Mapao Zingtun emerges as symbol of coexistence amid ongoing conflict

A village in Kangpokpi district, where coexistence is still in practice amidst the prolonged ethnic conflict in Manipur, is planning a peace initiative that will send out a wider message of reconciliation. Mapao Zingtun, a place where people from the Meitei and Kuki communities continue to stay and study together, will host the Manipur Peace Initiative Programme on December 4, 2025, at the Needy Home Academy campus.
According to a press statement issued by Dr. Atom Sunil Singh, Director of Sorshia Christian College, the programme is being jointly organised by Needy Home Academy, Sorshia Christian College and the Mapao Zingtun Village authority. He said that even as the rest of Manipur has been divided into mono-ethnic zones following the violence of May 2023, Mapao Zingtun has continued to maintain mixed classrooms and hostels, offering a rare example of ongoing coexistence between Meitei and Kuki children.
Organisers said the initiative aims to open this model of peaceful living to the wider public, showing that reconciliation is still possible. They pointed out that Mapao Zingtun, located about 25 km north of Imphal, has seen children from both communities studying, residing, and interacting together even at the height of the conflict-a significant message for the rest of the state.
In the statement, Principal of Sorshia Christian College and co-founder of Needy Home Academy, Dr. R. Chance, was quoted as saying that students in Mapao Zingtun learn to relate with one another first as classmates and friends, and such experiences could serve as an example for adults across Manipur. He reportedly emphasized that if youth in a conflict-affected district could peacefully coexist, others elsewhere should also be able to rebuild lost trust.
Dr. Atom Sunil Singh was further quoted as saying that the programme is meant to be a small but sure step within the larger journey of Manipur from relief camps to renewed community life. He had added that Mapao Zingtun needs to serve as a reminder that the long-term goal needs to be coexistence, not permanent segregation.
Organisers said the Manipur Peace Initiative Programme will be launched at 12 noon on December 4, and invited media organisations, church bodies, civil society groups, student unions and members of the public to witness it at Needy Home Academy, Mapao Zingtun.