The vigil concluded with prayers and a candle-lighting ceremony at the Kuki Worship Service Guwahati (KWSG) Hall , echoing similar commemorations in Manipur districts and reinforcing calls to end impunity and ensure justice for survivors.
BY PC Bureau
January 25, 2026: A solemn candlelight vigil was held on Saturday evening at the Kuki Worship Service Guwahati (KWSG) Hall in Guwahati, drawing a large gathering of Kuki-Zo community members, church leaders, women, youth, and supporters. The event paid tribute to Late Nengtinlhing Haokip, a young Kuki-Zo woman who died on January 10, 2026, after enduring prolonged physical injuries, severe uterine complications, and deep psychological trauma following a brutal gang rape during the early days of Manipur’s ethnic violence in May 2023.
Organised by the Kuki Welfare Association Guwahati (KWAG), the vigil reflected collective grief, remembrance, and a renewed call for justice amid continuing delays in accountability in the protracted Manipur conflict.
The programme began at 6:00 PM and was conducted by Gl. Lalsang Limsong, General Secretary of KWAG. It opened with a prayer led by Pr. Paocha Chongloi, seeking strength, comfort, and healing for the bereaved family and the wider Kuki-Zo community still affected by the violence.
This was followed by the public reading of a scathing press statement by KWAG, delivered by Miss Sarah Chongloi. The statement outlined the toll of the ethnic clashes that erupted on May 3, 2023, noting that more than 260 people were killed, over 60,000 displaced, and numerous homes, churches, and places of worship destroyed.
The statement condemned continued targeted violence against the Kuki-Zo people—particularly sexual crimes against Kuki women—describing them as evidence of systemic impunity and failures in governance, protection, and justice. It also criticised prolonged delays in the investigation, even after the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), calling the delays emblematic of institutional neglect that has compounded the suffering of survivors and their families.
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Addressing the gathering, Pu Maj. Lamtinthang Khongsai (Pachong), representing the Kuki Inpi Apex body, reiterated the community’s demand for swift justice, identification and prosecution of the perpetrators, and accountability to end the cycle of violence.
Prayers for peace, restoration of human dignity, and an end to the conflict were led by Rev. Daniel Mimin Haokip, Pastor of KWSG. A symbolic candle-lighting ceremony followed, led by Pu Seitinmang Kipgen, President of KWAG, with participants lighting candles in unison to honour the victim’s memory and express solidarity with her family.
The vigil concluded with a benediction by Rev. Hejang Kipgen, leaving attendees in quiet reflection and a renewed commitment to advocacy.
Similar commemorations were also held in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts of Manipur two days ago, reflecting the Kuki-Zo community’s collective resolve to remember the fallen, support survivors, and press for an end to impunity in one of India’s longest-running ethnic conflicts.
