A candlelight vigil was held in Aizawl on Friday evening to mourn the tragic deaths of 11 members of the Hmar-Mizo community in Manipur’s Jiribam district. Organized by the Mizo Defence League, the demonstration took place in front of Vanapa Hall, drawing hundreds of participants who gathered to express grief and outrage over the recent violence.
The protesters were particularly distressed by the murder of a Hmar tribal woman, a mother of three, who was killed on November 7 in Zairawn village, near Jiribam. They also condemned the deaths of 10 more community members, allegedly killed by security forces on November 11 at Jakuradhor, also in Jiribam. Chanting slogans, the participants held both the Manipur state government and the central government responsible for the escalating ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities. The protesters voiced their frustration over the authorities’ inability to put an end to the violence, which has claimed many innocent lives and displaced numerous families.
One of the key demands from the vigil was the return of the bodies of the 10 deceased individuals, which are currently held at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Assam. The protesters urged that the bodies be handed over to the families for proper burial rites, ensuring respect for the deceased and their communities.
