Senapati: The Mao Students’ Union (MSU) on Friday organised a candlelight vigil at Tadubi in Senapati district to honour six Naga men who were allegedly abducted and killed by Kuki militants in Kangpokpi district.
The vigil drew students, community leaders and senior citizens, who gathered to pay tribute to the victims, express solidarity with their families and call for justice.
In his presidential note, MSU President Shuli Chakre described the vigil as more than just a gathering, calling it a moment of pain, anger, and truth.
“We stand here with hearts that are broken, yet burning with a fire that refuses to be silenced. Six innocent lives of our brothers were taken in a cruel and inhuman act. Their absence is not just a loss to their families, but a wound upon our entire community, the Nagas,” Chakre stated.
Addressing the grieving families, Chakre assured them that the Naga community stands with them in their pain and quest for justice: “Your loss is our loss. Your cry is our cry.” He emphasised that the silence and patience of the people should not be mistaken for weakness or acceptance.
As the people remember and mourn the six Naga brothers, the student leader also said that they demand justice for the victims.
“This vigil is not only to light candles for the departed, it is to ignite a fire within every one of us. A fire to stand united. A fire to speak the truth. A fire to ensure that such injustice is neither forgotten nor repeated,” said Chakre.
He urged the youth not to let the event pass as just another occasion, but to let it shape and strengthen them.
“Stand firm, stand united, and stand for what is right no matter how difficult the path may be. We will not allow fear to divide us. We will not allow injustice to prevail. We will not forget our brothers,” he urged the youths of the Naga community.
N Athikho Joseph, President of the Mao Council, also spoke at the vigil, strongly condemning the brutal killings as a “barbaric and inhumane act which has no place in civilised society.”
Joseph extended heartfelt condolences on behalf of the Mao Naga community to the bereaved families and the people of Kongsakhul village, expressing unwavering solidarity with them in this hour of immense pain and loss.
“We share in their grief and stand united in honoring the memory of the departed,” he stated.
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As they lit the candles, he called on those present to remember the lives that were brutally murdered and to reaffirm their commitment to justice, peace, and the dignity of every human life.
“May the memory of our departed brothers strengthen our resolve to stand together against violence and to uphold the values of humanity and compassion,” he added.
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