India: Faith among the ruins: Voices from Manipur

In the once serene hills of Churachandpur in Manipur, northeastern India, now marked by sorrow and unrest, silence echoes the pain of a people torn by ethnic violence.

The conflict of 2023 swept through this land, displacing thousands and leaving behind broken homes and shattered lives.

From May 9–14, 2025, I journeyed through these hills, meeting those now labeled as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Though they have lost so much, their dignity and faith remain strong and steadfast.

In makeshift relief camps and modest resettled homes, I met survivors—widows, elderly parents, and orphaned children—each one striving to rebuild a life amidst loss.

Their eyes spoke of pain, yet held a spark of undying hope. “We have lost everything, but God has saved our lives,” many of them told me.

The Church, a compassionate mother, has remained close to her suffering children. Religious congregations, including the Vincentians, Jesuits, CRI Tamil Nadu, and the Archdiocese of Imphal, have provided shelter and support. Despite limited resources, they have offered comfort and hope. A widow said, “We have walls to sleep under, but no bread to share.”

Livelihood remains a pressing concern. Many, particularly women and the elderly, lack the means to sustain themselves. Grace, a young woman from Belpaun, holds an education but lacks employment. Bound by her duty to care for her aged parents, she cannot seek work elsewhere. “We survive on hope,” she shared, her eyes filled with tears.

The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) Commission for Migrants, in collaboration with the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), has gone beyond offering sympathy—they have chosen accompaniment.

In February and again in May, over 200 vulnerable individuals, including children, the elderly, and the sick, received essential food supplies.

Regrettably, official ration support often excludes those resettled outside government camps. An ambulance filled with rations arrived at a camp, but nearby resettled homes turned away mothers with infants and the elderly.

ICMC, alongside the Commission, has also invested in long-term recovery. Livelihood programs such as poultry farming are underway. Cathy (name changed), one of the beneficiaries, shared with joy how poultry support helped her begin her journey toward self-sufficiency.

Of the 100 women identified, 45 have already received support. Mental health training (March 2025) and legal awareness programs (May 2025) have empowered over 135 IDPs through local volunteer efforts.

Fr. Athanasius Mung of Singngat Parish has been a tireless shepherd, training twelve volunteers in mental health first responders and paralegal services. His dedication is a light in a land too often forgotten.

Fr. Lourd Samy, serving the Kuki communities in Tuibong, expressed sorrow over their dire condition: “They do not even have hand-to-mouth living.” He built homes for 50 displaced families with the support of the Conference of Religious (CRI) Tamil Nadu, laying the groundwork for renewed stability. Others rent homes in Lamka and Churachandpur, surviving through marginal jobs.

Yet in many areas, basic amenities remain absent. Electricity is unreliable. Borewells are scarce. Installed transformers cannot meet power needs. Children must walk miles to reach school. Emergency health care is practically inaccessible. “If anyone falls seriously ill, only God can help,” said a retired catechist.

Despite the Church’s accompaniment, one question remains: who will give justice to the victims? The government has yet to announce any compensation policy for the affected. While the Church continues to stand as a witness of faith and hope, the silence from the state is deafening.

And still, amid the ashes, faith lives on.  The people of Churachandpur, though wounded, continue to look to the hills—from where, they believe, their help will come.