Imphal, May 08, 2023 (PPI-OT): At least 60 people, including women, have been killed and 231 people injured while 1,700 houses have been burnt down in the ethnic violence in Indian state Manipur. The Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Minister, N. Biren Singh, talking to media men admitted that so far 35,655 persons, hit by the violence, including 1,593 students, have been moved to other locations since May 3.

Around 10,000 people remain stranded, he said.

Meanwhile, 50-year-old pastor, a Kuki, is among the 5,000 Christian victims of violence sheltering at a displaced camp in Mantripukhri on the outskirts of Imphal in Manipur. Khongsai’s family arrived at the camp two days ago after a Hindu mob burnt down his church, the theological college where he taught, and the quarters he had called home for 20 years. The pastor put up at the camp two days later, after helping other victims. The conflict in Manipur between the Hindu Meitei majority, concentrated in the Imphal valley, and the mostly Christian Kukis, based largely in the hills, has affected both the well-to-do and the poor and taken a heavy toll on life and property.

“My wife and children shifted to the camp on Thursday after a 100-strong mob entered the Kuki Christian Church compound in Imphal City and wreaked havoc,” Khongsai said. “We had to run for our lives. The security forces couldn’t control (the situation). I shifted to the camp on Saturday after taking care of those left behind on the compound.” Of the around 300 people who lived on the church compound, more than 100 have moved to the relief camp, which is also sheltering members of other tribes, Khongsai said.

He wants to move to Kangpokpi, about 30km from the relief camp in Imphal, where the family has relatives. “Besides me, my wife and our three children, we also have 15 relatives in the camp. My sister-in-law is pregnant. Please help us shift,” he said. “I only have the T-shirt and the trousers I’m wearing. We couldn’t save anything.” Khongsai said he had “secretly” visited the church compound, 7km from the relief camp, once – inmates are not allowed to venture out in view of the security risk. “Nothing is left; whatever was left got looted,” he said. Khongsai added: “It will be very difficult for us to return to Imphal. Pray for us, pray for peace.”

Khongsai said the camp inmates received two meals a day. He added that over 10,000 people were staying in relief camps in their “own city”. The violence broke out on May 3 in connection with the Hindu Meiteis’ demand for Scheduled Tribe status, which is opposed by the state’s tribal populace, including Kukis and Nagas who enjoy ST status. The Indian army said that 23,000 people had been “rescued” and moved to the force’s “operating bases/ military garrisons.”

Minorities are being targeted in BJP-ruled India, Christians are under growing attack by Hindu extremists in the volatile Indian state of Manipur, where 41 churches have been razed to the ground as the mobs went on a rampage, burning houses and vehicles, and business establishments and even hospitals belonging to the Christian community. At least 25 Christian churches and many houses have been burned by Hindus in just a small area of Rani Veng, Jiribam area of the state, so far, over the past few days.

Videos showing the houses and churches on fire are circulating on social media with activists lashing out at Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for keeping mum over the attacks. “Modi is relishing it and even celebrating I presume because he hasn’t uttered a single word. He’s busy with his new Topi which he will wear tomorrow,” wrote an activist, Karan, on his twitter account. Commenting on the house-burning videos, another activist, Ravikumar Stephen, wrote: “Is the violence spreading to other parts of the North East?” More than 50 persons were killed in ethnic violence on Wednesday, 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 tribespeople, a move opposed by extant tribal groups who are mainly Christian.

The petition, filed on Saturday was listed for hearing, a three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice and accompanied by Justices P. S. Narasimha and J. B. Pardiwala. The petition filed by Manipur Tribal Forum, through advocate Satya Mitra and senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, said the situation in the State was “extreme” and these “attacks had the full support of the party 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”. The Manipur Tribal Forum said there have been sparks even in the national capital where Kukis have come under attack by the “dominant community”.

“The assaults have also spread to Delhi where the Kukis in Delhi are also coming under attack by the dominant community. Similar attacks are also taking place in Meghalaya,” it said. The petition said armed groups were seen roving with semi-automatic weapons, doing house searches, in Manipur. “Petitioners have a few videos and photos of the assailants during the assault on the tribals and some of these videos and photos show burning of churches, beating of tribals and assailants walking around with semi-automatic weapons, which is surprising because even the police force would not be in possession of such modern and deadly weapons,” the petition said. It said there was also a spread of online hate speech.

“Up to today, approximately 41 churches have been razed to the ground, wherein the mobs went on a rampage, burning houses and vehicles, and business establishments and even hospitals belonging to the tribals,” the petition said. It has asked the apex court to order a team to be put together to conduct an inquiry into the villages burnt and assess the value of property destroyed in the violence. The petition has listed at least 58 villages in this regard. The petition said the state should be directed to compensate the people and reconstruct the churches.

“Thirty tribals were killed by the dominant community and 132 injured… Neither FIR was registered nor was there any investigation taking place as the police itself is on the side of the dominant community and has stood by idle while the killings took place,” the petition alleged. The forum has urged the court to direct a special investigation team to be headed by a former director general of police of Assam to investigate and prosecute the crimes. The tribal body has said that the conditions faced by tribal people sheltered in six police force camps are “deplorable and pathetic”.

“Each of them holds approximately a thousand-odd tribals and more, with many of them without food and most of them have not been able to have a bath for days. Their conditions are deplorable and pathetic,” the petition said. It has sought a direction to take the tribal people back to their homes in the hill districts. The Bench would also hear a separate petition filed by Chairman of the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, Dinganglung Gangmei, who has challenged a State High Court order to grant Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community. The petition alleged that the High Court order led to the Meitei-Kuki clashes in Manipur.

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