Kohima Candlelight March for Peace in Manipur
On Sunday, people from all walks of life gathered here for a candlelight march to pray for the return of calm and normality in the nearby Manipur state.
Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship organised the march, which took place at the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) Convention Centre. Participants carried placards with messages of calm and peace, healing, and understanding between the two warring communities. They also prayed for the earliest possible return of normalcy in Manipur.
In Manipur, ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki groups has already claimed the lives of over 100 individuals. According to NBCC general secretary Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho, “There doesn’t seem to be anyone, be it state government or the Centre, taking seriously to bring the wounds to healing.”
However, he emphasised that the purpose of the meeting was not to identify the offender, place blame, or level accusations. “Regardless of the community they are a part of, we are here to express our solidarity and to stand in prayer for our suffering brothers and sisters. We send our sympathies and condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones, he added.
He said that the fight has been going on for too long. He urged the administration to take action to put an end to the violence and stated, “The root cause of the conflict must be openly addressed with sincerity to find out a solution lest it become too late.”
He also said that all groups in Manipur should have equal protection. On May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was arranged throughout the hill regions to protest against the Meitei community’s desire for Scheduled Tribe (ST) classification, fighting initially broke out in Manipur.
The majority of Meiteis, who make up around 53% of Manipur’s population, reside in the Imphal Valley. Another 40% of the population is made up of the Naga and Kuki tribes, who live in the hill areas.
