VATICAN The ‘Greta of Manipur’ Licypriya Kangujam with the Pope for an end to violence

The 11-year-old girl spent five days in Italy on the occasion of World Environment Day. She asked the pontiff for help to end fighting between Meitei and tribal groups in the northeastern state. She wants to commit to building an open and free school for the children of the victims of the two parties in the conflict: “It will be a symbol of peace for the whole world.”

Delhi () – Restoring peace in Manipur. This is the request for help addressed to Pope Francis during a meeting in the Vatican on June 5 by the 11-year-old Indian environmentalist Licypriya Kangujam, active in the fight against climate change despite her young age and for this reason known as the “Indian Greta”. Sensitive to ecological issues, without forgetting the tribal violence that bloody the northeast, the young woman presented a memorandum in which she urges rich nations to pay for the losses and damages caused by the climate crisis in the south of the world.

The young woman spent five days in Italy, specifically in Rome, where she participated in the events linked to the “Il Verde e Blu Festival”, on the occasion of UNESCO’s World Environment Day, which is celebrated on June 5. That same day, the Indian ecologist along with four other young people from around the world met with the Pope, who promised his prayers and his commitment to end the clashes that the Meitei have had with tribal groups for more than a month.

Regarding the environment, Pope Francis asked young people to commit themselves to protecting the “common home” by focusing on the natural disasters that increasingly affect the planet, because “protecting it” is a commitment and responsibility of all before God. . During her conversation with the pontiff, Licypriya Kangujam recounted the violence in Manipur and delivered a document on “Climate Education” that should be studied in all Catholic schools and missionary institutes in the world. Because she, she added, there will be no “solution” to the environmental problem if you don’t “educate” yourself on the issue at the same time.

Addressing the Pope, the environmentalist stressed that “with your respected intervention” it will be possible to “stop the violence” between the Kukis community and the Meitei indigenous people of Manipur. Both communities are suffering, dozens of people have been killed and at least 80,000 – from both sides – have lost their homes in just one month of fighting. “Children are desperately waiting for peace,” she added. “We should live in peace and harmony, together”. And with the little ones in mind, the young woman wants to get involved in the construction of a free and open school for the children of the victims of both parties to the conflict, from the first grade to the twelfth grade “The institution will be a symbol of peace for the whole world,” he assured, “and it will be built in a short time.”

After her engagement in Rome, Licypriya Kangujam will be received in Paris from June 19 to 24, where she will participate in a meeting promoted by French President Emmanuel Macron on environmental and climate change issues. Finally, he will travel to Kigali, Rwanda, where next month he will meet with various leaders from the African continent, Nobel laureates and UN officials at a summit where they will also discuss the violence in Manipur and ways to restore peace.