Ibetombi, 80, lived in this house in Manipur's Serou village; she was burnt alive
More stories of unimaginable horror are coming out from ethnic violence-hit Manipur, days after visuals of tribal women being paraded naked by a mob of men surfaced on social media.
In Kakching district's Serou village, the 80-year-old wife of a freedom fighter was locked inside her house and set on fire by an armed group, according to a case filed with Serou police station. Her husband, S Churachand Singh, who died at 80, was a freedom fighter who was honoured by former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
The incident took place in the early hours of May 28, when places like Serou saw massive violence and exchange of gunfire.
Before violence started on May 3, Serou was a picturesque village some 45 km from the state capital Imphal. But only burnt houses and bullet holes on the walls are left now, as seen by NDTV.
It was one of the worst-hit villages during the clashes between the valley-majority Meiteis and the hill-majority Kuki tribe over the Meiteis' demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) status.
Ibetombi, 80, lived in this house in Manipur's Serou village; she was burnt alive
80-year-old Ibetombi, the wife of the freedom fighter, was inside the house that was allegedly locked from outside by those who attacked her village. They set the house on fire. The blaze had engulfed the entire structure by the time her family could come to rescue her, Premkanta, 22, the grandson of Ibetombi, told NDTV.
Premkanta told NDTV he escaped death by a very slim margin - bullets had grazed his arm and thigh as he tried to save his grandmother.
"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, unfortunately," Premkanta told NDTV in Hindi. He showed the scars on his body where the bullets had grazed.
His grandmother stayed back and let them run first due to her old age and limited mobility. A hail of bullets whizzed past the house too, which made it dangerous for slow-movers.
Around two months after the ethnic clashes broke out, Premkanta returned to a mound of broken wood and metal on the same spot where the structure he once called home stood. Among the family possessions he recovered today from the debris was a prized photograph that Ibetombi held very dearly - a photograph of her freedom fighter husband with former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
Freedom fighter S Churachand Singh with former President APJ Abdul Kalam; the freedom fighter's 80-year-old wife was burnt alive in her house by an armed group
NDTV saw a video shot during the recovery of her skull from the burnt structure. Even today, burnt bones remain scattered in the rubble around the place where Ibetombi's bed stood.
A little distance away from the village, Serou market resembles a ghost town. The people who did business and lived here have all fled the place. There is only silence.
Recalling the day of the massive attack by the armed group, another Serou resident and Ibetombi's daughter-in-law, S Tampaksana, told NDTV they took shelter at an MLA's house, where they reached with great difficulty amid the intense firing.
"At 2.10 am, we fled as we were frightened and she (Ibetombi) insisted we run to safety first and send someone to rescue her later. We took shelter at our local MLA's house, frightened as the firing continued. Then we told our boys to go and rescue her at 5.30-6 am. By the time they went, the house was completely consumed by fire," Ms Tampaksana said.
Serou village in Manipur's Kakching district is a ghost town now
Even now, security forces are on high alert to prevent any fresh confrontation between the two communities in this area. There are also restrictions on movement as villagers look to protect themselves from attacks. Signs asking outsiders to stay away from Serou after 6 in the evening were seen in the area when NDTV visited.
For families who have lost their loved ones in this ethnic conflict, the pain and trauma of the incidents that have unfolded before their eyes are still very much alive in their minds. For those who suffered, returning home is a big challenge. For most of them, returning home is a thought that hasn't crossed their mind.
Manipur has been without internet for over two months now.