Of Paolo Affatato
Prayer and every possible effort at dialogue to help Manipur emerge from the crisis and instability: this is the attitude of the Catholic community in the North-Eastern state of India, torn apart since 2023 by an inter-ethnic conflict which first involved the two Kuki and Meitei groups, and which now also affects the Nagas, the third group that makes up the population of the State.
In this difficult scenario, while Manipur is experiencing a phase of very high social tension, marked by the “hostage crisis” – a wave of mutual kidnappings of people by the Kuki and the Naga – the Catholic community, which welcomes believers belonging to all three groups in conflict, wanted to experience a special day of prayer for peace.
Over 300 faithful, of different ethnic groups, gathered in recent days in the parish of Santa Maria in Punanamei, in the archdiocese of Imphal, to invoke peace through the prayer of the Rosary and Adoration. “We have placed our community of Manipur under the protection of Mary, invoking reconciliation and harmony for our people”, said the Salesian Father Athili Martin, the new parish priest, who urged the faithful to become witnesses of peace and led a special Eucharistic Adoration, imploring “the grace of God for justice and pacification”.
The prayer initiative was encouraged by the archbishop of Imphal, Linus Neli, who invited Catholics from across the archdiocese to unite in prayer to “heal wounds, dispel hatred and build lasting peace in Manipur”, asking for “the breath of the Holy Spirit to guide people on the path of truth and peace”.
The day of prayer for peace reflected the constant commitment of the Catholic community in supporting reconciliation efforts and was an example of healing inter-ethnic relations: those present prayed not only for an end to violence, but also for the restoration of mutual trust between the communities in conflict. The meeting concluded with prayers for all victims of violence and for civil, social and religious leaders, at all levels, to work for a just and lasting peace in Manipur.
The north-eastern Indian state has been the scene of renewed tensions since mid-May, following new episodes of violence, such as the killing of three Baptist pastors and the kidnapping of hostages. On May 13, three religious leaders of the community were killed in an ambush in Kangpokpi district Thadou Baptist Associationof the Kuki ethnic group. Immediately after the ambush, armed groups from the Kuki and Naga factions began kidnapping dozens of each other’s civilians in retaliation.
The riots have disrupted daily life in several areas, causing road blocks, traffic restrictions and serious inconvenience for many residents.
In a situation of widespread violence, religious leaders have repeatedly underlined the importance of dialogue, mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence between the different communities of the State, working directly for mediation.
Currently, in fact, the “hostage crisis” is at a standstill: the organization United Naga Council holds 14 Kuki men in custody, while the latter have kidnapped six Naga civilians who are still missing. Negotiations to unblock this cross-exchange are encountering strong resistance, which Christian religious leaders of the various denominations are trying to overcome.
A delegation made up of senior representatives of Council of Baptist Churches in Northeast India and of Manipur Baptist Convention she met with the prime minister of the state to coordinate security corridors and personally went to the territories controlled by the militias to ask for the immediate release of the hostages for humanitarian reasons.
The appeal for the release was also shared by the archbishop of Imphal, Monsignor Linus Neli, who constantly supports prayer initiatives and the commitment to peace: this, he told Fides agency, “will not be achieved by building walls of ethnic separation or rearming groups”, but only by “reactivating dialogue and proceeding on a path of equality and justice”.
Catholic lay organizations, such as the All Manipur Catholic Unionthe Manipur Catholic Women Organisation and the Manipur Catholic Youth Organisationcollaborate actively, organizing meetings to reject all forms of violence and promote peaceful coexistence.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the death toll has exceeded 250 official deaths and 60,000 displaced people, many of whom still live in precarious conditions in refugee camps.
