Manipur: Catholic Bishops’ Association Calls Upon ‘Governance System’ to Uphold Secular Fabric
Not for the first time have concerns been expressed over attacks on churches and violence against women and children. New Delhi: The Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) has called for immediate initiation of dialogue between all the concerned stakeholders in Manipur so that peace can return in the state which has seen ethnic violence since May 3. A delegation of the CBCI visited the state recently. The team visited conflict-ridden areas of Kakching, Sugnu area, Pukhao, Canchipur, Sangaiprou, according to the statement issued on July 24. In the aftermath of the visit, the group has expressed surprise at the “prolonged silence” and apathy of the law enforcement agencies. “It is our earnest appeal that the governance system should uphold the secular fabric of our country, reinforce constitutional values and cultivate an environment of peaceful co-existence of various communities,” it said in the statement. The Christian body expressed deep concern over attacks on its religious institutions, places of worship and assault of women and children. During the trip, the team said that it found that the houses of people living in various relief camps have been totally destroyed. The team recorded that St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School and Parish, which rendered educational, social and developmental
Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum lists 14 ‘crimes’ in Manipur, appeals for help
"The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF), a conglomerate of recognised tribes of Churachandpur district in Manipur, has released a list of 14 alleged instances of crimes against Kuki-Zo women during the ongoing unrest. These include the May 4 incident of two women being paraded naked and molested by a mob, a video of which emerged last week. One of the women was allegedly gang-raped. The 16-page document lists atrocities that allegedly took place between May 3, when the violence between Meiteis and Kukis started, and July 6. Both communities have suffered in the unrest, which has claimed at least 152 lives and displaced 60,000 people. ITLF spokesperson Ginza Vualzong told The Telegraph that the atrocities had been documented and made public for possible use by those who want to support the victims, including fighting their cases or writing about their ordeal so that they receive justice. The ITLF spokesperson said that calls could be made to the number, 8826532299, or messages sent to itlfmediacell@gmail.com by those keen on helping the victims. “There were a lot of queries about the crimes committed against women after the video of the two Kuki-Zo women went viral on Wednesday. We thought it would be handy for everyone if we
US Concerned About ‘Brutal’ Sexual Violence Incident in Manipur
New Delhi: The United States on Sunday said it was deeply concerned about reports of sexual violence coming out of Manipur, including the viral video that made headlines across the world and forced the local authorities into action. A US State Department spokesperson called the incident “brutal” and “terrible” and said the United States conveyed its sympathies to the victims, Reuters reported. The incident in question occurred on May 4. Three Kuki women were paraded naked and sexually assaulted allegedly by a mob of Meitei men. An FIR was filed on May 18, but the police and state government jumped into action only after the video of the incident went viral last week. Six arrests have now been made. Multiple incidents of sexual violence have now been reported from strife-torn Manipur, which has been seeing ethnic violence since May 3. About 150 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced since the violence began. Earlier, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti had said that the US was willing to help India deal with the violence “if asked”. “When you ask us about the concern of the United States, I don’t think it’s a strategic concern. I think it’s about human concern… You don’t have
Biren Singh is the Modi of 2002
The Prime Minister cannot criticise or sack the Manipur Chief Minister, for the latter is pursuing the anti-minority model that the former had invented 21 years ago The nation must thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only for belatedly breaking his silence on Manipur, but also for the language he used to condemn the parading of two Kuki women stripped naked in public there, with one of them brutally gang-raped. Modi said his heart was filled with “anger and sorrow” at the barbaric act captured in a video that went viral. His remark is in sharp contrast to the regret he expressed, in 2013, over the 2002 Gujarat riots. If “someone else is driving a car and we’re sitting behind, even then if a puppy comes under the wheel, will it be painful or not? Of course, it is. If I’m a chief minister or not, I’m a human being. If something bad happens anywhere, it is natural to be sad,” Modi told the Reuters news agency. Modi’s sensitivity seems to have deepened ever since he became the Prime Minister in 2014. But he had as the Gujarat Chief Minister provided a model of politics that other chief ministers could follow to enhance
Woman stripped and raped in Manipur speaks: Police were with the mob, they left us with those men
'The police were there with the mob which was attacking our village. The police picked us up from near home, and took us a little away from the village and left us on the road with the mob. We were given to them by police.' A day after a video of two women from the Kuki-Zomi community being paraded naked and sexually assaulted in Manipur surfaced, one of the victims told The Indian Express that they had been “left to the mob by the police”. Two women, one in her 20s and the other in her 40s, can be seen being made to walk naked down a road and towards a field by a mob of men. Some of the men can be seen dragging the two women towards a field and forcibly groping them. In a police complaint that was filed on May 18, the victims had also alleged that the younger woman was “brutally gang raped in the broad daylight”. In the complaint, they had said that they had fled to a forest for shelter after their village in Kangpokpi district, was attacked by a mob and that they were later rescued by Thoubal police and were being taken to the
Meitei Christians find themselves in crossfire of Manipur clashes, call for reconciliation
Philem Rohan Singh, known for his bicycle and motorcycle expeditions across India for numerous social causes since 2018, has one question. “Why am I called Judas Iscariot?” Singh is a Meitei who lives in Imphal. He is also a member of the Ministry of Reconciliation — an independent Church. On his bicycle earlier, and on his electric motorcycle now, he has been flying two flags: the Indian Tricolour and the Salai Taret, which represents the seven clans of the ancient Kangleipak, the old name for Manipur. At least 142 people have been killed and more than 60,000 have been displaced in clashes between the mostly Christian Kuki tribals and the largely Hindu Meiteis since May 3. Pro-Meitei groups have flown the Salai Taret as their banner during these clashes. Singh’s co-religionists from the Kuki community, he says, now liken him to Christ’s disciple Judas who betrayed him to the Jewish clergy. The slur is testimony to how deep and complex the faultlines in Manipur are. “For the charity work I have done, Kukis have contributed lakhs of rupees. I have also given humanitarian assistance to Kuki refugees from Myanmar,” Rohan said. “Two years ago in Moreh, a large number of refugees arrived in a very bad state fleeing
European Parliament Adopts Resolution on Manipur, India Says it Reflects ‘Colonial Mindset’
The adoption took place in the afternoon along with other votes on schedule, just after the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had landed in France for an official visit. New Delhi: The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution that called on Indian authorities to take “all necessary” measures to stop the violence in Manipur and protect religious minorities, especially Christians. India reacted that it was “unacceptable” and reflection of a “colonial mindset”. The resolution was tabled by five political groups and adopted by a show of hands during the plenary session of the European Parliament. The adoption took place in the afternoon along with other votes on schedule, just after the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had landed in France for an official visit. In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “Such interference in India’s internal affairs is unacceptable, and reflects a colonial mindset”. “Indian authorities at all levels, including the judiciary, are seized of the situation in Manipur and are taking steps to maintain peace and harmony and law and order. The European Parliament would be well advised to utilize its time more productively on its internal issues,” he stated. A day earlier, Indian foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra had
