(L) Sehkhohao Kipgen
(09/07/1988 - 03/05/2023)
Born in 1988, (L)Sehkhohao Kipgen was the eldest among the four sons of Mrs. Nemkhonei Kipgen and Mr. (L) Ngulkhokam Kipgen of K. Phaijang Village, Lamka (CCPur).
Devoted Involvements
Personal Traits
Patriotism and tragic demise
On the 3rd of May 2023, after his participation in the Solidarity Rally, he returned home. Shortly thereafter, he heard about the news of violence perpetuated by the Meiteis. Despite his family’s pleas to stay home, he could not bear the thought of staying at home while the villages and people were in danger.
When he eventually reached the spot of violence in and around Kangvai, he remained in contact with his family. He informed them that he had accidentally stepped on glass shards, resulting in a severe injury that hindered his ability to walk properly. Despite his condition, he chose not to return home as he felt a profound sense of guilt about doing so.
Like those around him, he too believed that the violence would soon come to an end. Little did he realize or consider it as the beginning of an ethnic cleansing started by the Meiteis.
The last call he had with his wife occurred during a period of severe violence, when people began relocating women, children and old groups to safer places. He instructed his wife to take the children and seek refuge at their aunt’s residence from another village. With confidence, he assured his wife that he would be alright.
Later on, the frantic and incessant phone calls from his wife and loved ones could no longer reach him.
Lamentably, he fell victim to a fatal assault by a group of more than 10 Meitei men.
The callous Meitei men relentlessly pursued, encircled, and brutally beat him; in the throes of extreme pain, he cried out, “Henu!Henu!Henu” (“Mother! Mother! Mother!”). Even though he himself was a matured man and a father of 3 kids, he screamed ‘Mother!’ out of sheer helplessness and excruciating pain. It is impossible to measure the depths of pain he endured.
His life was ruthlessly and untimely truncated at around 5:00-5:30 PM. The location of this catastrophic incident was between Phougakchao-Ikhai and Kangvai.
The haunting video was circulated far and wide. As fate would have it, Mr. Ngangam Kipgen and Mr. Thangboi Kipgen, close kin to the departed soul, stumbled upon the video. In that agonizing instant, they recognized that it was Mr. Sehkhohao. They were shocked and a profound sense of devastation rendered them breathless.
Although they had already discerned the painful truth, they found it impossibly hard to convey. Their trembling fingers dialed the number of the worried wife, and with quivering voices, they inquired about the color of her husband’s shirt. In hushed anticipation, they listened as the wife’s voice trembled with grief as she whispered, “He wore a blue shirt.”
With heavy hearts, they finally shared the heartrending news.
That was how the wife happened to know about her husband’s woeful fate.
On the 12th of July, the Women Police Department, CCPur informed the family for identification and confirmation of his body(photo). His brother Jajang, went and made the confirmation.
Till date, the body remains at RIMS Morgue.
Family and Children
He left behind his mother, 3 brothers and his wife, Mrs. Nengjahoi Kipgen, along with his 3 children:
His dear ones after his unexpected exit
Mrs. Nengjahoi Kipgen and her children reside in a Relief Camp.
She is thrust into a nightmarish reality.
Stripped of her partner and the only bread earner, she bears the weight of grief, financial hardship and the responsibility of caring for her children. Till now, she hardly musters strength to guide them through life’s complexities.
When the children accidentally saw the viral video of their father’s fate, and not yet grown up enough to understand what really happened, they called their grieving mother and said, “Mama, look, here’s Papa.”
Sehkhohao’s absence has forever altered the lives of his dear ones. His mother and three brothers live in sorrow without any enthusiasm for life. Moreover, his untimely demise constitutes a significant loss that extends its impact to the wider society and community.
Mrs. Nengjahoi’s Reflections
“In this expanse of time, stretching beyond six months since my beloved husband’s untimely departure, I am still unable to watch the haunting video.
When he was alive, he used to embark on church and mission related journeys. Till now, I am often gripped by the illusion that he’s on one of those journeys, and would return one day.
Our village, standing steadfast on the frontlines, holds both poignant memories and overwhelming sorrow. There are a few times when I visit for inevitable reasons, but the village and our own home are not the same anymore. The echoes of his absence resound everywhere.
I do not want my husband’s death to be meaningless. I hope that his passing, along with the loss experienced by countless others, is a catalyst for a profound purpose. Let us unite in steadfast resolve and reject the allure of financial gain. Even families like mine, who have endured such woeful loss should steadfastly resist the temptation of monetary compensation, recognizing it as a formidable obstacle to our collective aim: Separate Administration. I yearn for a separate administration, a total separation from the Meiteis.”
Thingkho Le Malcha (TLM) is a traditional method of communication used to send out messages across the Kuki hills during the Anglo-Kuki War,1917-1919... more
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