His church is silent, his school is empty: The long wait for Rev Manu Thiumai

Imphal: For the students of Hope International School, the empty classrooms are a painful reminder of an absence that extends far beyond education. For members of the Leimakhong Baptist Church, silent Sundays have replaced worship and fellowship. And for two young girls in Manipur, every day begins with the same question: When will Papa come home?

At the centre of their anguish is Reverend Dr Manu Thiumai, 44, founder of Hope International School and pastor of the Leimakhong Baptist Church, who remains among six Naga men reported missing after being abducted from Leilon Vaiphei village on May 13.

For more than two weeks, his family, congregation and community have lived in uncertainty, clinging to hope while searching for answers.

Hope International School, located at Leimakhong Chingmang in Imphal West district, was built on a vision of inclusion. Before ethnic violence erupted across Manipur in May 2023, nearly 80 per cent of its students were from the Meitei community. The school also welcomed children from Naga, Kuki and other communities, becoming a rare space where students from diverse backgrounds learned together.

The conflict altered that reality. Many Meitei students were forced to leave, fundamentally changing the school’s demographic composition. Yet the institution continued to serve underprivileged children and families who saw education as a pathway to a better future.

Today, with its founder missing, the school’s future hangs in the balance.

The uncertainty extends beyond the classroom.

As pastor of the Leimakhong Baptist Church, Rev Thiumai was the spiritual anchor of a congregation comprising Naga, Kuki, Meitei and Nepali believers. Since his disappearance, the church has remained closed on Sundays.

“Every Sunday, we usually conduct three church services—two at Leimakhong and one at Kanglatongbi,” said his wife, Kachiaklungliu Thiumai, 39. “But for the past two Sundays, the church at Leimakhong has remained closed. The members have been unable to gather for worship and fellowship.”

Holding back tears, she spoke of the pain of watching church members lose the fellowship that her husband devoted his life to nurturing.

“It pains me deeply to think of church members being unable to hold Sunday services since my husband disappeared. I hope that, by the grace of God, I will one day meet them again and resume our fellowship,” she said.

Rev Thiumai and his wife established the Leimakhong Baptist Church in 2010 and dedicated themselves to ministry work. They later played important roles in developing the Kanglatongbi Baptist Church and Keithelmanbi Baptist Church, touching hundreds of lives through their service.

According to Kachiaklungliu, her husband’s life revolved around ministry and helping others.

“His only mission has always been to save souls,” she said.

That mission was interrupted on May 13.

The couple had travelled to Leilon Vaiphei village to attend a family wedding held the previous day. On their way back home to Leimakhong, they were stopped by a group of armed men.

“As soon as our vehicle was stopped, they separated us,” Kachiaklungliu recalled. “That was the last time I saw my husband. We were not even allowed to speak.”

Days later, she and several other Naga hostages were released. But freedom brought little comfort.

Her husband remains missing.

Married since 2013, the couple are parents to two daughters—12-year-old Kawikendiliu and 10-year-old Elizabeth. On May 27, Elizabeth celebrated her birthday without her father.

The absence was impossible to ignore.

“It hurts so badly whenever my younger daughter asks when her father will return home,” Kachiaklungliu said, breaking down in tears. “She doesn’t know that her father is still being held somewhere. Every time she asks, it breaks my heart because I cannot give her the answer she deserves.”

For the family, each passing day deepens the emotional burden.

According to Jurist Abonmai, president of the Makhan Kanglatongbi Naga Forum, Rev Thiumai was known as a gentle and peace-loving pastor whose work transcended ethnic divisions.

“His congregation includes Kuki, Meitei, Naga and Nepali members,” Abonmai said. “He never involved himself much in public affairs. He simply dedicated his life to serving people, helping the poor and supporting children through education.”

Abonmai noted that the pastor frequently extended assistance to needy families and ensured that vulnerable children, including orphans, could continue their studies through his school.

“Everything he did was motivated by a desire to serve others,” he said.

Two years ago, after being ordained as a reverend, Rev Thiumai also became a member of the ordinance committee of the Liangmai Baptist Church Association Manipur.

“To think that someone so compassionate remains missing, along with five other brothers, is deeply painful for all of us,” Abonmai added.

Rev Thiumai is among six Naga civilians who remain unaccounted for, including Pastor Kenpibou Chawang, 28, of Juna (Harup) Naga village.

Their continued disappearance has triggered growing concern across Naga-inhabited areas of the state. Memorandums, demonstrations and public protests have been organised demanding their immediate and safe release.

Yet more than two weeks after they vanished, families say they still have no answers.

No official information has been provided regarding their whereabouts or condition.

For Kachiaklungliu, however, the crisis is measured not in days or statements, but in the moments that follow every time her daughters ask about their father.

Until those questions can finally be answered, a church remains silent, a school remains uncertain, and a family continues to wait.

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