‘The violence continues, there is no more State here’

A month and a half after the start of the clashes between meitei and kuki, the harsh denunciation of mons. Lumon: “Prime Minister Modi’s silence is worrying. In Imphal there is fear, uncertainty and a general sense of despair.” The conflict is not itself religious, but outside forces are working to make it so: “All the churches of the Metei Christians were also attacked.” Caution not to further exacerbate the spirits and gratitude to the other dioceses for their solidarity: “Continue to support us with your prayers.”

Imphal () – “The silence of the prime minister, the inability of the interior minister even after his visit to the state, the indecision of the local government to end the violence are worrying. The authorities cannot evade their responsibility and pass the blame”. Faced with the violence that has not ceased for a month and a half in the state of Manipur, the Archbishop of Imphal, Mons. Dominic Lumon, called on the government to assume its responsibilities.

He did so in a detailed update on the situation in the tormented state of northeast India, shaken since the beginning of May by serious violence between the Meitei and Kuki peoples, which he sent in recent days to all his brother bishops in India. “Violence and fires do not stop,” Msgr. Lumon wrote, “especially in the suburbs of the region. Precious lives were lost, houses and villages were burned or destroyed, properties were vandalized and looted, temples were desecrated and burned down. More More than 50,000 people have lost their homes and are languishing in displacement camps.Many have left Imphal, the capital, and left the state in search of safer places in the neighboring state of Mizoram, in other northeastern states, in the metropolises.There is a total collapse of the constitutional apparatus in the state. In short, there is fear, uncertainty and a general sense of despair.”

The Archbishop pointed out that in the clash between the two communities, it is the entire Manipur community that suffers, regardless of their affiliation. “In a month and a half,” he denounced, “the elected government and the central administration of New Delhi were unable to restore the rule of law and put an end to this insane violence. It can be said that we are facing the collapse of the state machinery local level.One wonders why the President’s rule (direct administration by the federal government in New Delhi, provided for in serious cases by article 356 of the Indian Constitution, ndr) is not yet considered as an option”. The prelate spoke of many more victims than the 100 deaths in the figures officers:

“Violent activities in the suburbs outside the capital are greatly underestimated,” he wrote, “but even in the heart of the city of Imphal houses are still burning down.” The archbishop noted that it would be “categorically wrong to say that the current one is a religious conflict.” However, he added that in the clashes between the Meitei (mostly Hindus) and the Kuki (mostly Christians), attacks for religious reasons are an undeniable fact: “In each of the more than 200 Kuki villages, one or more churches have been attacked. But also all the approximately 249 churches of Meitei Christians were destroyed in the first 36 hours after the start of the violence.” Bishop Lumon also pointed out the appearance of militias that claim to want to protect Sanamahism, the traditional religion of this area. “There are also accounts of Meitei Christians threatened if they do not return to their original religion and of pastors who have been ordered not to rebuild destroyed churches,” the Archbishop of Imphal explained.

“The involvement of a third element”, Monsignor Lumon continued, “is visible and very similar to what happened in the riots in Gujarat and the Kandhmal district of Orissa. Narratives that speak of ‘war on drugs’, ‘operation against kuki militias’ or ‘fight against illegal immigrants from Myanmar’ have their weight in violence, but the undercurrent of religious intolerance clearly emerges from the figures.Amidst this orchestrated propaganda, a subtle attack on Christianity appears to have found an outlet. free and unsuspected space”.

In this difficult situation, in which emotions and tensions remain high, the Church -wrote the prelate- has the duty to calmly assess the situation and refrain from making too hasty decisions that could be considered biased. It must maintain neutrality and promote peace and unity, giving priority to helping those most in need.” But the challenges for the Catholic community itself are demanding: Today, Msgr. Lumon said, Kuki priests and religious can only be assigned to Kuki communities, “although we hope that the situation will normalize soon. There are parishes where all the faithful have dispersed and there is a risk of not being able to reconstitute the community. And there are also schools, razed after having already suffered the covid crisis.

Regarding possible solidarity actions, the Archbishop of Imphal asked everyone to understand that “the crisis facing the people and the Church of Manipur is not an isolated incident” but must be seen in the broader perspective of the “concern for minorities in India”. He also called for concrete gestures in this regard from other dioceses and the Indian Bishops’ Conference. “Our Church of Manipur – concluded the archbishop – is sad, grieved and above all concerned about the situation that has arisen. I pray that common sense returns, that peace, forgiveness and fraternity be restored, and that peaceful coexistence becomes a reality again. I thank all of you for your solidarity, your messages and your prayers in these times of crisis. Please continue to support us in your prayers.”