Tribal Christians avoid travel fearing attack in India’s Manipur

A tribal body in India’s strife-torn Manipur has announced a four-day travel advisory for Christians, cautioning them against an impending attack by their rival Hindu group.

The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) on Sept. 24 urged Kuki-Zo tribal Christians in the hilly state in northeastern India not to venture out of their areas as the Hindu Meitei community may launch an attack between Sept. 26 and 29.

The ITLF has put all village volunteers on high alert, especially in its stronghold in Churachandpur district, where tribal students started a riot 16 months ago.

The tribal body also announced the closure of schools, other institutions and offices from Sept. 27-29 and a total shutdown on Sept. 28.

In a statement on Sept. 24, ITLF said the Manipur government recently accumulated highly advanced Medium Machine Gun (MMG) MK 2A1 weapons, and state security advisor Kuldiep Singh hinted at an impending “attack” on Sept. 28.

“Previously, an assault on Kuki-Zo occurred shortly after the Manipur government issued a warning of an attack by 200 Kuki militants,” it noted.

“This is their strategy to target us. They use the media to blame the Kuki-Zo for everything and Meitei militants attack us,” a Church leader who did not want to be named told UCA News on Sept. 25.

He said if the government has information about an impending attack by Kuki militants why not check them.

“This announcement is a smokescreen to target us,” he added.

We need to be cautious as the state government, led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party is backing the Meiteis.

“Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh is a Meitei himself,” added the Church leader.

Singh has accused Christians of a role in the narcotic trade because many among them have ethnic and family ties in neighboring Myanmar. The civil war-hit nation is the largest producer of opium in the world.

Indigenous people are now seeking a separate administration. But, the majority Meiteis are against the bifurcation of the state.

Tribal Christians, who make up 41 percent of the 3.2 million people in Manipur are against the move by the state government to confer tribal status on the Meitei community, who account for 53 percent and stay in the valleys.

Their communal strife started on May 3 last year and has claimed over 230 lives and displaced over 60,000 people, most of them Christians, who stay in the hilly districts.

Christians are up in arms against the move to confer tribal status on the Meiteis to avail benefits like job quotas in state-run institutions and reservations in educational institutions under India’s affirmation action policy.

The status will allow the influential Meitei community to buy land in indigenous areas in the districts of Senapati, Tamenglong, Churachandpur, Chandel, and Ukhrul, Christians allege.

This article is originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/tribal-christians-avoid-travel-fearing-attack-in-indias-manipur/106516