- 21 May, 2026
Manipur, May 21, 2026: The All India Catholic Union (AICU) has expressed deep grief and grave concern over the killing of pastors and their companion in Kangpokpi district, Manipur, calling for justice, disarmament and peace in the violence-hit state.
According to reports, armed men ambushed two vehicles travelling along Tiger Road between Kotzim and Kotlen carrying pastors returning from a church conference in Churachandpur.
“They were not combatants nor were they armed. They were church leaders, pastors and servants of their communities and their murder is an attack not only on individual lives but on the fragile work of peace in Manipur,” AICU National President Er. Elias Vaz said.
The AICU mourned the deaths of Reverend Vumthang Sitlhou, president of the Thadou Baptist Association and former General Secretary of the Manipur Baptist Convention, Reverend Kaigoulen, Pastor Paogoulen, and the driver who was killed with them.
The organisation also prayed for the recovery of Reverend S.M. Haopu, Reverend Hekai Simte, Reverend Paothang, and others who were wounded in the attack.
Condemning the violence in the “strongest possible terms,” the AICU called upon the Government of India and the Government of Manipur to institute an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation. The Union said justice “must be visible, credible and swift.”
The AICU stated that the killings could not be viewed as an isolated crime as they took place amid the continuing breakdown of peace and constitutional governance in Manipur since May 3, 2023.
It noted that more than 250 lives have been lost, over 60,000 people displaced, and hundreds of churches and villages destroyed. Thousands, it said, continue to live in relief camps.
The Union further stated that large numbers of weapons looted from police and security armouries remain in unlawful hands, while armed groups and private militias continue to operate with impunity.
“This situation is unacceptable in a constitutional democracy,” the AICU said.
The 107-year-old organisation reminded both the Union Government and the Government of Manipur of their constitutional duty to restore the rule of law in the state.
According to the AICU, peace cannot be restored while armed groups control roads, villages and community boundaries. It also stressed that the recovery of looted weapons must be treated as a national security priority.
The Union said internally displaced persons have spent nearly three years in government and church-run refugee camps in the state and in cities such as Delhi, Bangalore and Guwahati. It stated that they must be resettled with dignity, security and justice.
The AICU further said families must be enabled to return safely to their villages where possible, and where return is not immediately possible, the state must provide dignified resettlement, compensation, property restitution and legal protection.
It also urged the Union Government to initiate a time-bound political dialogue involving representative leaders of the Meitei, Kuki-Zo and Naga communities, stating that Manipur “cannot be governed by security deployment alone.”
The Union said the present division of the state into “zones of fear and separation” was not peace. It also called on the state to end “the abomination of majoritarian governance” which, according to the organisation, negates the constitutional obligation to protect all citizens equally.
“No community can be abandoned and no community can be allowed to dominate another through violence, fear or state silence,” the AICU said.
The organisation also called for protection to be provided to church leaders, civil society workers, humanitarian volunteers and peace mediators who move across community boundaries for reconciliation and relief.
It stated that those who risk their lives for peace and harmony “cannot be left defenseless.”
The AICU leadership and members expressed solidarity with the bereaved families, the wounded, the churches of Manipur, and all communities seeking peace with justice.
The Union also appealed to all people of faith and goodwill to reject revenge, resist hate, and defend the dignity of every human being.
“The Manipur crisis is a test of India’s constitutional conscience,” the AICU said.
Courtesy: AICU
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