Candlelight vigil held to pay obeisance to 10 Paites killed by Kuki militants in 1997
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 24 2025:
The Zomi Council observed a poignant candlelight vigil at Hebron Veng in Churachandpur today to commemorate the June 24, 1997, incident in which 10 Paite civilians were brutally killed by Kuki militants, a tragic event that ignited the Paite-Kuki clash.
The solemn programme commenced at 7 pm, marking the somber anniversary of what the Paite community hauntingly refers to as "Sampas Kutt" .
The conflict was brought to an end with the signing of the Kuki-Zomi peace accord in 1998 .
Notably, the Kuki community's turbulent history is marked not only by inter-community conflicts but also by violent intra-community strife.
In March last, a 53-year-old man was killed and several others were injured in ethnic clashes between the Hmar and Zomi tribes in Churachandpur district.
In December 2023 too, 36 persons were left injured in a fierce clash between Kuki and Zomi tribes at Churachandpur town leading to promulgation of restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC.
The clash stemmed from a disagreement over naming of the burial site of those killed in the ethnic clash.