MOON Desk: The local Catholic Church has been shocked by the outburst of ethnic conflict in Manipur state in northeast India. “This violence is the worst in the history of Manipur,” Archbishop Dominic Lumon of Imphal, told the Register.
Amid minorities being targeted in BJP-ruled India, Christians are under growing attack by Hindu extremists in the volatile Indian state of Manipur.
Manipur State has 41.39% Hindus, 41.29% Christians & 8.4% Muslims. RSS mentored Modi plans to convert India as Hindu Rashtra – at the cost of communal diversity of country. Thus a Hinduized state is now being transformed into a Hindutivized polity.
As per statistics published by Churachandpur District Christian Goodwill Church, 121 churches and buildings have been torched/ destroyed.
Aside from looting the valuables from house/ business centers owned by Tribals, their properties worth millions of rupees have been destroyed/ set ablaze.
The reports suggest ‘the callous indifference or even involvement of the BJP in orchestrating this communal clash.
Scheduled Tribes (ST) population (predominantly Christians) is being targeted for its opposition to High Court decision of likely award of ST status to Meiteis community (predominantly Hindus).
Tribal population has under Article 371C protected privileges like job quotas, admission in educational institutes & bar on non-Scheduled Tribes (Meiteis) from buying land in hill districts.
BJP led Manipur State govt wants to undo Article 371C on same pattern as Modi did in IIOJK. To get rid of Hindutva yoke, ST (Christians) demand for separate/ independent state is justified.
Since 3 May 2023, tens of thousands of victims, majority of them Christians, have fled as their homes and businesses have gone up in flames.
Everything with a Christian identity/ mark being attacked by Meitei majority community in Manipur.
In view of Hindu majoritarianism brutally prevalent elsewhere across India where Muslims, Sikhs, even Dalits (low Castes) are being persecuted, for Tribals of Manipur ‘Separation’ is the only solution.
More than 50 persons killed, left hundreds hospitalized and displaced 23,000 in Manipur violence, which saw assaults on and destruction of dozens of churches. Reports say the majority Hindu Meiti community is seeking to be given the status of Manipur’s tribes people, a move opposed by extant tribal groups who are mainly Christian.
The petition filed by Manipur Tribal Forum, through advocate Satya Mitra and senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, said, the situation in the State is “extreme” and these “attacks had the full support of BJP in power in the State as well as the Centre which supports the dominant group and has planned the attacks on account of a non-secular agenda”.
