Grief and outrage deepened across the Kuki-Zo community on Saturday as hundreds gathered under inclement weather to bid a final farewell to slain farmer Haogin Lhouvum at the Martyrs' Cemetery in Phaijang, even as fresh violence erupted in the same conflict-hit region, leaving another Kuki-Zo village volunteer dead and two others injured.
The funeral of Lhouvum, who was brutally killed in the June 9 Lasan attack, unfolded against the backdrop of renewed bloodshed, underscoring what community leaders described as the continuing failure of authorities to secure vulnerable Kuki-Zo villages.
According to local sources, the fresh attack occurred at around 8:40 am in the border area between Lasan Kuki Village in Tamenglong district and Langka Liangmei Naga Village in Kangpokpi district. Armed assailants allegedly opened fire on Kuki-Zo village volunteers, killing one volunteer on the spot and injuring two others.
The latest killing came barely three days after Lhouvum was attacked and killed while engaged in agricultural activities at Lasan village along with several others.
Hundreds of mourners braved persistent rain and adverse weather conditions to pay their last respects to Lhouvum, whose body had been kept overnight at the Martyrs' Cemetery for a night-long condolence programme attended by family members, community leaders, village representatives and civil society organisations.
The burial service was led by Rev. Thangsat Kipgen under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU). Prominent leaders from Kuki Inpi Manipur, SAHILCA and several Kuki-Zo civil society organisations attended the solemn ceremony.
Though, the Kuki civil society organisations in Kangpokpi resolved to lifted the district-wide total shutdown following the completion of Lhouvum's burial, it had decided in an emergency to continue the shutdown till the burial of the village volunteer killed this morning in Lasan-Langka area.
The Kuki CSOs Kangpokpi also simultaneously launched an indefinite economic blockade, accusing the government of failing to address repeated appeals for adequate security deployment in vulnerable Kuki-Zo areas.
Speaking on the sidelines of the funeral, Kuki CSOs Kangpokpi spokesperson, Janghaolun Haokip alleged that the government's delay in deploying sufficient security forces had directly contributed to the continued loss of lives and destruction of property in Kuki-Zo inhabited areas.
"The government has repeatedly failed to ensure the safety of our people despite persistent appeals. The continuing attacks and killings are a direct consequence of that failure," Haokip said.
He asserted that the community had been compelled to raise village volunteers because the state had failed to provide the security protection demanded by residents of vulnerable villages.
Haokip further warned against any action by government agencies targeting Kuki-Zo village volunteers, stating that the volunteers were raised solely to protect lives, homes and ancestral lands in the absence of adequate state protection.
He said the community would strongly oppose any move to act against the volunteers while the security concerns of Kuki-Zo villages remained unaddressed.
Announcing the indefinite economic blockade, Haokip stated that the agitation would continue until concrete measures were taken to guarantee the safety and security of Kuki-Zo people living in vulnerable areas.
He also renewed the community's call for the Government of India to expedite a political solution for the Kuki-Zo people, arguing that the recurring violence demonstrated the urgent need for a durable and comprehensive settlement.
Saturday's funeral, marked by tears, prayers and growing frustration, reflected a community mourning yet another life lost while confronting fresh violence before the wounds of the previous tragedy had even begun to heal. The latest attack has further heightened tensions in the region and intensified demands for immediate security intervention to prevent another cycle of bloodshed.
The Hills Journal
K. Salbung, Churachandpur
Manipur-795128
