Stop violence and disrespect for places of worship and sacred sites
- 07 February 2024 :: Interfaith forum for Peace and Harmony, Manipur (IFPH) -
*
Humble Appeal
We, as a group of religious leaders belonging to Hindu, and Christian once again humbly appeal to all parties to stop the ongoing identity-based retaliatory killings, and desecration and disrespect of places of worship including the sacred sites of indigenous faith traditions in the hills and valley.
Unabated violence is deeply hurting the sentiments of people across the communities and lowered human dignity to the beastly level in Manipur. Nine-month long communal violence has meted out extreme sufferings to thousands of innocent victims living like refugees in hundreds of relief camps. The suffering of elderly persons, nursing mothers, young women and children are simply increasing, day by day, as humanitarian aids are limited from all sources.
Children in relief camps have no access to nutrition, home care and quality education. If no conscious efforts are made from across the divide, we are handing over a fractured society with painful memories of hostilities to the present generation across the communities.
The decision to leave behind the present and future generation children as hostile neighbors to kill one another or as good friendly neighbors is in hands of the people across the divide, today. We believe that true religious leaders and responsible parents across the divide would certainly like to leave behind their children to live to live as good neighbors in future.
Let us uphold the sanctity of all religions and faith traditions to restore humanity for the sake of our present and future children on all sides. We believe people who really love their children would live for their children and rely on nonviolent ways of sorting out all problems between communities.
Deben Bachaspatimayum
Convenor
Interfaith forum for Peace and Harmony, Manipur (IFPH)
Lainingthou Sanamahi Temple, Hayingkhongbal,
1st MR Gate, Imphal, Manipur
* This info was provided by Deben Bachaspatimayum who can be contacted at deben(DOT)ghy(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This article was posted on 09 February 2024 .
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