Kangpokpi: In a searing and emotionally charged condemnation, the Thadou Inpi General Headquarters (TI-GHQ), along with leading Thadou civil society organisations denounced the brutal ambush and killing of three prominent church luminaries of the Thadou Baptist Association-India (TBA-I) as a barbaric assault not only on innocent lives but on faith, peace and the sanctity of Christian leadership itself.
In a press release issued jointly by Thadou Inpi GHQ, Thadou Inpi Sadar Hills, Thadou Youth Association, Thadou Women Association and Thadou Students’ Association-Sadar Hills, the Thadou civil society asserted that the slain leaders — Rev. V. Sitlhou, President of TBA-I and former General Secretary of the Manipur Baptist Convention; Rev. Kaigoulun, Finance Secretary of TBAI; and Pastor Paogoulen of Twilang Area — were purely men of God with no involvement in the ongoing conflict and were mercilessly targeted while returning from church-related work in Churachandpur.
The victims, accompanied by colleagues, were reportedly waylaid between Kotlen and Kotzim villages under Kangpokpi district and executed in what Thadou bodies described as an act of “savagery” that has shaken the conscience of the Christian community and cast May 13 as one of the darkest chapters in India’s church history.
Lamenting the horrifying disregard for the sacred status of Christian clergy, the statement said the revered title of “Reverend,” long held in esteem among believers, was trampled upon by perpetrators whose actions reflected utter brutality and moral collapse. “Their position as servants of God and embodiments of peace should have spared them, but this heinous crime has instead exposed a terrifying erosion of humanity,” the release stated.
The Thadou leadership unequivocally demanded that the government and security apparatus launch an uncompromising manhunt, spare no effort in identifying and apprehending the perpetrators, and ensure immediate justice. It further warned that authorities would be held accountable for any subsequent escalation arising from failure to act decisively.
Expressing profound grief and solidarity with the bereaved families, the Thadou civil society also called upon believers to unite in prayer while seeking divine strength for those devastated by the tragedy, as outrage and mourning continue to spread across the hill districts over what many are calling a calculated and unforgivable massacre of peace emissaries.
