Led by a Church group, warring tribal Christians and Hindus in India’s northeastern Manipur have met for the first time to end the one-year-old sectarian strife that claimed over 220 lives. “We had seven representatives each” from both the communities, said a Church official associated with the meeting held in the neighboring Assam state on May 17. Over a dozen influential leaders from the Meitei Hindu and Kuki-Zo Christian communities were party to the first-ever meeting held at Bosco Reach Out, a Salesian house, in Guwahati in Assam. Observers say the state administration, led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party of PM Narendra Modi, has failed to end the violence that started on May 3 last year.
“The leaders spent almost a day discussing ways to restore peace after the government failed to make any headway,” a Church official who attended the peace meeting told. He described the meeting as a “significant breakthrough” as the leaders of both sides agreed to reach out to their respective people “with a positive mind.” “Surely, their efforts will yield positive results,” said the Church official who did not want to be named.
Spanish bishops speak out after leaks of their meeting with Leo XIV
The executive committee of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference, (CEE, by its Spanish acronym) meeting in Madrid this week, issued an official statement regarding the leaks
