Candlelight vigil held in Mizoram's Aizawl over death of tribals in Manipur's Jiribam

Aizawl: Hundreds of people held a candlelight vigil in Mizoram's Aizawl on Friday evening to express grief and outrage over the death of 11 people belonging to the Hmar-Mizo community in Manipur's Jiribam district.

The programme held in front of Vanapa Hall was organised by the Mizo Defence League.

During the demonstration, protesters shouted slogans, condemning the killing of a Hmar tribal woman, who was the mother of three children, at Zairawn village near Jiribam town on November 7.

They also held protests for the killing of 10 more people belonging to the Hmar-Mizo community by security forces at Jakuradhor in Jiribam on November 11.

They blamed the Manipur government as well as the Centre for "failing to contain the ethnic violence between the Meitei people and the Kuki-Zo community".

The protesters also demanded that the bodies of 10 people kept at the mortuary of Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Assam be handed over to their families immediately for the funeral.