IMPHAL, Oct 21: Hundreds of people gathered in Manipur’s Kangpokpi town on Tuesday evening for a candlelight vigil mourning the killing of a 44-year-old Kuki civilian allegedly shot dead by suspected NSCN-IM and ZUF-K cadres earlier in the day.
The victim, Paolenmung Thangeo, a father of six from P. Moulding village in the Leimakhong region of Kangpokpi district, was reportedly collecting wild bamboo shoots in a forest to support his family when he was shot, according to the village authority.
Thangeo had entered the forest around 7 am with another villager, Laldenga, from Molhoi village, the P. Moulding Village Authority said. While Thangeo died from his injuries, his companion reportedly escaped. The authority maintained that both men were unarmed civilians collecting forest produce for their livelihood.
After a post-mortem examination at the District Hospital, Thangeo’s body was taken to the Town Community Hall in Kangpokpi, where community members gathered to pay their last respects.
Those present observed a minute’s silence, followed by a condolence prayer led by the Kangpokpi Town Churches Fellowship. Representatives of the Kuki Inpi Sadar Hills, the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), the Kangpokpi Town Committee, the Kangpokpi Women Welfare Organisation and other civil society groups paid tribute by draping a traditional shawl over the deceased’s body.
The killing has heightened concerns over civilian safety amid continuing tensions in Manipur. Thangeo’s body will be taken to his native village for the last rites.
Meanwhile, CoTU has called a 24-hour shutdown across Kangpokpi district, from midnight on Tuesday to midnight on October 21. The organisation cited continuing insecurity, the arrests of Kuki-Zo individuals in connection with the killing of three Meitei civilians, and what it described as inadequate efforts to secure justice and rehabilitate families affected by the conflict.
CoTU appealed to members of the Kuki community to observe the shutdown peacefully and maintain unity and discipline. Emergency medical services and other life-saving emergencies have been exempted.
