Thousands gather in Manipur's Kangpokpi to receive bodies of church leaders killed in ambush

A wave of grief swept through Manipur's Kangpokpi on May 13 night as the mortal remains of three slain church leaders were brought to the District Hospital morgue, drawing thousands of mourners from across the Kuki-Zo community.

The arrival of the bodies triggered large gatherings of community members, church leaders, civil society organisations and residents, who assembled to pay tribute to the deceased amid prayers, hymns and condolence gatherings. The killings of the three church leaders have sparked widespread shock and anger across Kuki-Zo inhabited areas in Manipur.

The bodies were kept overnight at the District Hospital morgue in Kangpokpi, where an all-night condolence vigil was organised. Thousands of mourners reportedly remained present through the night as part of a collective tribute to the slain leaders.

According to the scheduled funeral arrangements, the mortal remains will be taken on Wednesday morning to the office of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) at Brigadier M. Thomas Ground in Kangpokpi, where members of the public will be allowed to pay their last respects during a mass condolence programme.

Later in the day, the bodies will be moved to the Thadou Baptist Association India Church at Motbung for continued mourning services and funeral observances. The burial ceremony is scheduled to take place on May 15 within the church campus.

Simultaneously, candlelight vigils were organised across Kuki-Zo inhabited regions on Tuesday evening at 7 pm. Vigils were held in areas including Kangpokpi, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, Moreh, Chandel and Pherzawl, along with several remote hill villages and Kuki settlements.

Thousands of residents participated in the vigils by lighting candles at churches, village centres, public grounds and roadside locations while demanding justice for the deceased leaders. Black flags were also hoisted in several areas as part of the mourning observances.

Earlier, Kuki Inpi Manipur announced a two-day total shutdown across all Kuki-Zo inhabited regions in response to the killings. The organisation also declared two days of community mourning, resulting in widespread closure of markets, educational institutions and transport services across the hill districts.

Community organisations stated that the shutdown was being observed both as a mark of respect for the slain church leaders and as a protest against the killings, which they described as an attack on the community’s religious leadership.