Manipur: Grieving Widows Recount Attack That Killed 5 Pangals in Thoubal

The Quint visited the families of the deceased. The widows of two of the men who were killed, recount what happened on that fateful day.

(Photo: Borun Thokchom)

Grief and fear persist in Manipur's Thoubal district, where five Meitei Muslim 'Pangal' men were killed on New Year's Day.

While four were shot dead on the spot, one man eventually succumbed to his injuries.

The Quint visited the families of the deceased. The widows of two of the men who were killed, recount what happened on that fateful day.

'Saw Him Lying Down, Struggling to Save His Life'

“I have a baby who just turned 6 months today," said 32-year-old Salima Marei, wife of 37-year-old Abdur Rahaque Mareimayum.

"On that day, we took him to the doctor, and while we were returning, there was heavy gunfire, so we scattered. After the firing was over, I saw my husband lying down, struggling to save his life. After that, I can't remember anything that happened."

Salima Marei

Marei went on to narrate that her eldest daughter is 12 years old, while her other daughters are 10, seven, and 6 months old.

Salima Marei.

(Photo: Borun Thokchom)

"Having lost my husband, the sole breadwinner, who will take care of us now. The government should support us," she concluded, breaking into tears.

At about 8 per cent, the Meitei Pangals are the fourth largest community in Manipur after the Meiteis, the Nagas, and the Kukis. The community is spread out in and around Imphal.

The outlawed People’s Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack in Thoubal. The underground outfit said its members had fired in self-defence after the residents of Lilong Chingjao attacked them for trying to take away a drug trafficker.

A Joint Action Committee had met Chief Minister Biren Singh in Imphal, which demanded that the case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency. The CM has reportedly constituted an SIT (Special Investigation Team) for the same.

'Dedicated Himself to Serving the Community'

Sumita Makak, the wife of Mohammed Serajuddin Makak, told The Quint that "after leaving the mosque, he heard people murmuring about a potential intrusion of thieves, prompting him to rush to the scene. When he heard about the situation, I pleaded with him not to go, but he insisted, stating it was public work."

"Everyone knew him as a former panchayat member. He dedicated himself to serving the community, always expressing a love for helping others."

Sumita Makak

Makak is a daily wage worker with eight children, two of whom are unmarried. "We do not even have a proper house," she lamented.

Sumita Makak.

(Photo: Borun Thokchom)

"I want the culprits to be brought to justice soon so that this kind of incident doesn't happen again. Such attacks shouldn't occur again, and they should receive a fitting punishment," Makak concluded.

SM Jalal, leader of the All Manipur Muslim Organisations Co-ordinating Committee (AMMOCOC) told The Quint that the Pangals are a peace-loving community that promotes the territorial integrity of Manipur.

'We are not enemies of either the Meiteis or the Kukis, and we want a peaceful solution so this violence can end," he added.

The last rites of the five men were performed on 4 January at Lilong Chingjao in Thoubal.

The full report of the 1 January attack can be found here. On the very next day, at least four police commandos and one Border Security Force personnel were injured in an attack by suspected militants near Manipur's border town Moreh.

No arrests have been made of as 9 January.

Additionally, three of the four farmers who went missing while collecting firewood at Haotak Phailen area, bordering Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts on Wednesday, were found dead on Thursday. You can read the report of the same here.

Follow The Quint's coverage of the Manipur violence here.