Kuki Christian Body Condemns Church Leader's Killing, Urges Christian Tribes to Reject Ethnic Violence and Embrace Peace

The Kuki Christian Leaders' Forum (KCLF) strongly condemned the killing of Govajang Baptist Church Secretary Haokholal Singsit, describing it as a brutal murder that underscores the worsening security situation in Manipur, while simultaneously issuing an emotional appeal to Christian tribes across the state to end the cycle of ethnic violence through dialogue, reconciliation and biblical justice.

The KCLF expressed "profound shock and deep sorrow" over the killing of Singsit, who also served as Treasurer of the Men's Society under Kuki Baptist Convention Parish No. 6.

According to the Forum, Singsit was shot dead on July 11 at around 4 pm while working in a paddy field with his wife at Govajang village in Kangpokpi district.

The Forum alleged that the incident marked the ninth killing of an innocent Kuki civilian by "Manipur Naga armed groups" since the assassination of three members of a Kuki peace mission, Rev. V. Sitlhou, Pastor Paogoulen Sitlhou and Rev. Kaigoulun Lhouvum, on May 13 this year, excluding six others before the May 13 incident.

Calling the killing a grave violation of the sanctity of human life, KCLF said innocent civilians, particularly poor farmers, were being deprived of their fundamental right to live with dignity and security.

The Forum said violence committed "in the name of Christ" represents a complete distortion of the Gospel and stands in direct contradiction to Christian teachings of peace, justice, reconciliation and respect for human life.

Demanding immediate intervention, KCLF urged the Government of Manipur, the Centre and security agencies to take decisive measures to end what it described as the systematic killing of innocent civilians and the forced dispossession of villages.

In a separate faith declaration titled "A Call for Dialogue and Peaceful Solution to the Ongoing Violence among Christian Tribes of Manipur," the Forum appealed to Christians across Manipur and the Northeast to transcend ethnic divisions and restore unity under shared Christian values.

The declaration acknowledged that Christian communities had failed to rise above ethnic identities during the prolonged conflict that erupted on May 3, 2023, and lamented that more than 300 churches had been lost during the violence.

While mourning the deaths of Kuki church leaders and civilians, the Forum also expressed sorrow over the killing of six Naga civilians, asserting that every innocent life is sacred regardless of community.

Quoting the son of slain peace mission member Rev. V. Sitlhou, who publicly forgave his father's killers, KCLF described forgiveness as a powerful Christian testimony and maintained that lasting peace remains the only path out of the crisis.

The Forum urged churches to reject ethnocentric interpretations of Christianity, distance themselves from armed groups, challenge theologies that justify exclusive territorial claims, and instead promote reconciliation, justice and peaceful coexistence.

Warning that structural violence and prolonged social divisions continue to deepen poverty, trauma and insecurity, KCLF appealed to church leaders, community organisations and the wider Christian community in Northeast India to facilitate meaningful dialogue aimed at ending the bloodshed.

Invoking the biblical verse, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God," the Forum called on all communities to reject hatred, exercise restraint and work collectively towards a just and lasting peace in Manipur.