Lamka: Womenfolk Protest Against Brutal Killing of Zosangkim Hmar

Several tribal women’s organizations, including the Zomi Mothers Association (ZMA), Hmar Women Association (HWA), Kuki Women Union (KWU), ITLF Women Wing, and Mizo Peoples Convention Women Wing, gathered in a strong protest at Lamka Public Ground today. The demonstration was a response to the brutal killing of Zosangkim Hmar, a 31-year-old mother of three, from Zairawn Village in Jiribam District, Manipur.

The protest, led by Kuki-Zo women, was organized in the wake of a tragic incident on the night of November 7, 2024, when Meitei militants attacked the peaceful Zairawn village. According to sources from the ITLF, the militants set fire to 17 homes in the village and captured Zosangkim Hmar. The unarmed woman, who had three young children—Franky Lalchawisang (3), Victoria Laldomawi (9), and Lalringdik (7)—was brutally tortured and murdered. Reports indicate that she was shot in the leg, preventing her from fleeing, before being raped, burned alive, and left in an appalling state. Her charred remains were found alongside fragments of her brain, underscoring the horrifying cruelty of the attack.

This incident is part of an ongoing series of violent assaults by Meitei militants, which has plagued the region for over eighteen months. The protestors decried the rise of ethnic violence, targeting primarily the Kuki-Zo tribes, with women and children suffering the most. The brutal killings and sexual violence have been described as part of a systematic campaign to intimidate and erase indigenous communities from the region.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women, the women’s groups condemned the continued violence and human rights violations, particularly the weaponization of sexual violence. The joint statement highlighted the widespread atrocities since the onset of the conflict on May 3, 2023, including the burning of homes, mass killings, and sexual violence against women. The groups specifically cited the attack on Zairawn, where Meitei militants and members of the Arambai Tengol militia captured and killed Zosangkim in a horrific manner.

The memorandum also called on the National Commission for Women to recognize the gravity of the situation and take urgent action to address the systemic abuse of women in the ongoing conflict. The women’s groups warned that the use of such barbaric tactics as a means of asserting dominance must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, stressing that the attack on Zosangkim is not an isolated incident, but part of a broader strategy to terrorize and displace indigenous tribal communities.

“We will not stand silent while our women and children are subjected to such horrors,” said one of the protest leaders. “Zosangkim’s death is a call to action for all of us to unite and defend our land, our families, and our dignity.”

The protestors have demanded justice for the victims, accountability for the perpetrators, and immediate intervention by national and international bodies to stop the ongoing ethnic violence. The call for justice for Zosangkim Hmar, and for all victims of this brutal conflict, echoes across the tribal communities of Manipur, as the situation remains dire.

As the protest continues, the women’s groups vow to remain steadfast in their fight for justice, and have called on the Indian government to intervene and bring an end to the violence that has plagued Manipur for nearly two years.