Christian leaders in northeastern Manipur state say houses of Christians, who fled to refugee camps, are burnt down.
Newsdesk (21/06/2023 20:30, Gaudium Press) The northeastern state of Manipur in India continues to experience arson and unrest more than 50 days after an ethnic riot erupted there. As a result, the authorities have extended the ban on internet services until June 25. The violence, which involves clashes between the Meitei and Kuki ethnic groups, has resulted in the loss of over 115 lives and displaced more than 50,000 people, mostly Kuki Christians.
Reports indicate that abandoned houses of displaced Christians are being intentionally burnt down in an attempt to erase their presence. The Manipur state government, which is controlled by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), imposed the internet ban following the outbreak of violence between the Meitei, who are Hindu-majority, and the Kuki, who are Christian-majority. The conflict began when the Meitei attacked a Kuki demonstration opposing a court proposal to grant special tribal status to the Meitei, which would grant them preferential treatment in government jobs, education, and other affirmative programs.
The government has cited the need to maintain law and order and prevent the spread of disinformation and false rumours through social media as reasons for the extended internet ban. It suspects that social media platforms are being used to transmit images, hate speech, and incendiary video messages, which further fuel the unrest and impede peace restoration efforts.
The Catholic Church in Manipur has suffered significant losses, with an initial estimate of approximately 250 million rupees (around US$3.1 million) in damages, including extensive destruction to 10 Catholic churches. The violence also targeted other institutions on the church campus. Police presence during the attacks was reportedly insufficient, leaving the church vulnerable, while subsequent calls for help went unanswered.
Amidst the ongoing tension and displacement of thousands, over 550 civil society groups have written an open letter urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address the sectarian violence and put an end to divisive politics. The letter highlights the displacement of more than 50,000 people, including women and children, who now reside in over 300 refugee camps. It accuses the BJP and its governments of engaging in divisive politics and calls for an immediate halt to the violence.
Rights groups have accused the BJP governments of implicitly supporting hard-line Hindu groups that oppose religious minorities and seek to establish Hindu hegemony. Similar allegations of harassment against Christians and Muslims have been reported in other states where the BJP is in power. The open letter claims that the violence against the Kukis is perpetrated by armed Meitei majoritarian groups, accompanied by genocidal hate speech and displays of supremacy.
Manipur’s population consists of 53% Meiteis and 41.29% Kukis, out of a total population of 3.2 million.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCAN News
