NSF and ABCC condemn killing of Baptist church leaders and attacks on Naga civilians in Manipur.
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DIMAPUR — The Naga Students' Federation and Angami Baptist Church Council (ABCC) have condemned the May 13 attack on church leaders in Kangpokpi district, Manipur, in which three Baptist church leaders were killed and several others injured.
Those killed have been identified as Rev. Dr. Vumthang Sitlhou, former general secretary of the Manipur Baptist Convention; Rev. Kaigoulun Lhouvum of the Thadou Baptist Association; and Pastor Paogoulen Sitlhou.
The NSF, in a press release, also condemned the ambush carried out on Chiru Naga civilians at Joujangtek area in Noney district on May 13, in which Wilson Tbanga was killed on the spot while his wife sustained critical injuries.
Also read: Organisations condemn killing of church leaders in Manipur
The federation equally hit out at the alleged abduction of two religious men, namely Bro. Peter Poji from the Pochury Naga community and Bro. Aching Paul from the Rongmei Naga community, on the night of May 13 while travelling from Don Bosco Imphal to Don Bosco Maram.
The NSF further expressed concern over reports that nearly 18 Nagas from Konsakhul village were being held hostage by individuals from Leilon Vaiphei village.
Stating that peace remains a core concern for the Nagas, the federation said the indiscriminate incidents of killings and abduction by aggressors upon civilians had “liquidated all sense of humanity”.
The NSF questioned the continued inaction of both the state and central governments despite recurring attacks that continue to claim innocent lives.
“Whereas, the two religious brothers and twelve women hostages were reportedly released, the atrocities perpetrated upon the Nagas remain unresolved,” it stated.
The federation demanded unconditional and immediate release of all the Naga hostages unharmed by the perpetrators.
“It may be iterated that while the Naga people does not condone violence, neither shall we kneel as silent spectators while injustice bums before our eyes.
“If history demands courage, we shall answer—not with fear, but with resistance. Any provocation or attack against one Naga shall be understood as an attack against all Nagas. We stand together as one people, rooted in our ancestral land, united in our rights and identity. The aggressors must immediately desist from waging war and inciting violence, lest we go even,” the federation stated.
The Angami Baptist Church Council (ABCC), in a separate statement, deplored the “barbaric, inhuman and unimaginable act of violence” and condemned the same in no uncertain terms.
“We denounce the work of the perpetrators, as their despicable action is an outright disregard for the sanctity of human life that bears the image of the living God.”
According to the statement, murdering God's servants is a serious crime before God. It stated that when the voices and efforts of the proclaimers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, messengers of peace and reconciliation, and the shapers and nurturers of faith and the conscience of society are perceived as a "threat" and sought to be eliminated, much is at stake.
The ABCC appealed to the Government of Manipur to ensure an impartial and thorough investigation into the crime at the earliest and hold the perpetrators accountable for the killing.
It also called upon the grieving community to shun hatred, leave vengeance to God, and allow justice to take its course. “May truth prevail,” the statement added.