Kukis observe Black Day, mourn victims
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 13 2012: Prayers, remembrance march with lighting of candle and solemn obituaries marked the Black Day observance functions held at different places today.

The Kuki community had been observing September 13 as the Black Day to mourn the killing of over 100 Kuki people at Zoupi and Gelnel villages on this day in 1993 during the bloody Kuki-Naga clash.

Naga rebel group NSCN (IM) is accused of brutally executing a total of 104 Kuki villagers on September 13, 1993 at Zoupi village in Tamenglong district and Gelnel village of Senapati district.

While prayers and obituaries were the highlight of the observance organised by kuki Welfare Association, Langol and other organisations at the Phaipijaang (Langol) Kuki community hall, people of new Lambulane expressed solidarity to the victims and their families with a 'candle light march to remember' last evening.

The Langol observance was held in collaboration with Kuki Numaite Lom, Kuki Students' Organisation (Langol) and Phaipijaang Village authority, with Langol Independence Church Pastor Rev Sholun leading the gathering in praying for the peaceful rest of the departed souls and strength to the bereaved family members as well as the survivors.

Candles being lit in connection with the Black Day observance

A two minutes silence was also observed.

Speaking at the occasion, Kuki Welfare Association (Langol) chairman Ch Ajang Khongsai highlighted that about 900 Kuki citizens, including women and children, lost their lives during the Kuki-Naga conflict of the early 90s.Besides irreparable destruction caused to hundreds of Kuki villages and rendering over 1 lakh homeless, several hundreds have been maimed permanently, the chairman recounted.

Stating that Black Day is being observed since 1995 to mourn the Gelnel and Zoupi villages slaughtering, Ajang charged NSCN (IM) of meticulously exterminating the Kuki people under the guise of the rebel group's agenda for sovereignty.

Lamenting that inspite of the large-scale killing of Kuki people the Government of India had been remaining indifferent to the plight and suffering of the Kukis, he expressed that the Kuki people are not asking for the sky but for some ordinary rehabilitation programmes for both the victims' families and the survivors.

Through the Kuki Inpi Manipur, the Kuki people had been prevailing upon the Government of India to provide ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to family members of about 900 victims, rehabilitation package to families whose houses have been completely devastated and ensure a secure environment to the Kuki villagers, the chairman said.

While Black Day is being observed to mourn the death and show solidarity to the victims' families, the observance is also being sustained to remind the Government of India on the suffering of the Kuki people and their justifiable demands, Ajang stated.

Church and Kuki civil society leaders as well as student activists also attended the observance programme.

On the otherhand, a statement issued in connection with the Black Day observance at New Lambulane last evening, conveyed that "purpose of the 'march to remember' was not to demonstrate or make the world hear the cruelty of NSCN (IM) towards Kukis, but to demand recognition and overdue reparation for the Kukis' genocide" .

Terming inability to give a proper burial to some of the victims as one of the saddest part of the Naga-Kuki clash, the statement also conveyed that Black Day is not about angry protest, but is an occasion to honour the memory of those innocent Kukis who had suffered such a cruel fate.

The youth of New Lambulane organised the march with a vision to promote peace and understanding and to seek justice for human right, the statement conveyed while maintaining that 'it envisions a world free of genocides with no inhuman treatment of man towards man' .