council-Manipur’s Working Committee has called for the recovery of the missing head and the arrest of the alleged perpetrators. The committee has also demanded that the Central and state governments take immediate action to address the situation.