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A 10-member squad of religion leaders representing 4 nationalist and planetary organisations began a bid ngo successful Manipur by gathering leaders of an apex Naga body, arsenic its Kuki counterpart extended its shutdown by different 48 hours from Tuesday (May 19, 2026) midnight.
The religion leaders correspond the Manipur Convention (MBC), the Council of Baptist Churches successful North East India (CBCNEI), the Asia Pacific Baptist Federation, and the Baptist World Alliance (BWA). They met leaders of the United Naga Council (UNC) successful Senapati, 1 of 4 elevation districts caught successful a struggle betwixt the chiefly Christian Kuki-Zo and Naga communities.
Reverend Namseng R. Marak, the caput wide of the CBCNEI, told journalists that the absorption was connected defusing the hostage situation triggered by the sidesplitting of 3 Thadou religion leaders connected May 13. A conception of Thadous claims it is simply a people autarkic of the Kuki tag.
“This is simply a hard infinitesimal for the affected families. We entreaty to each communities to workout restraint, stay patient, and determination guardant successful the tone of forgiveness and peace,” helium said, hoping that the Kuki and Naga communities would uphold “brotherhood and humanity” for the restoration of bid successful Manipur.
A.C. Thotso, member-secretary of the UNC’s Working Committee, welcomed the religion leaders’ bid initiative. He said the substance would beryllium considered by the due decision-making bodies of the organisation, portion reiterating that “peace tin prevail lone erstwhile information is acknowledged”.
Another squad of religion leaders visited the families of the 3 slain religion leaders astatine Keithelmanbi and Damdei villages successful Kangpokpi territory to connection their condolences.
Kukis predominate Kangpokpi district, wherever the religion leaders were ambushed and killed by unidentified gunmen. Nagas signifier the bulk successful the Senapati district, which borders the State of Nagaland.
The sojourn of the religion leaders to the conflict-hit districts followed their gathering with Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh successful the State’s capital, Imphal, connected Monday.
Shutdown extended
As hostility prevailed successful the elevation districts, the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) extended its shutdown crossed Kuki-Zo-inhabited areas by 48 hours from midnight connected Tuesday. This is the 2nd hold aft the shutdown was imposed connected May 13.
“The determination follows the continued inaction of the authorities successful addressing the morganatic concerns and demands placed earlier it, arsenic good arsenic the lack of immoderate tangible affirmative improvement connected the ground,” a KIM connection read.
The demands see a high-level probe into the sidesplitting of the 3 religion leaders and the merchandise of 14 Kuki people, including 3 insignificant students, allegedly held captive by Naga groups.
Naga organisations besides stepped up their request for the merchandise of six assemblage members, including a pastor, allegedly held hostage by Kuki extremists.
A delegation from the Liangmai Naga Council and the Liangmai Naga Women Union called connected the Chief Minister to seek the merchandise of the six missing Naga men from Konsakhul colony successful Kangpokpi district. “If the hostages are dead, their bodies should beryllium handed implicit to their respective families to alteration them to execute the past rites,” the organisations said.
Meanwhile, the Thadou Community International (TCI) expressed its enactment for the Thadou Inpi Manipur’s connection to found a community-level knowing betwixt the Thadou and Naga communities, based connected communal respect and peaceful coexistence, akin to the existing knowing with the Meitei community.
The TCI asserted that Kuki was not an taste assemblage oregon ethnicity, but a word “characterised arsenic a violent, extremist ideological entity”.
