Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal has called all Catholics in the eastern Indian state of Manipur to hold intense fast and prayer for reconciliation and peace May 3-5.
“Let us persistently pray for the day when people of all ethnicities and religious commu-nities can live together peacefully in this beautiful land of Manipur,” says a statement the archdiocese issued in early May.
An ethnic clash that broke out May 3, 2023, between the Meitei and Kuki commu-nities led to the death of hundreds and the displacement of 60,000 people. The Meitei people make up 53% of Manipur’s 2.8 million, population; the Naga people make up 24%, the Chin-Kuki-Mizo people make up 16%. Hindus and Christians each make up about 41% of the population, while Muslims make up just over 8%.
The conflict was triggered by an affir-mative action controversy in which Christian Kukis protested a demand by mostly Meitei Hindus for a special status that would let them buy land in the hills populated by Kukis and other tribal groups, and get a share of government jobs. Ethnic violence has been a decades-old problem in Manipur state, where 700 people were killed in 1993 and the govern-ment took a year and a half to restore nor-malcy in the region.
The archdiocese’s statement said that while the situation may have relatively relaxed, “we know only too well the present scenario of ethnic segregation and several hundreds of our people still languishing in great distress, pain and uncertainties in relief camps and in undesirable conditions.” The archbishop recalled the most horrifying and harrowing days – particularly May 3-5, 2023 – saying, “we should fall on our knees to intensify our prayers for genuine reconciliation and peace with justice among all fellow human beings.”
“Like many responsible communities and organisations, the Catholic Church in Manipur has been in the forefront in humanitarian interventions, in peace dialogue, and in con-stant prayer for early solution,” he continued. Quoting Isaiah 57:18-19 from the Bible, Neli asserted, “it is our firm confidence that God will hear our prayers and heal our land, guide and comfort our people, and give peace to those who are far away and peace to those who are near.”