Ancestral Heisoi Katpa rituals held across valley localities; retired armyman questions government silence over unending ethnic strife
Biswadeep Gupta
IMPHAL — On the sacred occasion of Langban Tarpon—observed on the culminating day of the Meitei lunar month of Langban—Manipur remembered and paid homage to those who lost their lives in the ethnic strife that erupted on May 3, 2023.
Across the valley districts, families, local clubs, and civil society groups gathered along riverbanks and community ponds to perform Langban Heisoi Katpa (ancestral Tarpan rituals) to pray for the eternal peace of the deceased.
At Haobam Pokpi, a village situated approximately 10 kilometers from the state capital, the Heibongpokpi Apunba Naharol Association (HANA) organised a memorial prayer service for deceased village volunteers and victims.
“In our Meitei community, many people have died in this ongoing conflict,” a representative of the association said during the ceremony. “To bring peace to their departed souls, we have organised the Langban Heisoi Katpa ritual. This marks the fourth time our local youth body has gathered to perform these ancestral offerings for our fallen brothers and sisters.”
The solemnity of the ritual was accompanied by grief and pointed questions aimed at the Union government regarding its handling of the crisis.
Saikhom Rokesh Singh, an Imphal resident and retired Indian Army serviceman whose only son was killed on July 2, 2023, voiced sharp anguish over the prolonged conflict.
“I served the country, and my only son was martyred defending Manipur,” Singh said. “I want to ask the Government of India: Is Manipur not an integral state of India? If it is, why is adequate attention not being paid while the state sinks deeper into turmoil?”
Questioning the prolonged administrative stalemate, the retired veteran remarked that the authorities have appeared unresponsive to the ground realities since violence first broke out in May 2023. “What began on May 3 has still not come to an end. It feels as though the government has ears that do not listen, eyes that do not see, and a mouth that refuses to speak,” Singh stated, warning citizens to remain vigilant against further losses.
Langban Tarpon remains an essential annual rite of remembrance in the Meitei calendar, but this year’s observances carried the heavy imprint of collective mourning and widespread calls for constitutional accountability and lasting peace.
