Gen Tunkhopum Baite's remains exhumed
TSE/ Lamka
Former cadres of Chin Liberation Army or the Chin Army, one of the oldest insurgent groups in the North East region, exhumed the mortal remains of their commander Tunkhopum Baite, almost fifty years after he was reportedly killed by the Mizo National Front (MNF).
Tunkhopum, commonly addressed by his followers as General Tunkhopum Baite led the insurgent group that received guerilla warfare training in East Pakistan under the patronage of the then Pakistani Government.
He was however killed by the MNF, another insurgent group led by Laldenga, whose cadres he took along when his army’s second batch went for training in East Pakistan.
There are numerous accounts on how he was executed though the place where his body was laid to rest remained mystery until a few days back.
After 40 years, the commander’s personal assistant (PA) Paukhohau Khuptong led a group of his former comrades with a mission to trace the place, where Tunkhopum was buried.
In a memoir published last year, Paukhohau Khuptong said that his commander took MNF leader R Halleluijah to Pakistan for the first time in his place on January 18, 1966 after agreeing to remain united and respect each other’s cause at a crucial meeting held in Aizawl with MNF chief Laldenga and his full cabinet three days before their departure.
“We began our search in the first week of June and finally located it inside a jungle on the banks of Tuichang river, about 3 kms from Muizawl, the nearest village in Champhai district of Mizoram on June 17”, said ST Jamkhanthang who served as a section commander in Tunkhopum Baite’s Chin Army but embraced priesthood afterwards.
He said that for some reasons they withheld their commander’s identity to the person who disclosed the place, where Tunkhopum Baite was laid to rest.
Last night, the former CLA cadres acquired the mortal remains of their commander and entered Sinzawl village.
“The villagers greeted us in massive numbers with a fitting tribute. We will reach our hometown Lamka soon and hopefully with the remains of our commander”, said Jamkhanthang.
He said that about 20 former cadres of the Chin Army are still alive in different parts of the State.
“I am requesting all of them to be there in Lamka to receive and honour our commander”, he added.
It is yet to be decided where and how the mortal remain would be preserved, Jamkhanthang expressed hope that the arrival of commander’s mortal remains would surely be an emotional affair not just for the former cadres but for the local community as well.
