The United Christian Forum of North East India, the apex body of churches in the region, held an emergency meeting in Guwahati on Friday to review the volatile situation in Manipur and urged all churches to hold a special prayer service for peace and normality.

The emergency meeting observed that the situation in Manipur was “still volatile at the moment with various groups vying for power and control”.

“This has led to conflicts, violence, arson and loss of life, which have affected the lives of countless innocent people within the state and the region. In such a situation, it is essential to promote peace, harmony and understanding among all communities to prevent further bloodshed and suffering,” the Forum said.

The emergency meeting followed reports of churches and community members being targetted following the sudden eruption of violence on Wednesday, soon after a solidarity march taken out in 10 hill districts opposing the majority Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The Meiteis, who are largely Hindus, mostly reside in the six valley districts of Manipur.

Christians make up about 42 per cent of the state’s population and they mostly reside in the hills. Although the Christians are mostly from the Naga and Kuki tribes, there are people of the community among Meiteis too.

The chief ministers of Christian-majority Mizoram, Nagaland and Meghalaya have also expressed concern over the trouble in Manipur.

Manipur chief minister N. Biren Singh had on Thursday appealed for peace and also to “stop attacks on religious places such as temples, churches, etc, immediately and not to lend a communal colour to the crisis”.

Promising stern action against those involved in fuelling unrest, Singh had said “some incidents of clashes, vandalism, arson have been reported in Imphal, Churachandpur, Kangpokpi,Moreh, among others”, and that “precious lives have been lost besides damage of properties”.

Allen Brooks, spokesperson for the United Christian Forum of NEI, said its members had appealed to all communities to “pray” for peace in Manipur.

“On Sunday, the Forum has invited all churches and denominations to join in a collective effort to pray for peace, harmony, and the stopping of all violence and killing in Manipur during the prayer services in their respective churches and fellowships,” he said.

“By doing so, the Forum members feel, we can collectively contribute to a more peaceful and stable environment in the region and promote a positive change for the better while respecting humanity,” Brooks said.

Though the administration has not released figures of casualties or injury or properties or religious places targetted, the Meghalaya-based Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum (KJCLF) had in a media release on Thursday evening claimed that about 24 churches had been “desecrated, ransacked or burnt down” in Manipur.