Imphal: Ch Wibonliu, 34, and her husband, Ch Phenrilungbou, 36, a deacon at Konsakhul Baptist Church, were hurrying home from Kangpokpi after purchasing medicine for their one-year-and-seven-month-old child on May 13.
However, as they travelled in an auto-rickshaw driven by Phenrilungbou, accompanied by his wife and five other women from the village, a group of people forcibly stopped their vehicle at Leilon Vaiphei, a Kuki village near the Leimakhong military garrison in Kangpokpi district, for reasons that remain unclear.
Altogether, 18 people from Konsakhul village were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei following the deadly ambush at Kotlen that killed three Thadou church leaders.
After being held captive for a day, 14 individuals from the Naga community, including two Catholic Salesian brothers, were released by the Kuki group. However, six men, including two pastors, were not among those released.
Of particular concern is the Kuki group’s insistence that all hostages had been released and that they had no knowledge of the whereabouts of the remaining six men, despite testimonies from women who were held captive alongside them.
According to Wibonliu, whose husband is among the six Naga men still missing, after they were forcibly taken out of the auto-rickshaw, the women and children were kept in a community hall while the men were taken elsewhere.
“Soon after we were rounded up by a group of people, my husband said that we wouldn’t come out alive from this place, and I felt sad at the thought of leaving our children without us. So I told him not to worry, since God is there to protect us. I also told him not to harbour ill feelings toward those who stopped us,” said Wibonliu.
Despite being freed from captivity, Wibonliu and the other women have still not returned to their village as the road passes through Kuki villages. Alongside uncertainty over the safety of her husband and the five other missing men, concerns about her youngest child’s health back in the village have added to her distress.
“Two of my children are being cared for by my in-laws in the village, while my eldest daughter, who is in Class 3, is staying with my sister in Senapati. We have not told her about her father’s disappearance,” she said.
Dingamliu Abonmai, another woman who was among those held captive and later released, also recounted the events of that day.
“After we were forcibly pulled out of the vehicle, we were taken to a community hall. Before our eyes, those six men were dragged away against their will and thrown into a vehicle. When we asked the reason for our confinement, one of the women guarding us angrily replied, ‘You Nagas killed our pastors in an ambush and fled from the scene,’” Abonmai said.
She further alleged that after they were captured, a group of armed men dressed in camouflage uniforms and with their faces fully covered except for their eyes arrived at the scene. According to her, the armed men belonged to the KNF group.
“As soon as they arrived in the village, we were blindfolded. We had hoped that the women guarding us would help and intervene, but we were wrong. Later that night, we heard gunshots somewhere close by, but we could not determine the time or location as we were already frightened enough,” she recounted.
Abonmai said that although they were taken to forested areas, the armed men did not physically assault them. However, she said they were subjected to severe mental trauma due to uncertainty over whether they would safely return home.
For the Thiumai family, celebrations following a wedding on May 12 were cut short after the groom’s two elder brothers were among those abducted from Leilon Vaiphei the following day.
Rev. Dr. Manu Thiumai, pastor of Leimakhong Baptist Church, and Dilip Thiumai, who works at the Leimakhong Military Station, were returning from Konsakhul, a Liangmai Naga village in Kangpokpi district, after attending their younger brother’s wedding when they were captured along with their wives while travelling toward Leimakhong.
To date, the two Thiumai brothers remain among the six missing Naga men whose whereabouts are still unknown. Despite efforts by the state government to trace them and mounting pressure from Naga civil society organisations, the case remains unresolved.
According to Siliangbou Malangmai, chairman of the Liangmai Naga Council, Eastern Zone, there has been no concrete information regarding the whereabouts or place of detention of the six abducted Liangmai men from Konsakhul village.
“We don’t have any knowledge or information about their current location or detention place from the government and Naga CSOs. We appeal to the concerned authorities and to all Nagas, irrespective of tribe, to help and support us in finding them so that they can return to their families,” said Malangmai.
The Liangmai Naga leader stressed that among the six missing men are two pastors who played important roles within their village and church communities. Their week-long absence, he said, has deeply affected both residents and church members.
Malangmai also raised concerns over the proximity of the 57th Mountain Division at Leimakhong, situated within two kilometres of Konsakhul and Leilon Vaiphei villages. He alleged that swift intervention by the Division could have led to an immediate pursuit of the abductors and potentially the rescue of the Naga hostages on May 13.
The other three missing Naga men have been identified as Pastor Kenpibou, Phenrongwibou Chawang, and Kaliwangbou Abonmai, all residents of Konsakhul Liangmai village.
Also Read: The Dalai Lama’s succession: Why China and the US are both invested
You just read a story that took days to report. Help us keep our reporters on the ground in the Northeast.
Ad-free reading, support and keep important stories alive
Support once (any amount)
Scan to pay via UPI