Violence in Manipur is a silent attack on Christians in India: British MP

LONDON: The violence in Manipur was raised during a backbench business debate in the House of Commons on Tuesday, with one British MP describing it as a “silent attack on Christians in India”.

Democratic Unionist Party MP Jim Shannon repeatedly asked UK minister for the Indo-Pacific Anne-Marie Trevelyan during the debate on freedom of religion and belief in Westminster Hall whether UK prime minister Rishi Sunak had raised the violence in Manipur in any formal discussions with the Indian government during his trip to New Delhi for the G20 summit.

He also wanted to know whether Trevelyan would raise with her Indian counterparts the issue of access to Manipur for journalists and human rights monitors.

“There are big issues in India,and if our prime minister does not ask those questions when he is in India, there is something seriously wrong,” Shannon said.

“The events in Manipur might be classed as originating in tribal or ethnic tensions, but the Manipur violence has silently been an attack on Christians in India. It is striking that local police and state government sat by as arson destroyed the properties, homes and lives of minority and religious groups.

The perpetrators of the violence are understood to be from Hindu extremist backgrounds, whereas the victims are predominantly Christians. Some 230 churches were destroyed over a four-day period. Many perpetrators of the violence did not act in a random manner; their violence was deliberately targeted at Christians, and they wanted them to flee their lands,” Shannon, chair of the all-party parliamentary group for international freedom of religion or belief, claimed.

He claimed the situation in Manipur has “escalated even further, with 60,000 people now displaced and 360 churches damaged”. “We give India and Pakistan substantial aid. If we make that conditional, we can effect some change,” he suggested.

Trevelyan said she was not privy to the conversations Sunak had in India, but that she always “raises issues of concern”. “We have very clear and direct private conversations at every level where we feel that is appropriate, and India is no different from any other country.

He claimed the situation in Manipur has “escalated even further, with 60,000 people now displaced and 360 churches damaged”. “We give India and Pakistan substantial aid. If we make that conditional, we can effect some change,” he suggested.

Trevelyan said she was not privy to the conversations Sunak had in India, but that she always “raises issues of concern”. “We have very clear and direct private conversations at every level where we feel that is appropriate, and India is no different from any other country.

But I am happy to ask the prime minister’s office to get back to the Hon. member,” she said.

Downing Street pointed to the UK readout of the PM’s bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi which does not mention Manipur.

The oppression of Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan was also raised during the debate.

 

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