Violence and State Inaction in Manipur Condemned Across the World
The ongoing ethnic/religious violence in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur and the lack of adequate response from the state have been condemned by people and organizations around the world. The violence erupted on May 3 after the Kuki-Zomi community protested against the Meitei demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The majority Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipur’s population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 percent and reside mostly in the hill districts. Reports of tribal Kuki attacks on ethnic Meiteis circulated immediately after the protest, which in turn plunged the Imphal Valley which accommodates 90% of Manipur’s population into an outburst of violence against Kuki tribal Christians. At the same time, ethnic Meitei settlements in the Kuki-dominated hills surrounding the valley also were the targets of violence. While the official death count now totaling around 150, with the overwhelming majority of the victims being Kuki Christians, human rights observers estimate the figure to be underestimated. Nearly 60,000 people, most of them Kuki Christians, now have fled their homes to the Kuki-dominated hills and to other states to escape the arson attacks, and more than 300 churches have been burned and
357 Churches in India Set On Fire With the Support of the Authorities
(ZENIT News) The Thursday, 20th July the monsoon session of India’s parliament was disrupted by politicians demanding an emergency debate on a video footage of two women being led naked by a mob in Manipur – before they were gang raped, according to reports. The event occurred on 4th May, the day after the uprisings which spiraled into violence against the Christian-majority Kuki and Naga ethnic groups broke out, but the footage only surfaced on the web (Wednesday, 19th July). Although reports have not confirmed that the women were Christian, they belong to the Kuki ethnic group. Last week, senior BJP politician R Vanramchhuanga resigned over his party’s failure to condemn violence against Christians. In his resignation letter, dated 13th July, Vanramchhuanga wrote that even though 357 churches and other buildings belonging to Christian organizations had been destroyed by Meitei militants in Manipur that BJP leaders from local and national governments had not spoken out against the targeting of Christians. Christians belonging to the Meitei ethnic group were also targeted during the attacks. The vicious persecution in India’s Manipur state – where hundreds of churches have been destroyed – has entered a new stage as a video showing women being paraded naked went viral. Vanramchhuanga,
Extremists Are Destroying Indian Christians’ Homes and Shattering Their Lives
For nearly two decades, mob violence has driven believers from their communities and upended their sense of security. Since the beginning of May, ethnic and religious violence in Manipur, a state in northeast India, has resulted in the deaths of at least 142 people, the destruction of over 300 churches and hundreds of villages, and one of the largest violence-driven internal displacements in recent Indian history. A fact-finding team that visited earlier this month reported that the clashes were “state-sponsored,” and the violence has uprooted more than 65,000 people from their homes and forced them to seek shelter elsewhere. India records the highest numbers of internal displacements annually, primarily due to natural disasters. But recent communal violence and persecution against religious minorities has wreaked havoc in numerous Indian states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha. While the government has an official legal framework for helping communities displaced by natural disasters and development projects, it has none for those displaced by violence or manmade conflict. Instead, the level of response has varied widely depending on public sympathy for the victims, media attention, and protests by those affected. Rehabilitation, including the provision of permanent shelter, jobs, and education, remains a significant challenge for the government
Seven Christians Are Seriously Injured in an Attack in Central India
07/25/2023 India (International Christian Concern) – In a brutal attack against Christians in a central Indian state, seven people—including three women—sustained life-threatening injuries earlier this month. The atrocious incident took place in the village of Bhaganpal in the Baster district of Chhattisgarh state. All seven victims were rushed to the public hospital in Jagdalpur. “Christians in Bhaganpal village have been harassed since March this year,” a local pastor said when speaking to an ICC correspondent. The pastor added that, “The Christians were summoned at the village gathering twice in the last two months, to persuade them to reconvert back to their previous religion. Things are becoming increasingly difficult for Christians to practice their faith.” As 60 Christians gathered for a Sunday service, a mob of around 15 radical Hindu nationalists burst into the congregation and began to beat the worshippers, another source said. The mob attacked the congregants with sharp stones and heavy bludgeons, leaving seven people seriously injured, including one whose hand was fractured, one who needed stitches, and another who was unconscious for four hours. The victims are frightened and taking shelter in a different village at a Christian house, cared for by fellow believers. “Their lives are under danger if
Indian pastor, six others arrested on ‘conversion’ charges
The police in northern Uttar Pradesh state arrived during the Sunday service and also sealed the prayer hall Seven Christians, including a pastor and a woman, were arrested and their prayer hall was sealed by police in a northern Indian state for alleged violation of the stringent anti-conversion law. Police in northern Uttar Pradesh state interrupted a Sunday prayer service on July 23 at Badesar village in Ghazipur district. They took the pastor and six others to the police station, where they were retained for a night. All seven were presented in a local court on July 24 and were remanded in judicial custody. “It is totally a false case against our people,” said Vikrant Kumar John, son of arrested pastor Vinod Kumar James, who heads the Protestant James Prarthana Bhavan (Prayer Hall) at Badesar. >John told UCA News on July 25 that a 50-strong police team came during the Sunday service. “They rushed inside the church and stopped the prayer service, accusing us of conducting religious conversion,” he said. They also seized copies of the Bible and other Christian books, he added. Nearly 700 people were attending the service. They arrested the pastor and six others and allowed the others to go home. "The police seemed to be acting as
Indian-Americans hold protests against Manipur violence in 3 US states
Indian-Americans and allies held protests in US states of California, New Jersey, and Massachusetts throughout the weekend to condemn the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, which has left hundreds of people dead and thousands displaced. The protests were in part a response to a horrific video last week, showing two young tribal women being paraded naked while being molested by a group of men in the violence-hit state. In California, Indian-Americans and allies gathered on the steps of Oakland City Hall for a protest organised by several advocacy groups, including the North American Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA), Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and Ambedkar King Study Circle. “They chased us out of our homes. They burned our homes, our properties. They looted, they killed, they raped, they immolated, they beheaded, they’ve left us broken and everything we own reduced to ashes,” said Niang Hangzo, founding member of NAMTA. “This is the butchery being done to the Kuki-Zomi… How long will the world stay silent? We want the House to bring this issue and discuss it like the EU (Parliament) has done.” T he European Parliament had adopted a resolution earlier this month, calling on Indian authorities to take “all necessary” measures to stop the violence
Clergy abuse ‘swept under the carpet’ in Indian Church
Indian Christian nuns and Muslim supporters demand the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, after he was accused of raping a nun, outside the High Court in Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Sept. 13, 2018. Rape charges were officially filed against him in April 2019. (Photo: AFP) On June 1, the Vatican accepted the resignation of Indian Bishop Franco Mulakkal, almost five years after police arrested him on charges of raping a nun. The Vatican “requested” his resignation, said a statement from the apostolic nunciature in India, adding that this action should not be seen as a “disciplinary measure imposed upon” the bishop. The Mulakkal case has once again revived the demand for speedy and transparent action into allegations of clerical abuse in India as delays can lead to embarrassment for Christians, who make up 2.3 percent in the Hindu majority nation of 1.4 billion people. The Vatican's move in the Mulakkal case came 18 months after a lower court acquitted him, and when an appeal against the acquittal is pending in a higher court. Mulakkal is the fourth Catholic bishop to resign over allegations of sexual abuse in India — all in the past 15 years. In all four cases, the hierarchy
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
PM Modi’s Responses to Crises Show He Only Has Time for Politics – and Not Humanity
Most recently, his remarks on the Manipur violence displayed a lack of natural human response to others' pain and suffering. There seems to be a pattern to how some political leaders are hardwired in their response to the requirements of power politics. Since India has one important state election or the other every year, the tendency to constantly address one’s voters has become a permanent feature of realpolitik. But there may be extremely adverse or tragic situations which call for an instinctively human rather than a calculated power response. Prime Minister Narendra Modi clearly displayed a lack of natural human response when he broke his silence on the Manipur violence after nearly 80 days and spoke about the strip parading and gang rape of three Manipuri women. His overall reaction may even be bordering on the lack of empathy in its manifest moral ambiguity over the overwhelming tragedy of Manipur. Modi expressed sadness and anger over the public humiliation and gang rape of the Manipuri women, but his overall statement was a loaded one which was essentially addressing power politics. Couldn’t there have been a pure human response from Modi on just this one occasion? His mention of Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh along with Manipur
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
