A group of British Asian Christians is issuing an urgent call for peace in Manipur in the face of increasing violence and persecution.
The unrest in the northeastern state of India began nearly 4 months ago, after a nonviolent demonstration for land rights and employment opportunities. In a series of horrible incidents, some of which have been shared on social media, the Meites tribe, which is predominantly Hindu are accused of targeting Kuki Christians in the region.
As internet access has mostly been cut off in Kuki communities, it is challenging to determine the entire scope of the destruction.
However, a source has it that since then tens of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, and hundreds of homes, churches, and religious institutions have been looted and set on fire,
Premier Christian News reports that over the past 72 hours continuous gun battles between Kukis and Meiteis have resulted in at least eight fatalities and 18 injuries, including two security personnel, and intermittent gunfire continues to disrupt the lives of innocent civilians.
The Indian government has been charged with ignoring the issue and failing to take sufficient action to stop the violence. A coalition of opposition groups recently forced a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue, which he survived.
Ministers in London and Washington have been informed of the interruption and a meeting is planned for parliament later this month.
British Asian Christian Association is gathering money to aid individuals impacted by the incident which also targeted Christians in Pakistan where violent mobs cited the nation’s strict blasphemy laws as justification for their attack. They are encouraging people to participate in peaceful protest in London next week.
“This unified effort, driven by the desire for justice and equality, seeks to shed light on the discrimination faced by Christians in the region,” they said.
They’re calling for “people of faith or no faith, who have good conscience and have been moved by the recent attacks to come together to call for change.”