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Nearly three years after Christians were targeted in the midst of ethnoreligious violence, new tension has believers on edge
You may remember the situation that our brothers and sisters in Manipur State—a region in northeastern India—faced in May 2023. Peaceful protests turned violent , with conflicts between the mostly-Hindu Meitei and the mostly-Christian Kuki ethnic groups, leaving many dead. But the violence wasn’t just along ethnic lines; Christians in both groups were targeted by extremists. At least 80 believers were killed, and hundreds of churches were destroyed.
The riots and aftermath have had long-term effects in Manipur State. For years following the initial violence, occasional clashes broke out, including shocking incidents that gained widespread attention. In February 2025, the state’s Chief Minister resigned, leaving Manipur under control of the national government. Even now, communities remain divided—and a new attack shows how fragile things are for God’s people.
Mayanglambam Rishikanta Singh, a Meitei man in his thirties, was married to Chingnu Haokip, a Kuki woman, also in her thirties.
According to media reports, Rishikanta had been working in Nepal but returned to Manipur State on December 19, 2025, to spend Christmas with his wife in Churachandpur, a large town in the state. Due to ongoing tensions, he reportedly used forged documents to enter the town.
Haokip said she had permission from local groups to allow her husband to stay with her for a few days, though one of the groups disputes this.
On Wednesday, January 21, at around 6:30 pm, three to four masked men armed with weapons came to the couples’ house and abducted them. As they were taken away, Haokip pleaded for their lives. She was eventually pushed out of the moving vehicle.
But her husband was taken to the outskirts of the town and shot dead. A disturbing video later surfaced, showing Rishikanta with folded hands, repeatedly begging for his life before being shot twice. His body was later brought to the district hospital.
After the video went viral, anger and fear spread quickly through the capital city of Imphal and other Meitei-majority areas. Meanwhile, fear and tension gripped Kuki-dominated areas amid speculation of retaliatory attacks along border areas and concerns of renewed violence.
On the night of the killing, messages circulated on social media claiming that Meiteis were attacking Kuki border areas. These claims were later proven to be false, as no such attacks occurred.
This killing has reopened wounds at a time when tensions had slightly eased, though deep social divisions remain. And for Christians, it’s a reminder that the tension that brought about such brutal persecution could easily spike again.
“Anger was already high following the death of a 20-year-old Kuki woman who died in the second week of January, who succumbed to health complications caused by injuries from a gang rape at the outset of the violence,” explains Neinu*, an Open Doors local partner. “Now, with the killing of Rishikanta, tensions may escalate again in Manipur across both communities. The conflict has destroyed not only homes and livelihoods, but also emotions and families. Inter-community couples suffer the most, often forced to live separately or leave the state altogether to survive. Kuki women married to Meitei men, and vice versa, have faced severe abuse and rejection from extremists.”
With two deaths—one from each community, within a span of two weeks, fear and mistrust have once again grown on both sides. The pain of identity-based violence continues to separate families, and peace in Manipur still feels far away. Believers there ask for your prayers for peace, that extremists won’t use the new tension to bring about more attacks.
Here are some specific ways you can pray:
1. Pray for Chingnu Haokip as she mourns the loss of her husband and endures shame and accusations from the community while grieving in silence.
2. Pray for the situation in Manipur, as tensions have escalated once again after a brief period of calm. Pray for both communities as they remain anxious and unsettled.
3. Pray for wisdom, understanding and discernment among Civil Society Organizations (CSO) as they engage in discussions and plan for the long-term future.
4. Pray for a change of heart in the two warring communities, that they may pursue peace and work toward a mutual political solution that benefits all.
5. Pray for Rishikanta’s family in Imphal as they grieve the loss of their beloved son, and that this season of sorrow may lead them to seek God.
6. Pray for the new Chief Minister, that his leadership will lead to peace and flourishing for citizens of Manipur State across ethnic and religious lines.
*Name changed for security reasons.
