Imphal: In a rare moment of togetherness amid ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur, the hill village of Mapao Zingtun in Kangpokpi district hosted a Peace Initiative Programme on Thursday, bringing Meitei and Kuki students onto the same stage for learning, cultural exchange and prayer.
Jointly organised by Needy Home Academy (NHA), Sorshia Christian College and the Mapao Zingtun Village Authority, the programme is being widely regarded as one of the earliest structured efforts since the 2023 violence in which youth from both communities have intentionally shared a public platform. In a landscape increasingly marked by separation, Mapao Zingtun offered a quiet but firm reminder that Meitei–Kuki coexistence remains possible.
The event opened with the unveiling of a “peace stone” by 106-year-old Rev. R. Ayui, a respected pastor known for over six decades of peace advocacy across Manipur’s hills and valley. Rev. L. Simon Raomai, President of AMCO, led the ceremony, describing the stone as a permanent reminder that “beneath the noise of conflict, the people of Manipur still desire healing more than hatred.”
Songs by the staff of Needy Home Academy and special prayers for children affected by fear, displacement and uncertainty set a reflective tone.
Welcoming the gathering, NHA Dean of Students Tuisin Raman recalled that Mapao Zingtun had consciously remained a shared space even as tensions escalated elsewhere. Students from Meitei and Kuki communities continue to study and live together on the same campus, he noted.
A cultural segment themed “Unity in Diversity” formed the heart of the programme, with Meitei, Kuki, Naga and Pangal students presenting songs, dances and traditional attire in a single integrated sequence. Students of Sorshia Christian College staged a short drama and a poem titled “Unity of Manipur,” depicting both the pain of separation and the fragile hope of rebuilding trust through shared spaces and shared stories.
Speaking at the event, retired IAS officer Dr. R. K. Nimai said durable peace cannot be imposed from outside but must be rebuilt in localities like Mapao Zingtun, where families choose not to pass hatred to the next generation. He urged youth to become “bridge-makers” who choose words that calm rather than inflame.
Dr. Lokho Puni, retired IFS officer and former MPSC member, reminded the audience of Manipur’s long history of hill–valley interconnections through economy, culture and kinship.
A special song by children of the Needy Home Academy Children’s Home added an emotional centre to the programme, expressing their simple desire for classrooms instead of relief camps and playgrounds instead of barricades.
Representing the civil administration, Sithonliu Pamai, Sub-Deputy Collector of Island Sub-Division, congratulated the organisers for safeguarding a space where Meitei and Kuki children can still grow up together.
The Needy Home Academy Choir’s rendition of “Heal the World” became the emotional high point of the event, with many in the audience joining in softly as participants from both communities sang the same words.
NHA Chairman Dr. R. Chance thanked village authorities, church leaders, faculty, civil society groups and volunteers for supporting the programme despite the tense environment. He reaffirmed the commitment of NHA and Sorshia Christian College to remain open, shared spaces for young people from all communities.
The programme concluded with a Pledge and Prayer for Healing led by Rev. Achung Zingkhai of TBC Lamphel. Participants pledged to reject rumours and hate speech, question narratives that demonise entire communities, and act as responsible messengers of peace in homes, churches, neighbourhoods and online spaces.