Aizawl: Hundreds of people held a candlelight vigil in Aizawl to express grief and outrage over the death of 11 people belonging to the Hmar-Mizo community in Manipur’s Jiribam district near Assam border recently.
The event held in front of Vanapa Hall was organised by the Mizo Defence Leagues.
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During the demonstration, protesters shouted slogans condemning the killing of Hmar tribal woman Zosangkim Hmar (31), a mother of three minors, by suspected armed Meitei groups at Zairawn village near Jiribam town on November 7 and 10 people belonging to the Hmar-Mizo community by security forces at Jakuradhor in Jiribam district on November 11.
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They blamed the Manipur government as well as the Centre for failing to contain the ethnic violence between the majority Meitei community and the minority Kuki-Zo community, which broke out on May 3 last year.
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The protesters also demanded that the bodies of 10 people kept at the mortuary of Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Assam be handed over to their families immediately for the funeral.
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Autopsy of 6 bodies was conducted on Tuesday, while the remaining 4 were conducted on Thursday.
Manipur police said that the 10 people were militants armed with sophisticated weapons and were killed during an encounter with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at Jakuradhor.
Tribal bodies, however, claimed that they were Hmar village volunteers patrolling to defend tribal villages.