By Indian Currents
New Delhi, June 16, 2023: Manipur violence is aimed at destroying, if not eliminating, the Christian community in the northeastern Indian state, says Dean Kuriakose, a Member of Parliament from Kerala.
Kuriakose joined another parliamentarian from Kerala Hibi Eden to visit Manipur in the second week of June to study the situation there. They did not inform the Manipur government about their visit. They merely exercised their right as citizens to travel anywhere in the country.
In Manipur, they relied on their personal connections to visit dozens of relief camps and meet the victims of the anti-Christian pogrom.
Senior journalist AJ Philip interviewed Kuriakose, who was the president of the Youth Congress before becoming a Member of Parliament.
Excerpts from the interview:
What prompted you to travel to Manipur?
Dean Kuriakose: It was nearly 40 days since the outbreak of violence in the state on May 3. There was no end to the violence even after Home Minister Amit Shah went to Manipur, stayed there for three days and talked to all the stakeholders. We wanted to see the ground situation and know why violence was not ending.
Was it a secret visit?
It is wrong to describe the visit as secret because the Indian Constitution grants permission to every citizen to visit every part of the country. True, we did not inform the state government because it is not mandatory to give such information. We did not want the help of the state machinery to travel in Manipur. Also, we feared that the government might put roadblocks before us.
Where did you go?
We visited Imphal, the Capital, and from there we went to adjoining districts and saw dozens of relief camps where people in thousands have been living in miserable conditions for more than a month. The camps are run in government buildings, schools etc. They are given food materials which they themselves cook. Other than that, they do not get any support. For instance, those who need medical care cannot get medicines or medical help.
Is it true that it is an ethnic clash between the majority Meiteis and the minority Kukis?
It is difficult to believe so. On the contrary, there are clear indications that it is an anti-Christian pogrom. More than 200 churches have been destroyed. Churches belonging to the Meiteis in Imphal have also been destroyed. Meitei Christians have also been attacked. It is politically convenient to call it an ethnic cleansing but the fact is that it is aimed at destroying, if not eliminating, the Christian community in the state. Let there be no mistake about it. We visited St. Paul’s Church where every inch of the structure had been destroyed. They systematically used gas cylinders to destroy churches and homes of Christians.
Why is the violence not ending?
That is what has been worrying us. When we were there, the St. Joseph School was attacked. The attackers came at night violating the curfew orders. The law-and-order authorities were present but they could not prevent the attack. What this implies is that the writ of the state does not run in Manipur. There is reason to believe that the arsonists have the support of the state government.
Do you suggest that the state should be brought under President’s rule?
The President’s rule should have been introduced weeks ago. We met some MLAs belonging to the BJP. They themselves were saying that they have lost their confidence in the Biren Singh government. Manipur is a classic case of what would happen if the state government supported a large group of anti-social elements fed constantly on hatred for a community. The marauding groups have weapons looted from the police establishments. It is difficult to believe that this happened without the knowledge of the political leadership in the state. That the house of the only woman minister was burnt tells a story of its own. Even senior civil and police officers are suspicious of their security guards. They have all been defanged if they are Christians. What more is required to infer that law and order has totally collapsed.
Do you think a separate state for Kukis is justified?
I am not in a position to suggest that because I do not know how the Christians remaining in the valley would feel about it. However, there is no doubt that a majority of the Kukis have been alienated. They feel that the hills where they live should be declared a separate state or at least as an autonomous region as was the case in Ladakh. This needs to be studied.
What do you propose to do now?
We will write to the President of India. Droupadi Murmu is the first tribal to become the President. And this is what is happening to the tribal community in Manipur. She has a moral and constitutional obligation to intervene. We will also write to the Prime Minister who has been silent on the issue. We will also try to meet him in order to give a first-hand account of our visit. Of course, we will also inform the Congress leadership about the condition in Manipur.
Do you think Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Manipur has yielded any result?
On the contrary, many churches and church establishments were destroyed after his visit. It is now 40 days since the Internet was cut. The official death toll has already crossed the 100-mark. Nearly 10,000 houses have been destroyed and tens of thousands of people have become homeless. Thousands of children are being deprived of education. They fear that the strategy is to eliminate them. Let Mr Shah admit that it is not an ethnic clash but a violent campaign against the Christian community and take steps accordingly.
What steps do you suggest?
The state should be brought immediately under President’s rule. The Army should be deployed in the state and anyone who takes the law into his own hands should be dealt with severely. Once the message goes that no nonsense would be tolerated, violence will automatically end. The Indian state has the capacity to deal with the situation if it feels strongly about it.
The MPs must press for President’s rule at the earliest in order to stop the ethnic cleansing and genocide. The present dispensation wants to emulate Hitler who finished off the minorities since they didn’t belong to the Aryan race. Both have swastika as the emblem for their politics of hate.
Kindly introduce President rule in Manipur and protect the people.
There is no doubt to see the finger prints of a very well planned genocide against christians of Manipur if you analyse independent ground reports. Now I am not surprised seeing why the violence was not quelled but only escalated after the visit of HM. State armoury was left vulnerable to rioters on the pretense of setup arson and looting and no action to recover the arms were taken except stories. More than 250 churches gutted down totally but only five temples were attacked so far tells the story clearly. This is an extension of Gujarat genocide on another geography and demography.. Numbers are way underreported.
I gone through this article and i should said that report is neutral n same with the ground report i received it from some people’s
Dear MP
The narrative is very one sided. I did not expect a one sided report after visiting the trouble state. These types of one sided reports will further divide the people and more violence will follow..
Let me bring out the sequence of events..
1. Manipur has been experiencing massive deforestation for the last few years.
2. Many new villages have been reportetly set up only in the Kuki areas
3. Other communities residing with kuki villages have reported about extortion by kuki militants and harrasment. Even one Nepali person was reported to have been shot dead by kuki militants in the present crisis
4. There haa been been massive poppy cultivation in Manipur hills. It has already spoilt life’s of many Manipuri youths and more Indian youths will follow as there are reports of increase in drug consumption in India.
5. Manipur government is trying to implement NRC in Manipur with the support of all communities in Manipur except Kuki. If they are indigenous people, what and why are they objecting to implementation of NRC
6. Many Meitei temples in the hills, which references are dated back to 2000 years have been vendalise by kuki before 3/5/23 and many more on 3 & 4 May 23.
So you can understand the expected response from the Meitei.
As far as Church are concerned, there are many churches still functioning even during this riot/ war without any problem.. please go and visit these churches.. DON’T SAY IT IS AGAINST CHURCHES AND CHRISTIANS AS MANY CHRISTIANS ARE LIVING PEACEFULLY IN MANIPUR, AS MATTER OF FACT, MANY ARE REPORTED TO BE AGAINST KUKI
7. There are reports of involvement of Kuki militants from Mynmar. Is these acceptable to the Honorable MP that foreign militants will attack Indian villages and it’s citizens???
Dear MP, please get complete facts and provide the correct picture to the Indian public so that the citizens can debate and provide suggestions to control the violence/ war in Manipur.
President’s rule has to be implemented immediately and the army should be brought in to control this violence.
Write a letter to Mr prime minister of india to look after every caste in equally we are the People of india our belief may be diff but we r Indians no doubt Mr prime minister ur the face of our country look after it sir as a fellow human being 🙏🙏🙏
The situation is very dangerous now. Hundred of churches burned down thousand of house’s borned down hundred of people lost their live but there is no solution for them after 40 days passed.
Dear LORD GOD ALMIGHTY OURABBA FATHER, CREATOR OF HEAVENS AND THE EARTH AND THE WHOLE UNIVERSE 🙏 PLEASE HAVE YOUR MERCY, PROTECTION UPON ALL YOUR INNOCENT HELPLESS CREATION AGAINST ALL THE EVIL FORCES WHICH ARE HARMING YOUR CREATION, IN JESUS CHRIST OUR BLESSED SAVIOR 🙌 REDEEMER AND DELIVERER OF ALL EVIL AND DARKNESS. 🙏 AMEN 🙏 AMEN 🙏 AMEN 🙏
Good investigation
If what the MP’s from Kerala found is true, the President of India should intervene immediately to end this ” hinduvata” drive and bring peace to Manipur. Cheryan, Kottayam, Kerala.
Stop politics, Christianity will not encourage violence
Praying that the authorities will take a fair stand and work for all the people of India, irrespective of their caste, religion etc.
Soon President rule must appear in the State of Manipur in this crises
The US Government must stop Modi from visiting the Country he has to solve the Manipur crisis first had there been a non BJP Government they would have dismissed it overnight
All these years they (kukies and Meities) were at peace. After BJP got this unethical power to rule the state, they are trying to focus on hindutva. Creating communal fightings and leading them to destroy Christianity only which is 40% now. This is BJP’s secret agenda in all bjp ruling states. Present Manipur chief minister has to resign immediately, then it will become controlled
I wish many Congress and Socialist legislators visit the war torn land often along with opposition party leaders..! It is time they took the lead and the general public too visited the land and told the world the genocide taking place there! State sponsored pogrom..!
This is totally unconstitutional n breeding new outlaws of current religious fanatics to align themselves wit the Government so as to make this secular nation a Hindutva agenda which is at the behest of the ruling Government of India .as minority Chrsitian community is deliberately attacked to send a message across India .this is nothing but attack on our democracy n peace of India
The first step is the removal of Biren Singh as the CM. My sources tell me that the fissures are very wide. Just doling out some “compensation ” cannot heal the deep wounds. We need statesmanship not petty politics.