Manipur: Church teams to broker peace amid Naga-Kuki tensions

Two church teams will visit Manipur’s Kangpokpi and Senapati districts in an effort to broker peace between the Naga and Kuki communities, an official statement said on Monday, 18 May.

The decision was conveyed to chief minister Y. Khemchand Singh by a 10-member delegation of the Council for Baptist Churches in North East India (CBCNEI) and the Manipur Baptist Convention (MBC) during a meeting held to discuss the tense situation between the two tribal groups.

“The church leaders have volunteered to broker peace between the two communities,” the statement said.

The meeting came amid heightened tensions following the abduction of 38 people from the two communities by armed groups. While 31 people — including 14 Nagas and 16 Kukis — have since been released, six Nagas are still being held hostage.

Kuki Inpi Manipur, the apex body representing Kuki tribes in the state, has meanwhile claimed that 14 members of the community continue to remain in the custody of Naga groups.

The chief minister lauded the role being played by church leaders in attempting to defuse the crisis arising out of the hostage situation. Singh said he was moved by the initiative taken by the church leaders and welcomed their efforts to help restore peace in the violence-hit areas. He also encouraged them to engage with both communities through dialogue.

As part of the initiative, the church leaders will function as two separate teams. One team will travel to Kangpokpi district, while the other will visit Senapati district. “The church leaders strongly feel that hostages on both sides need to be released urgently on humanitarian grounds,” the statement added.

The team visiting Kangpokpi will meet the family members of the three church leaders who were recently killed in a gun attack to offer condolences. The delegation will also hold discussions with Kuki church leaders in the district as part of efforts to restore peace, the statement said.

The state government has assured ex gratia assistance to the families of the three deceased church leaders. The team travelling to Senapati district will meet Naga church leaders and members of Naga civil society organisations to discuss the prevailing tensions and the continuing hostage crisis.

With PTI inputs