Standing Tall: A Christmas Message of Resilience and Hope for Manipur

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shone. For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace - Isaiah 9:2, 6 NKJV.

A few months ago, I visited the ruins of Waverley Abbey in Surrey and saw a yew tree that left me amazed. The tree has stood through about five centuries of winters, surviving as the monastery fell into ruins. It grew deeper roots and kept living among the stones. Today, it is Britain’s Tree of the Year for its resilience and refusal to give in to the destruction around it.

As Christmas approaches and lights begin to glow across the hills and valleys of Manipur, I think of this tree and the people of our beloved state who have endured their own season of ruins. Many readers could have lost homes, loved ones, and a sense of safety and belonging in Manipur.

I have experienced the pain - my family comes from the hills of Manipur, but I grew up in Imphal, with ties to both the hills and the valley, to people now split by fear and suspicion. When our home burned, our photos and the small keepsakes of our family history went up in flames with it. I spent days frozen in shock. Some nights, when I recalled our home, I wished it were a bad dream and that we could turn back time and stop it.

I advocate for peace, but many people dismiss me, saying I do not understand loss. Of course, I do understand, as I have suffered too, lost irreplaceable memories, and my immediate family is displaced. I choose peace in God over anger. The past is gone, history cannot be rewritten, and we do not gain anything by staying in grief or the blame game. People make mistakes when emotions run high. We need to move forward and focus on what we will do now.

When Speech Dies, Violence Begins

Violence in Manipur grew when people stopped talking and listening, and trust between neighbours broke down into silence and suspicion. Mothers began staying alert through the night. Fathers are worried about their fields, as they are their source of livelihood. Elders grieved not only for what was lost but for relationships broken across the land. It reminds me of my dad, who passed away some years ago. If he were still alive, he would be so upset, as he has many good friends in the community and has told us his story in Imphal city as a young lad, with full determination and hope, and cherished his hard work.

No doubt it is our dark days, I faced a choice that many of you have faced or are facing still: would I allow my grief to harden into bitterness, or would I choose a different path? The losses seemed beyond recovery. The suffering appeared to have no purpose. Yet somewhere in that darkness, I heard words that would not let me go: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” - Matthew 5:9 NIV.

I chose to be a peacemaker because it is the only way to break the cycle of suffering. I see everyone in Manipur as one family and carry their pain. We want future generations to avoid the agony our people have endured, and we urge others in the community to step up as well. This Christmas, we speak honestly with people about deep wounds and heavy darkness, pointing to a light, lasting hope, and resilience that does not give in.

The Light Born in Darkness

Christmas is the story of hope arriving in the most unlikely circumstances. Jesus was born among an oppressed people to a poor couple. From that humble beginning came a message so powerful that it has transformed lives across the world: the message that we are to love our enemies and forgive one another, which is not that easy to follow practically, but can be done with the help of our Saviour, Jesus.

Like the yew growing from ruins, this hope stays firm through hardship. It does not depend on circumstances being perfect or problems being solved. It grows in the cracks, sends roots deep into broken foundations, and draws life from what others see as only death.

Would you agree with me that Manipur needs a Christmas message of hope? Violence and hatred do not win; love, peace, and hope do, as there are many people in the community who understand the ugliness of the current conflict. Hope needs action, not waiting. Like the Waverley yew, resilience comes from daily choices over time, growing deeper roots and wider branches through hardship.

Choosing Life: Practical Steps Towards Peace

If we want healing for Manipur, choosing the same path is the need of the hour - Peace arrives through many small acts of courage, repeatedly until new habits take hold.

Seeing each other as humans again: Christmas offers the best time to build peace through small acts of kindness and hospitality, to renew our lives, and to impact the community. Acts such as sharing meals, listening without judgment, spending time together, and building trust through repeated gestures can mean a lot to others, especially those who have lost their loved ones.

Investing in our youth: Young people are our pillars for future generations, facing risks such as recruitment as volunteers, exploitation, and addiction, but they also offer hope. It is important that we support them with good education, sports, skills training, and cultural programs, along with steady adult guidance and community.

Addressing the shadow of illicit poppy cultivation that spreads across our land: Some farmland now supports addiction instead of food, worsening the crisis. Helping families shift back to legal crops with cooperatives, microfinance, market access, and sustainable farming that restores soil and forests is needed for a lasting solution.

Offering paths to recovery for those trapped in addiction with empathy: Supporting rehabilitation centres and recovery with jobs, structure, and community reintegration; providing families with education, support groups, and an end to stigma; and providing care for those who suffer as a core moral duty.

The Deeper Connection

There is a profound connection between the yew tree and Christmas that gives me strength when this work feels impossible. In many old churchyards throughout Britain, yew trees were planted because they symbolise eternal life. Their wood is nearly imperishable. They can regenerate from seemingly dead trunks. They outlive the stones around them.

The yew at Waverley grows surrounded by ruins, just as the resurrection story emerged from a stone tomb. Both speak of life that cannot be contained by death. As per BBC, November 4, 2022, the Woodland Trust stated that the roots of this ancient yew are growing into and around the ruins of the first Cistercian monastery founded in Britain nine hundred years ago. Yes, the living and the dead, the present and the past, are beautifully intertwined in a testament to endurance.

What a beautiful ultimate Christmas promise: life is stronger than death, love is more powerful than hatred, and hope endures when everything else has crumbled.

An Invitation to Walk Together

The conflict will end, as other conflicts have ended in history. Has anyone gained from it, since it has taken lives, damaged young people, and left many widows, widowers, and orphans?  It has also put hard-earned and inherited wealth at risk. I personally have faced loss too, yet I found a new purpose and saw reconciliation through repeated choices. Let us call for Christmas prayers for healing between divided families, hope and purpose for youth, land turned from poppy to food, recovery from addiction, and comfort for those who grieve.

It is incredible that the yew still stands after five hundred years by holding firm to its roots. Manipur will stand too, when we choose to hold onto what is true, what is good, and what gives life. Let us forgive one another, embrace peace, and move forward - for our own well-being and for future generations.

Peacemaking is challenging and could be lonely, as many prefer to stay silent, but it leads to home. Well, this Christmas, let us choose together the right thing, as better late than never, and not let violence have the final word. We pray that this Christmas brings true blessings from our Saviour with the true meaning of Christmas, and that the year ahead holds love, peace, and hope as we collectively begin a new chapter in our lives. Like the yew at Waverley, let us choose resilience, choose hope, and choose life each day, until healing becomes your foundation and peace becomes home. The ruins do not define us, but how we rise from them does. Stand tall, Manipur -  the true light has come!

Wishing you a blessed and redemptive Christmas, and may the New Year bring love, peace, and renewed hope!

Statement: I do not support illegal poppy cultivation. I support sustainable alternatives that strengthen society and help affected farmers in Manipur. I stand firmly behind the Manipur Government's  "War on Drugs" campaign. As a strong, united community, we must work alongside government agencies that are helping farmers abandon illegal poppy farming. We, the people of Manipur, can eliminate unlawful poppy cultivation through collective effort. I call upon the entire Manipur community to unite as one team in this fight against illegal cultivation of poppy, working together to create sustainable livelihoods and a healthier future for all.

The author is an international development consultant specialising in agriculture, horticulture, and sustainable development.