Amid the turmoil of Manipur’s ongoing ethnic violence, a harrowing story of loss and fragile hope has emerged, revealing the profound human toll of conflict. In a poignant twist of fate, Nengboi Doungel, a Kuki-Zo woman from Pangmol Village in Tamenglong district, delivered a baby girl in Hmarkhawlien Relief Camp, Assam, on the same day her husband’s mutilated body was returned to Lamka in Churachandpur district.
Haojoel Doungel, Nengboi’s husband and a devoted father, had fled with his family to the relief camp to escape the escalating violence in their home region. Despite their displacement, Haojoel remained steadfast in his commitment to his family. With his wife’s due date approaching, he ventured to Jirighat in search of financial aid to ensure a safe delivery for his wife and child. Tragically, this act of love and responsibility became his last.
According to reports from Kuki Inpi Jiribam, Tamenglong, and Honey, Haojoel was abducted by militants allegedly linked to the Meitei community and the Arambai group. Witness accounts and initial investigations revealed he was subjected to horrific torture, with his body showing signs of brutal violence, including blunt force trauma and mutilation. His lifeless body was found in a culvert near Anglapur village in Jiribam, sparking waves of grief and outrage across his community.
Unaware of her husband’s fate, Nengboi went into labor in the relief camp. On the same day that Haojoel’s body reached Lamka, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl. The arrival of the child brought a fleeting moment of joy amidst immeasurable grief—a cruel juxtaposition that underscored the heartbreaking realities faced by families caught in Manipur’s ethnic strife.
Haojoel’s sacrifice, driven by his love and devotion to his family, ended in tragedy, leaving his widow to navigate an uncertain future with two young children, including a newborn who will never meet her father.
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