Imphal: Imphal: Wikhonliu Thiumai never imagined that a routine trip for her son’s school admission would become her husband’s final journey.A month after her husband, Phenrongwi Thiumai (43), was abducted along with other Naga civilians and later found dead, Wikhonliu remains haunted by memories, unanswered questions and grief intensified by the brutal manner of his death.Phenrongwi was among six Naga civilians of Konsakhul village who were abducted from Leilon Vaiphei in Kangpokpi on May 13. Their bodies were later discovered dismembered and mutilated, leaving their families struggling to come to terms with a tragedy that has shaken the community.Following the incident, she is staying at a relief camp at Makhan village in Kangpokpi district, where the abducted and released women as well as other families of those abducted and killed have been staying.For Wikhonliu, May 13 began like any other day. Her husband left home to get their son admitted to school, after he had just passed the Class X examination.Shortly after, her husband called her, saying women from Leilon Vaiphei village had “detained” them. The call lasted only a few minutes, and at 10.58am, his phone went silent.Days of uncertainty followed. Like other affected families, she waited for information and hoped her husband would return home safely.The bodies of the six abducted Naga civilians were eventually recovered on June 10, a day after 14 Kuki detainees were released safely. Wikhonliu said the condition in which the bodies were recovered added to the family’s anguish. She described the killings as inhumane and questioned how innocent civilians could be abducted and murdered in such a gruesome manner.For Wikhonliu, the suffering extends beyond her loss. It is the uncertainty surrounding the heinous crime, the questions of who carried it out, why it happened and how such an act could take place without accountability.She refused to accept closure until justice is served, saying, “Until justice is delivered, I will not claim my husband’s body.”Winiliu Thiumai, another young woman widowed by the recent abduction and killing, has appealed to the govt to act swiftly and ensure that such incidents are never repeated.Winiliu, her husband Dilip Thiumai, and their two-year-old daughter were among those abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13. She and her daughter were among 28 people released from both the Naga and Kuki sides on May 15.She said had the authorities launched an immediate and intensive combing operation after receiving reports of the abduction, the victims might have been rescued. Instead, families received only their loved ones’ bodies.Winiliu urged the authorities to take stronger measures to protect innocent civilians and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
Families of the victims pray together at a relief camp in Makhan village
