As a Christian from Manipur, it pains me deeply to see our own people spreading hatred and false propaganda against one another on social media. We are Kuki and Naga, two communities that have lived side by side for generations, sharing the same hills, the same struggles and, most importantly, the same faith in Jesus Christ. Yet today, we allow fake news, edited videos and hate speech created by a few divisive minds to turn us into enemies. This is not who we are, and it is not what Christ taught us.
The Bible gives us a clear and non-negotiable command. Love your neighbour as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these, Mark 12:31. This was not a suggestion but a commandment. Our neighbour is not only one who belongs to our tribe, village or church denomination. The Naga is the neighbour of the Kuki, and the Kuki is the neighbour of the Naga. How can we claim to love God, whom we have not seen, if we hate our brother whom we see every day?
What is happening on Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube today is dangerous. Fake accounts, often bearing neither Kuki nor Naga names, spread lies that the other community is planning an attack, insult our church leaders and distort history to provoke anger. Without verification, we Christians share these posts, add abusive comments and deepen the hatred. We forget that Satan is the father of lies, John 8:44. When we circulate unverified propaganda, we do not serve God; we serve the enemy.
As Christians, our identity in Christ must be greater than our tribal identity. It is good to be proud of being Kuki or Naga; that pride is God-given. But when tribal pride turns into hatred, it becomes sin. As Apostle Paul reminds us, And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity, Colossians 3:14. If our faith cannot keep Kuki and Naga united, how can we testify to the world that Christ brings reconciliation?
The prolonged conflict in Manipur has wounded us all. Both Kuki and Naga have suffered and know what it means to be misunderstood, vilified and targeted by false narratives. Having tasted injustice ourselves, we should be the first to oppose it, not to inflict it on our fellow Christian neighbour through fake propaganda.
Jesus also asked a question we have forgotten in our dispute over land and boundaries: What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Mark 8:36-37 and Matthew 16:26. One human life is more precious than the whole world. Land will remain, and boundaries can be redrawn by governments, but once a life is lost and brotherhood is broken, it cannot be restored. God created man in His own image, Genesis 1:27; He did not create land in His image.
Therefore, my humble appeal to every Kuki and Naga Christian, especially the youth, is this: stop fighting over land and boundaries and stop sharing hatred. Before forwarding a post, verify it. Before commenting in anger, pray. Unfollow pages that profit from our division and listen to our pastors and elders who preach forgiveness and peace. Let our churches in Songpi, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, Senapati and Ukhrul proclaim the same message of reconciliation this Sunday.
Let history remember us not as the generation of Kuki and Naga who fought each other online for soil while others rejoiced at our division, but as the generation that chose soul over soil, brother over boundary, and obeyed Christ by loving its neighbour as itself. If we do that, no propaganda can divide us, and our Christian witness in India will be stronger than ever.
