IMPHAL: Amid continuing ethnic tensions and divisions in Manipur, students belonging to the Naga, Meitei and Kuki communities came together to promote peace and harmony through a programme titled ‘A Hymn for Peace’, organised jointly by Needy Home Academy (NHA) and Sorshia Christian College (SCC) at Tangkhul Baptist Church, Imphal, on Wednesday.

The programme featured choral music, student presentations, personal testimonies, drama and messages of peace. It highlighted the experience of Mapao Zingtun village in Kangpokpi district, where students from the Meitei, Kuki and Naga communities continue to study and share an educational environment despite the ongoing ethnic tensions in the state.

In a press release issued by Dr Atom Sunil Singh, Director of Sorshia Christian College, the organising institutions emphasised the importance of protecting shared educational spaces where children from different communities can learn and grow together.

The institutions noted that the continued coexistence of students at Mapao Zingtun offered an encouraging example at a time when the Meitei-Kuki conflict and renewed Naga-Kuki tensions have further strained relationships among communities.

The initiative has also drawn attention beyond the state. In January 2025, The Times of India reported on Meitei and Kuki children continuing to live, play and sing together at Needy Home Academy despite the surrounding conflict.

In December 2025, the two institutions, along with the Mapao Zingtun Village Authority, organised a ‘Unity in Diversity’ programme, bringing together Meitei, Kuki, Naga and Pangal students on a common cultural platform. The students presented songs, dances and traditional attire, highlighting the value of cultural diversity and mutual respect.

The programme also featured a message of peace by Rev. R. Ayui, described as a 107-year-old evangelist, and an exhortation by Dr. R. Chance, Chairman of Needy Home Academy.

The organisers stressed that children and young people should not have to inherit the hatred, fear and divisions created by conflict. They called for an environment where students from all communities can pursue education, build friendships and shape their future together.

The central message of ‘A Hymn for Peace’ was that peaceful coexistence remains possible and that Meitei, Kuki, Naga and other communities must have the opportunity to live, learn and work together without fear.