By Felix Anthony
Miao, Dec 8, 2021: A village in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh on December 8 organized a condolence prayer service for civilians killed in army firing in neighboring Nagaland state.
Youth, elders, women and children of Neotan, a Tangsa tribal village, came together to express their condolence and to pray for the 14 civilians killed November 4 in Oting village of Nagaland’s Mon district.
Leading the condolence prayer service, Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao said, “We are very saddened to know about the death of civilians in Mon district.”
Six civilians, workers in a coal mine, were killed in an ambush by security forces in an area between Tiru and Oring village in Mon district. They were returning home in a vehicle. The incident triggered violence in the area in which eight more civilians were killed after security forces opened fire.
“Death of innocent people is always very sorrowful. We offer our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the families of the departed and we pray that the Almighty God blesses them with eternal rest,” Salesian Bishop Pallipparambil said.
The prayer service was conducted by the villagers as part of the concluding event of the Year of St. Joseph and the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The village catechist, Chomjung Mossang, expressed deep sorrow at the loss of civilian lives. “Most of them are very young with a promising life ahead of them. Some of them leave behind very young children and one of them got married less than a week ago. Words fail me to express my grief,” he said at the prayer service.
The condolence prayer service, which began from the Mother Mary Grotto in the village, was attended by people from all religions.
Attending the prayer service, Korong Longri, president of the Tangsa Women Welfare Society of Arunachal Pradesh, said, “Killing innocent civilians and trying to wash off your hands is totally unacceptable. Such mindless killing of innocent people by the security forces has been happening across North East India for the last many years. Such incidents should not happen to anywhere and to anyone.”
Holding placard appealing for peace, the villagers concluded the prayer service by planting candles on the junction connecting to the village church.
The botched-up ambush has cut short the lives of young people. They will never come back but the memories of their death is going to haunt us for ever, said Tumen Mossang, a village elder at the conclusion of the prayer service.