HT Bureau
DIPHU, May 8: The United Christian Forum (UCF) has organised a mass prayer rally to show solidarity with the Christians and Churches in Manipur in the aftermath of the violent incidents in Manipur, here on Monday. During the one hour programme, incidents happening in Manipur were shared, prayer intention and mass prayers were conducted in which Christian members from various churches of Diphu and Manja took active participation.
Leading the programme the president, UCF, Rev Dr Solomon Rongpi in his introductory speech said the incident in Manipur between Meitei community and hill tribes is unfortunate in which more than 50 churches were burnt down and more than 50 people lost their lives.
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Dr Rongpi said, “As UFC remembers in our prayers about the situation in Manipur. The burnings, killings and attacks on Christians. For peace and harmony to come back in Manipur we pray for the Central and State government of Manipur and for the victims of Manipur violence. This is our reason for the mass prayer rally.”
“As Christian our duty is to pray for others. We have come here to pray for the people of Manipur. Let us pray for the suffering of our fellow Christian brothers and sisters out there in Manipur, whose houses and churches were burnt down,” he said.
Superintendent, Assembly of God Church, Assam Region, Rev. RS Keivom said, “It was a pre-planned attack on tribal people by the N Biren Singh government. The hill people were very innocent. The people living in the Manipur valley were trying to snatch the lands of the tribal people.”
On that particular day the All Tribal Students Union (ATSU) in Manipur were taking out a peace rally to protest against the grant of ST status to the Meitei community. The people in the plain districts of Manipur protested against the peace rally of ATSU. The houses of tribal people and churches were burnt down, Keivom said.
Rev Fr. S Singson, a retired Evangelist of Christian Church, Manja said, “It is not good to attack Churches and holy shrines where people worship and we are very much concerned of what has happened.”
He also said the violence has erupted due to misunderstanding between the people living in Manipur valley and the hill tribes.
“The hill people were using forest land for cultivation. But the Manipur government has banned the use of forest land. Let us pray that church and holy shrines are not attacked,” Rev. Fr. Singson said.
General secretary, UFC, Rev. Premingson Millick said everyone is worried about the violence. It will take time to restore normalcy.
“We pray for our fellow people in Manipur. In this moment of hate let us spread the message of love and brotherhood,” Rev. Millick said.
Rev. Dr. Rongpi said more than 400 church leaders and members from 70 churches in Diphu town and Manja participated in the mass prayer rally.
General Secretary, Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention, Rev. Kamson Rongphar; Mission secretary, Nihang Karbi Baptist Association, Rev. Unique Terang; Rev. Y Athang Sebu, adviser,UCF was also present.
