Dimapur, May 31 (MExN): The International Human Rights Council (IHRC), Nagaland State Chapter, has appealed for justice, reconciliation and peace in Manipur, stating that the ongoing crisis in the neighbouring state is “not merely a political, ethnic, or security issue” but “fundamentally a human tragedy.”
In a statement issued by its Nagaland State Chapter President, Akavi N Zhimomi, the council said that behind every statistic of the conflict “lies a grieving family, a displaced child, a traumatized mother, a lost future, and a shattered community.”
Referring to the violence that began in May 2023, the IHRC stated that the conflict has “taken hundreds of lives, displaced tens of thousands from their ancestral lands, desecrated places of worship, and torn apart communities that lived together for generations.”
“Beyond the headlines lies something far more devastating: a culture of fear, mistrust, and hatred that threatens to destroy the soul of this state,” the council said.
The IHRC maintained that it stands with the people of Manipur “not as observers, but as fellow human beings,” adding that “every human being, irrespective of ethnicity, tribe, religion, language, or social identity, possesses inherent dignity and equal worth.”
It further stated that “no community’s pain should be ignored, and no community’s suffering should be justified,” while asserting that human rights are “universal, indivisible, and belong equally to all.”
The council said the violence has resulted in lives lost, homes destroyed, livelihoods disrupted and thousands displaced from their ancestral lands. It warned that beyond the visible destruction lies “the growing culture of fear, mistrust, hatred, and alienation among communities that have shared history and geography for generations.”
“If left unaddressed, these wounds may endure long after the guns fall silent,” it stated.
Calling for accountability, the IHRC said, “Peace is not merely the absence of violence. Genuine peace requires justice. It requires truth. It requires accountability. It requires healing.”
“Sustainable peace cannot be built upon the silence of victims, the denial of suffering, or the neglect of legitimate grievances,” it stated, adding that peace must be founded upon “the recognition of human dignity, equal protection under the law, and the assurance that every victim receives justice without prejudice or discrimination.”
The council further cautioned that “when victims are ignored, when investigations are delayed, when justice is selective—peace becomes fragile,” and added that “when communities are pitted against each other, when hate spreads on social media, when leaders speak division instead of unity—the wounds become permanent.”
Appealing to the Government and constitutional authorities, the IHRC called for “impartial protection of all civilians, swift humanitarian assistance to displaced persons, effective rehabilitation measures, transparent investigations into all acts of violence, and equal access to justice for every victim irrespective of community affiliation.”
It also urged community and tribal leaders to exercise “wisdom and restraint,” stating that “the language of reconciliation must replace the language of hostility, and dialogue must replace division.”
To religious leaders and institutions, the council appealed to become “instruments of healing and reconciliation,” noting that “faith traditions teach compassion, forgiveness, justice, and the sacredness of human life.”
Addressing the youth of Manipur, the IHRC urged them to reject “narratives of hatred and revenge,” stating that “the strength of a generation is measured not by its capacity to destroy but by its courage to rebuild what has been broken.”
The council also called upon the media and digital platforms to “exercise responsibility, verify information, and resist the spread of inflammatory content that deepens mistrust and fuels violence.”
Appealing to citizens, it urged people to “resist misinformation, inflammatory rhetoric, and collective blame,” while maintaining that “violence committed by individuals must never become grounds for condemning entire communities.”
The IHRC stated that history would not only remember how the conflict began but also “how people chose to respond to it,” and expressed hope that Manipur would be remembered “for the courage of its people to rise above pain, uphold human dignity, seek justice, and build a future founded upon peace, reconciliation, and coexistence.”
“The people of Manipur deserve more than survival; they deserve peace. They deserve security. They deserve justice. They deserve the opportunity to rebuild their lives and live together with dignity and mutual respect,” it stated.
The council called for collective action, stating: “Let every gun be silenced. Let every victim be heard. Let every community be protected. Let justice prevail. Let peace return to Manipur.”
“Peace without justice is fragile. Justice without reconciliation is incomplete. Human dignity demands both,” it added.
The IHRC Nagaland State Chapter appealed to all citizens to pray for peace in Manipur and said the appeal was issued “in the spirit of healing, reconciliation, and the universal belief that every human being deserves to live with dignity, safety, and hope.”
