In a show of solidarity, several churches in Mizoram held special prayers for the restoration of peace in the conflict-stricken region of Manipur. The Mizoram Kohhran Hruaitute Committee (MKHC), comprising prominent church leaders, and the North East India Council of Churches (NEICC) had called for these prayers, which took place on Saturday night and Sunday.

Earlier, the MKHC and the Mizoram Presbyterian Church had expressed deep concern over the ongoing ethnic clashes in Manipur, which began on May 3, and had extended their support to those affected. They also strongly condemned the incidents of church burnings and vandalism targeting religious structures.

Meanwhile, Mizoram is currently facing a financial strain as it awaits monetary assistance from the central government to provide relief to over 12,300 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Manipur, according to an official statement. The state’s finance department has allocated Rs 5 crore to the Executive Committee on IDPs to support relief efforts.

To raise additional funds, the state government has decided to seek contributions from ministers, legislators, corporators, employees of central and state government departments, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and commercial banks, among others.

According to the state’s home department, a total of 12,344 individuals from Manipur are currently seeking shelter in 11 districts of Mizoram. Among them, the highest number of IDPs, 4,383, are being hosted in the northern Mizoram district of Kolasib, followed by Aizawl, which borders Manipur, with 4,167 IDPs, and Saitual with 2,940 IDPs.