Night of May 3rd: How Pangal Became Beacons of Hope for Both Meitei and Kuki – From Black Day to a Beacon of Peace and Unity

Written by: Safiur Rahaman Maibam

For the Pangal (Manipuri Muslim) community, May 3rd carries profound historical remembrance accompanied with a societal trauma. It marks the anniversary of the 1993 riot, where many Pangals were killed in a wave of communal violence. Initially observed as ‘Shahide Memorial Day or Black Day’, the community later shifted to a quieter form of remembrance — not with protest, but through Dua (prayers), symbolizing a choice to forgive but never forget. Despite generational gaps, the trauma of that day lingers deeply in the collective memory of the Pangal people.

Tragically, on May 3rd, 2023, another violent chapter unfolded in Manipur’s history — a devastating ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities. While much of the state descended into chaos, the Pangal community across Kwakta and Hatta Golapati emerged as first responders, offering shelter, food, and safety to those fleeing the violence, regardless of their ethnicity.

Kwakta: A Beacon of Shelter and Hope

How do people react themselves in the face of disaster and how do community organised themselves in helping victims during the time of human tragedies shows a community sense of belonging and unbelonging to a particular society. Being unaffected does not mean doing nothing in protecting life of victims during human tragedies. And so, everyone is affected (directly or indirectly) during conflict.

As violence erupted in places like Churachandpur, Torbung, Phabakchao Ikhai, and Nganukon,Kangvai,the first relief camp for the displaced Meitei in the state was set up on the night of May 3rd at Kwakta Bazar Community Hall, run entirely by the local Pangal residents. Due to overcrowding, the camp shifted to Kwakta High School, Kwakta , Bishnupur on May 4th. What made this relief effort extraordinary was its grassroots nature — local households contributed everything they could: food, clothes, and money. The initiative was coordinated under the leadership of Imams from every Masjid in Kwakta.

Later, the All Kwakta Coordinating Committee, Jamiat Ul Ulema-Bishnupur, Kwakta Municipal Council, and various local clubs joined efforts to manage the camp effectively.

When I visited Kwakta, Moirang on May 18, 2023, the community’s compassion and urgency were evident. Khulakpam Abdul Salam, spokesperson of the relief camp management committee, shared: “This area of Kwakta is the nearest safe zone for the victims of the ethnic violence. So many displaced people from Saiton, Nganulok, Kangvai, Torbung, Bangla, Churachandpur etc. first of all take settlers here. Some people take shelter here for some time or someday and move on to other safer places, relatives house and to others relief camp. We have given sheltered here more than 700 people from 3rd May onwards. We try to manage the relief camp without any shortage, but the lack of attention from government side is unfortunate.”

Many displaced persons expressed deep gratitude for the hospitality and compassion shown by the Pangal people. One such survivor, Salam Gouramani, stated: “The Pangal people of Kwakta make us comfortable in an empathetic manner while providing space for living in the relief camp accompanied with a sense of belonging to a same family.”

Another displaced person, Hijam Vidyalaxmi, recounted: “When we are running for our life with fear from the torched down home while police could not even save us, Kwakta people [helped] us and give us a safe space, it is grateful. We are praying for normalcy to return.”

Apart from the relief camps operated by the Pangal community, several Pangal households also opened their homes to provide shelter for the displaced Meitei families, particularly those from the Kumbi Assembly Constituency.

Recognition and Witness

At the foundation day observation of All Meitei Pangal Youths’ Association on December 30, 2024, held in Kwakta, Konjengbam Padamo, President of Moirang Apunba Meira Paibi Ima Lup, publicly acknowledged that:

“In our state, when the war broke out in the month of May, the Meiteis from Churachandpur who fled just to save their lives were first given shelter and food by the Pangals of Kwakta. I’m the witness of that. At that time, the CSO, and the people of Kwakta took the responsibility—and this should not be forgotten by us Meiteis… We witnessed the responsibility taken by the Pangals, should never be forgotten in history. If the people of Kwakta had not acted as a barrier, we cannot imagine what might have happened to Moirang and its neighboring areas.”

Hatta Golapati: Courage Amid Chaos

On the night of May 3rd, in Hatta Golapati,a Muslim-majority area in Imphal, Pangals opened their homes to fleeing Kuki families from neighbourhoods like Checkon and other neighbouring localities. Over 3,000 Kuki individuals were sheltered, often with 10 to 12 people accommodated in one household. Women cooked meals, while youths stood guard, braving threats and intimidation from violent mobs.

In the face of blind brutality, showing generosity and compassion can also be a source of courage of being a human. A young volunteer from Golapati, M. Irshad, said: “We didn’t think of who they were. We only saw people running for their lives. Our duty was to help.”

Pangal activists and volunteers also rescued stranded and helpless Kuki students from areas like Lamphel, Keishampat, Sagolband, and Thangmeiband, ensuring their safe passage.

Testimonies and Documentation

In the midst of the ethnic conflict between the Meiteis and Kukis in Manipur, certain communities have remained on the periphery of direct violence while engaging themselves in helping the victims and aborting human tragedies. A poignant example comes from a Scroll.in report, where a 19-year-old Kuki woman recounts how she found shelter in a Muslim household in the Imphal Valley during the peak of violence. “Since it was so tense, I could not join my family and took refuge in the Pangal neighbourhood,” she stated, referring to the Pangals. The report notes, “The Pangals, residents of the Imphal Valley who follow Islam, are not involved in the conflict in Manipur, and hence, relatively shielded from violence from both sides.” For several days, the woman remained hidden in the household, careful not to step outside or draw attention to herself (Scroll.in, July 20, 2023).

Human bonding, developed through human interactions and familiarity associated with people living in shared space, despite belonging to different ethnicity, can also be a source of courage to act humanly in a dangerous time. A displaced Kuki woman, around 35 years old, named Them Kipgen, shared her experience: “I used to reside in a rented house at KR Lane, Turel Mapal, and I was giving home tuition to two students from a Pangal family in Golapati, near the masjid. I went for tuition as usual that day. Around 6:00 PM, a girl student who lived in the neighboring room called me and told me to return home quickly, informing me about the tense situation emerging in Manipur. I immediately returned to my room. The house owner, who is a Pangal, took care of us. They hid us inside the house and closed the gate, even when a mob asked them to open it for inspection. That night, none of us could sleep—neither the house owner nor we.

For our safety, on the morning of May 4th, the house owner personally guarded us and handed us over to the security forces. Later, we took shelter at 1st MR and are now staying in Kangpokpi. My tuition students’ family frequently asked about my safety and shelter, and even invited me to stay at their house. I am very grateful for their help.”

The Mokokchung Times reported on May 5, 2023, that as violence escalated in various parts of Manipur, the All Manipur Muslim Students’ Organization (AMMSO) initiated rescue operations at their own risk. A doctor associated with AMMSO stated: “We have accommodated more than 2500 people in a predominantly Muslim populated area.”

He further mentioned: “I myself have already arranged 5 houses and accommodated more than 60 plus, and another more than 2,500 is inside this area only, so we are accommodating each other.”

According to Radiance Weekly (Vol. LXI No. 20, August 13, 2023, by Abdul Halim Phundrei‑Mayum): “In Imphal, the capital of Manipur, Muslims have rescued thousands of Christian Kukis from the jaws of death at the risk of Meiteis’ wrath.”  They further reported: “At the other end, at the periphery of Meitei-dominated central valley and the beginning of Kuki-dominated Churachandpur hills, the Muslims of Kwakta took in with open arms the fleeing Meiteis from the guns and fires of Kuki onslaught.”

And:

“Muslims hastily arranged food and lodging for them, while waiting for central forces’ rescue teams. It was only after midnight that most of them were shifted to compounds of security forces, thereby lessening the danger of oncoming mob fury of dominant Meitei mobs.”

In her book Shooting the Sun: Why Manipur Was Engulfed by Violence and the Government Remained Silent; Nandita Haksar documents highlighted the Pangal role as peacemakers:

“Meitei Muslims bravely opened their doors to them. The women cooked food and the men guarded them till the Assam Rifles came to the rescue of the Kukis.”

And:

“They had, in fact, helped both members of the Kuki-Zo communities as well as the Meiteis, sometimes risking their lives to save the families of friends and neighbours.”

Whether in Kwakta or Hatta Golapati, the Pangal community’s efforts during the May 2023 violence were selfless, courageous, and deeply humanitarian. They extended protection, food, and dignity to those in need — regardless of community or ethnicity. Their role was not only as relief-givers, but as silent peacemakers, whose story deserves a central place in the collective memory of Manipur. And it is through this shared memory of courage amidst disaster that multi-ethnic places like Manipur can move ahead towards a progressive future and the responsibilities undertook by the Pangal during this crisis remains a testimony which people of Manipur should ponder to look and think upon.