Manipur: Kuki-Zo community mourns Kashmir terror attack victims with candlelight vigil

Hundreds of members from the Kuki-Zo community gathered for a solemn candlelight march through Kangpokpi District to mourn the victims of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir.

 

The procession moved from Nute Kailhang to Brig M Thomas Ground along National Highway 2, with participants carrying candles as symbols of remembrance and resilience. The community rallied around a central message: "We Mourn Together. We Rise Together. We Carry Their Light."

 

Akki Kipgen, one of the solidarity marchers, explained the deeper meaning behind the vigil.

 

"We didn't just bring candles tonight," Kipgen said. "We brought a promise — that we will not let their blood be forgotten, and that even in the face of violence, we will never bow down."

 

The vigil follows the recent attack in Baisaran Valley, Pahalgam, where at least 26 tourists were killed.

 

"Their pain is our pain. Their families are our families. If we allow the pain of one corner to be silenced, one day the entire nation will be crying," Kipgen added.

 

Another participant, identified only as Hegou, emphasised the shared grief that transcends regional boundaries.

 

"As citizens of India, we, the Kuki-Zo community, feel the deep anguish of those who have lost their loved ones," he said. "We are here today not just to mourn, but to share in their grief."

 

The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), representing the Kuki-Zo community, issued a statement condemning the attack and calling it a "barbaric act" of violence. The statement rejected ideologies promoting terrorism, violence, or religious intolerance.

 

"The Kuki-Zo community firmly rejects ideologies that promote violence and hatred," the CoTU stated. "Such ideologies have no place in the world, especially in a democratic nation like India."

 

The committee also urged the central government to take immediate action against terrorism, framing the attack as an assault on national unity rather than just a regional incident.

 

"This is not just an attack on one region — it is an attack on all of us. It is an assault on our peace, on our democracy, on the very fabric of our unity," Hegou said during the vigil.