SHILLONG : Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday strongly condemned the killing of Baptist church leaders in Manipur, describing the attack as “brutal and cowardly” while urging all sides to work towards restoring peace in the violence-hit state.
Speaking to reporters, Sangma said violence in any form is completely unacceptable and stated that his party has strongly condemned the attack and the loss of lives.
“Any kind of violence is deeply unacceptable and the way the church leaders were attacked and lost their lives is something we have highly condemned as a party,” the Chief Minister said.
He appealed to both the Manipur government and the people of the state to take immediate steps to end the ongoing violence and restore normalcy.
“We urge the state government as well as the people of Manipur that violence must stop and we must continue to work together as a society to bring back peace in the state,” Sangma stated.
Highlighting the prolonged suffering faced by the people of Manipur since the outbreak of ethnic violence in 2023, the Chief Minister stressed that peace remains essential for the return of stability and development.
“Manipur has been suffering for a very long time and if there is no peace, we will not be able to move towards bringing back normalcy in the state,” he added.
The killing of the Baptist church leaders has triggered widespread condemnation from civil society organisations, church groups and political leaders across the Northeast.
Manipur has been witnessing ethnic unrest since May 2023, resulting in significant loss of life, destruction of property and displacement of thousands of people.