Silchar: A candlelight rally was taken out in Lakhipur town of Cachar district to seek justice for victims of the recent violence in Manipur, where two children were killed in a suspected militant attack and at least three protesters died in subsequent firing by security forces.The rally, jointly organised by Purnagram Iputhou Thongnang Thougallup, Lakhipur Khuman Meira Paibi and Lakhipur Khuman Club, was held on Friday evening.
Around 300 people, mostly Meitei women along with male members of the organisations, took part in the procession, holding candles and offering prayers for the deceased. Participants lit earthen lamps at temples along the route and prayed for the departed souls.The protest follows the April 7 incident in Manipur’s Bishnupur district, where a five-year-old boy and his infant sister were killed after a projectile, suspected to have been fired by Kuki militants, struck their home in Moirang in the early hours. Their mother suffered critical injuries and is undergoing treatment.The incident sparked widespread protests in Manipur. During one such protest, clashes broke out after demonstrators attempted to storm a nearby CRPF camp. Security personnel opened fire to disperse the crowd, leading to the deaths of at least two protesters on the same day, while another later succumbed to injuries.Speaking to reporters, Lakhipur Khuman Club president I Tarun Singh condemned the April 7 attack and questioned the effectiveness of security deployment in the area. He alleged that the site of the attack was barely a kilometre from a CRPF camp and raised concerns over how such an incident could occur in close proximity.He also criticised the subsequent firing on protesters and demanded strict action against those responsible. Singh called for a CBI inquiry into both the attack and the firing incidents to ensure accountability.
