Aizawl: Hundreds gathered in a solemn candlelight vigil outside Vanapa Hall in Aizawl on Friday evening to mourn the loss of 11 members of the Hmar-Mizo community in Manipur’s Jiribam district. Organized by the Mizo Defence League, the demonstration reflected deep sorrow and anger over the escalating violence in the region.
The crowd paid tribute to a Hmar tribal woman, a mother of three, brutally murdered on November 7 in Zairawn village near Jiribam town. Grief was compounded by outrage over the deaths of 10 additional community members, allegedly killed during a security forces operation on November 11 in Jakuradhor, also in Jiribam.
Participants expressed frustration with both the Manipur state government and the central government, blaming them for failing to quell the ongoing ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. Chants and placards at the vigil underscored the community’s anguish over the devastating impact of the conflict on innocent lives.
A key demand from the demonstrators was the immediate return of the 10 deceased individuals’ bodies, currently held at Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam, to their families for proper burial rites. Protesters highlighted the need for dignity in death and respect for the cultural practices of the grieving families.
The vigil served as both a moment of remembrance and a call for accountability, reflecting the growing calls for peace and justice amid the prolonged conflict in Manipur.