An unprecedented wave of fury and grief has swept through Sadar Hills as hundreds of Kuki-Zo women from the Saikul region gathered in Saikul Hill Town, 35 Km away from Kangpokpi District Headquarters to protest the murder of Zosangkim Hmar, a school teacher and mother of three, in Zairawn village, Jiribam district.
Outrage over this horrific killing has intensified calls for accountability from the Jiribam District Administration and security forces, including the CRPF and Assam Rifles, now accused of betraying their commitment to protect the community.
Organized by the Kuki Women Union Saikul under the aegis of the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) Sadar Hills, Sunday’s protest in Saikul was a fierce condemnation of the Jiribam administration’s and security agencies’ alleged hollow promises, sparking intense public outrage over their apparent indifference and neglect.
The protestors chanted slogans, “We Condemned the brutal and charring killing of Zosangkim Hmar”, “We Want Justice”, “We Demand Union Territory with Legislature”, etc.
Speaking to the media, a prominent member of Kuki Women Union Saikul, Ngahpi Chongloi said that they are protesting against the gruesome, heinous crimes-words cannot even describe how horrific and brutal the act was.
“The villagers were unprepared for such a tragic attack because a peace agreement had been made on August 1 in the presence of central forces. They had no reason to expect that Meitei militants would attack them. As a result, the militants easily attacked, and during this assault, our sister, Zosangkim Hmar, was shot dead,” she said.
She emphasized that this attack on Kuki minority women is not an isolated incident. “This has been happening repeatedly. We always come out to protest, but our voices are not being heard. Are we not Indian enough that our voices have not been heard?” she questioned. She also appealed to the central forces to arrest the culprits.
The Kuki Women Union Saikul has also vowed to continue its demonstrations until action is taken.
Stating that the Jiribam District Administration and the security forces have blood on their hands, she said they vowed to protect us, yet they stood by as this innocent mother was brutally assaulted and murdered.
Ng Lun Kipgen, Spokesperson of CoTU said that The tragic aftermath of the Jiribam Peace Pact, culminating in the horrifying rape and murder of an innocent mother of three, has once again proven and serves as a grave reminder that temporary peace accords, without addressing the underlying call for a separate administration, will ultimately result in renewed violence and bloodshed.
In light of the recent tragedy, Ng Lun Kipgen urged the central government to acknowledge and act on the Kuki-Zo people’s core demand for a separate administration to prevent further bloodshed and build a foundation for true stability.
