In a moving display of national solidarity, hundreds of members from the Kuki-Zo community gathered in Kangpokpi district, Manipur, on Saturday night to mourn the victims of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The solemn candlelight vigil aimed to honour the memory of the 26 tourists killed in the tragic incident at Baisaran Valley. The march began at Nute Kailhang and proceeded to Brigadier M Thomas Ground along National Highway 2. Participants, holding candles that glowed against the evening sky, walked in silence, their steps echoing a collective commitment to peace, resilience, and remembrance. The rally was unified under a single heartfelt message: “We Mourn Together. We Rise Together. We Carry Their Light.” Akki Kipgen, a participant in the march, spoke passionately about the significance of the gathering. “We didn’t just bring candles tonight,” Kipgen said. “We brought a promise — a promise that we will remember the innocent lives lost, and that even in the face of violence, we will stand tall and united.”
Another marcher, identified as Hegou, underlined the shared sorrow felt across the nation. “As citizens of India, we, the Kuki-Zo community, grieve deeply for those who have lost their loved ones. Their pain is our pain. This vigil is not just about mourning; it’s about showing that their loss is ours too,” he said. The Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), representing the Kuki-Zo community, issued a strong statement condemning the attack, calling it a “barbaric act of violence.” The CoTU made it clear that the community rejects any form of ideology that promotes terrorism, hatred, or religious intolerance. “The Kuki-Zo community firmly rejects ideologies of violence and hatred. Such thinking has no place in a democratic country like India,” the committee stated.
Further, the CoTU urged the central government to take firm and swift action against terrorist elements, stressing that the attack in Kashmir was not an isolated regional event but a direct assault on India’s unity and democracy. “This is not just an attack on Kashmir,” Hegou said during the vigil. “It is an attack on all Indians — on our peace, our democracy, and the very fabric that binds us together as one nation.” The candlelight vigil in Kangpokpi stands as a powerful symbol of solidarity, sending a message that even amidst grief and violence, the spirit of unity and resilience burns brighter than ever.
