Imphal, September 13, 2009: The Kuki community in Manipur today observed 'Black Day' like done every year remembering victims of the ethnic clashes of the 1990s by hoisting black-colour flags in every house holds in Kuki inhabitant villages across the state.

Thousands of people of Kuki and Naga communities settling in the hilly areas of the state were killed and hundreds of them were left homeless in the ethnic clashes in the early part of the nineties.

The Kuki community has been observing 'Black Day' every year on September 13 in remembrance of the killings and destroying of houses at Joupi village in Churachandpur district.

Ninety percent of the villagers, including children and old age people, were slain in the Joupi massacre on September 1993 apart from burning down of all the houses there in the ethnic clashes.

Taking this particular day, Kuki inhabited villages across the state flew black flags in front of their homes as a mark of respect and in remembrance of all their brethren who were slain, allegedly by the NSCN(IM).

Fasting and prayers at the churches to mark the day, reports said.

The main function to commemorate the day was held at Kangpokpi Kuki Christian Church organized the Kangpokpi town committee where chief of different villages, pastures and villagers performed mass prayer for not repeating the incident again.

Speaking on the occasion, chairman of the Kangpokpi Urban Town Committee, Haokholet Guite recounted the ordeal events occurred after the NSCN(IM) issued notice to the DCs and SDOCs in October 1992 that Kuki inhabitant areas of the state belongs to Nagas asking to quit the Kuki from their lands.

Later, Kukis gathered themselves to object the claim of the NSCN(IM) and declared land occupied by Kukis are not belongs to Nagas.

In the aftermath of the declaration made on October 28, killing and burning of Kukis started in Chandel district.

The same was escalated in Tamenglong district where Kukis displaced themselves from their respective villages and take shelter at Kangpokpi.

On the way to Kangpokpi, NSCN(IM) cadres fired indiscriminately the Kukis when reached Tamei and killed as many as 87 people including women and children.

On the same on September 13, they attacked at Gelnel village and killed 17 Kukis September 13, 1993 was a day which largest number of Kukis killed in the escalating the Naga-Kuki clash.

Taking the day, under the aegis, Kuki have been observing the day as Black Day starting from 1994, he said.

More than a thousand Kukis died and 360 were burnt or destroyed.

The day will be observed till state government compensated the Kuki victims, he said.

Our Ccpur correspondent : Black shawls were seen dangling at every Kuki household today in Churachandpur as a mark of observance of Black Day.

Large number of mourners thronged the Tuibuong Community Hall here to join the prayer programme organised by an interdenominational prayer cell, Bethsaida Prayer Team in connection with the occasion.

Leaders of Kuki Inpi Churachandpur (KIC), Kuki Women's Union (KWU), Kuki Khanglai Lompi (KKL), Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO), and various other social organisations have joined the gathering.

Paying homage to all souls of the people killed, maimed, orphaned and widowed during the ethnic clash in the 90s and particularly to those appallingly slain villagers of Zoupi and Yanglenphai on the occasion of Kuki Black Day, and prayer to God for the non-recurrence of such nightmarish experiences and peaceful coexistence amongst all communities marked the day.

The Kukis everywhere observed the day, September 13, which marked the killing of over a hundred villagers of Joupi and Taloulong in Tamenglong district in 1993.Like in previous years, the day was also observed with prayer and mourning in other parts of the state too.

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