Tribal body in India’s Manipur condemns attack on office

A tribal Christian forum in the strife-torn northeast Indian state of Manipur has condemned the attacks on its office and its spokesperson in two separate incidents.The attackers “destroyed computers and documents” at the office of the Indigenous Tribal Leader’s Forum (ITLF) in Churachandpur district on March 17 night,  a church leader who did not want to be named told UCA News on March 19.

In another incident on the same night some people attacked the home of ITLF spokesperson Pu Ginza Vualzong in an attempt to kill him, the organization said in the March 18 statement.The tribal forum represents ethnic Christians in the state.The district, a stronghold of Kuki-Zo tribal Christians, has been tense since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur 10 months ago.

The ITLF statement condemned the attacks.“The ITLF will not tolerate these heinous acts and won’t stop until the alleged offenders come out and settle the matter as soon as possible,” it said in the statement.The Zomi Student Federation (ZSF), the students’ arm of the indigenous Zomi community, condemned the violent act in the Churachandpur district, which is regarded as a stronghold of tribal Christians.

“ZSF will not remain silent if the same act of aggression or invasion by one or more persons, groups, associations or organizations is repeated in the future,” it warned.The ITLF and ZSF, however, have not named anyone for the violence.“We do not know exactly who are behind these attacks,” a Church leader who did not want to be named told UCA News on March 19.

The hilly state has witnessed unprecedented violence between Hindu majority Meities and indigenous Kuki Christians since May 3, 2023.The Christians are protesting against the government’s move to accord tribal status to the Meities, which will enable them to avail educational and job benefits under India’s affirmative action program.

The violence has led to the burning of Christian houses and businesses. Over 350 churches and other Christian institutions were destroyed. The death toll stands at 219 with a majority of the dead belonging to tribal Christian communities.The violence has displaced more than 50,000 indigenous people and many still live in relief camps.

Among Manipur’s 3.2 million people, 53 percent are Hindus, mostly Meiteis, while Christians are 41 percent, most of them Kuki-Zo tribal people.The tribal Christian groups have started demanding a separate state or administration for themselves as they are not getting justice from the current dispensation, headed by the pro-Hindu party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Modi has not visited Manipur, despite strong criticism from his political opponents and rights organizations.

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