INDIA Church builds 600 houses for displaced people in Manipur

More than 60,000 people have been displaced by violent clashes between the Meitei and Kuki ethnic groups that began in May 2023. The Archdiocese of Imphal has begun building houses for those who have lost everything. Vicar General Fr Varghese Velickakam explained that “the displaced want to live in peace and dignity.” Catholic priests across India have also mobilised to cover the costs with a community collection.

Imphal () – A housing rehabilitation project to provide aid to the many displaced families from Manipur, victims of the violence between the Meitei and Kuki ethnic groups that broke out in May 2023. This is the new face of the concrete commitment of the Archdiocese of the Catholic Church of Imphal to face this serious crisis, which in just over a year has caused more than 200 deaths and left deep wounds. Tens of thousands of people are still homeless because they had to flee their villages to escape the violence. For the Kuki community, which is largely Christian, the archdiocese has begun the construction of 600 brick houses, with a financial commitment of 500 thousand rupees (about 5,500 euros, editor’s note), Fr. Varghese Velickakam, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Imphal, who is coordinating the aid, told .

“The internally displaced people in Munbi, in the parish of Singangat, Churachandpur district of the Indian state of Manipur, have been accommodated in newly constructed houses. They are victims of violence in Manipur. This project is made possible by the dioceses, congregations and contributions of individuals,” said Fr Velickakam. To support these efforts, the Diocesan Priests’ Conference of India (DCPI) has also launched the “At least Rs 500 for Manipur” campaign, inviting all priests in the country to contribute. The fundraising will continue till August 2024 and the contributions will be earmarked for the Archdiocese of Imphal to complete the housing project by February 2025.

The challenge is not only about rebuilding physical structures – hundreds of houses were destroyed during the attacks – but also about spiritual support for those who suffered the consequences of the fighting. “The internally displaced are hard-working people who strongly desire to live in dignity and peace. They still need a table, chairs and some clothes for a minimum of well-being,” added Father Velickakam.

The violence erupted last year following a Manipur High Court ruling that opened up the granting of scheduled tribe status (which protects disadvantaged groups, especially in land matters) to the majority Meitei community, almost all of whom are Hindus. More than three-quarters of the tens of thousands of displaced people are estimated to have remained within the state, with nearly a fifth moving to neighbouring Mizoram state, and an even smaller proportion to Nagaland and Assam. Many have taken refuge in Singangat parish in Churachandpur district, where the Kuki-Zou community, Christians in a state ruled by the Hindu nationalist BJP, predominate.

The other district where some 45,000 people have taken refuge is Kangpokpi. “We are working on the rehabilitation of houses, especially for Catholics from the parish of St. Joseph of Sugnu in Chandel district.” This parish alone has lost 1,200 houses belonging to Catholic families, in addition to the many houses located on the outskirts of Imphal. “They have lost everything: land, houses, vehicles, means of subsistence, educational institutions,” explains the vicar general of the archdiocese of Imphal.