Kukis in Churachandpur, Kangpokpi cry for justice
Source: Chronicle News Service

CCpur/Kangpokpi, September 13 2022: As did every year by Kukis across the world, the 29th Kuki Black Day-2022 was also observed in Churachandpur district on Tuesday demanding justice for victims of the alleged NSCN-IM ethnic cleansing, which resulted in the death of more than 1,000 Kuki innocent civilians, uprooted 360 villages and displaced more than one lakh Kukis during the 90s.Black flags were seen hoisted in all residential houses of the town during the Kuki Black Day observance also known as 'Sahnit Ni' in Churachandpur while all educational institutions declared holiday in connection with the solemn observance and movement of vehicles on the main roads was negligible.

Various Churches in the district also observed the day by holding 'mass prayer' while attendance in government institutions was also thin owing to the observance.

The main observance function was held at Kuki Inpi Churachandpur (KIC) complex where a memorial stone was erected in 2018 and it was attended by leaders of various Kuki civil society organisations.

After the main programme, a candle lighting programme was held at KIC complex, paying respect to the departed souls.

KIC president Letpu Haokip said that 'Sahnit Ni' is being observed every year to demand justice for victims of the ethnic cleansing carried out by NSCN IM during the 90s.The observance will continue until the government settles the issue and delivers justice to the victims, he added.

According to Letpu Haokip, Kukis have been pressing hard for justice to the government but the government is in dialogue with the perpetrators (NSCN-IM).

He also said that the observance was not for encouraging bloodshed but for bringing peace.

Black colour, mourning and silence also marked the observance in Kangpokpi district on Tuesday.

The Sahnit Ni was also observed across the globe and India by the Kukis spreading mainly in the North East India of Assam, Nagaland and Manipur seeking justice' for the more than thousands of victims killed, lakhs of displaced Kuki people and hundreds of displaced Kuki villages in the alleged ethnic pogrom of NSCN (IM).

Apart from mourning and commemorating the victims, the Kukis also demonstrated their discontentment of not delivering justice as bonafide citizens of India on the part of the Manipur government and the government of India despite more than 60 memoranda to the governments seeking justice during the 28 years of observance.

As directed by Kuki Inpi, the Kukis hoisted a black flag in their respective houses, while donning a black cloth or traditional attire and avoiding traveling, working in farms or fields as they engaged themselves in a mass prayer the whole day.

At Kangpokpi district headquarters, shops belonging to the Kuki community were seen closed for the day, and vehicles belonging to the Kukis were off the road while black flags were seen hoisted along the roadside.

Sahnit Ni was observed in all churches of the town while some churches organised whole night mass prayer.

At Gelnal village in the Twilang area, Sahnit Ni was observed by the villagers along with the survivors of the alleged NSCN-IM pogrom.

The villagers and the survivors recalled the horror of the massacre of 17 villagers of Gelnal village alone in 1993, 88 villagers of Joupi and Janglenphai, and the victims of Santing and Nungthut villages, out of the thousands slain during the alleged Kuki genocide perpetrated by the NSCN-IM.

A mass procession was also held from the village church campus to the site where a memorial stone was erected in which all the names of the victims were listed.

At the memorial site, floral tributes were paid to the departed souls and the Kuki leaders also beat a traditional gong, Dahpi' as a tribute apart from the gun salute.

The September 13 (1993) incident shocked the whole world as the BBC reported as "ethnic cleansing by Naga separatist", the CNN called "Kuki Genocide" and other world media called it as "Bloody ethnic cleansing".

Failure of the Indian government to deliver justice to the victims of the NSCN-IM-led Kuki genocide despite signing of "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights containing 30 Articles' on December 10, 1948, pledging to protect its own people and deliver justice in case of any problems accordingly to the Indian laws were also strongly emphasised at Gelnal's Sahnit Ni observance.

Also at Kholmun village in Kangpokpi, the Sahnit Ni was observed by the villagers, victims' families and survivors.

Dulen village chief, whose village was also among the displaced Kuki villages, opined that the Kuki people will be the only nation next to the Jews during Hitler's regime who observed Black Day in the world.

The mass prayers in on Sahnit Ni had a common prayer point for the Kuki community and their leaders - justice for the victims, etc.

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