A demonic Hindu rage was unleashed recently in the Manipur region of India, where Hindus have murdered Christians burned down churches.
Reverend Vijayesh Lal, General Secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, stated:
“I spoke to some people even tonight and the situation in the district is dire. Churches have been burnt even today, despite the presence of the Army. Things have slowed down, but they have not stopped entirely. We are very concerned for the people of Manipur, irrespective of which tribe or community they belong to. The ordinary people there are suffering. There is no food, water or basic amenities. People have fled their homes. As important as it is for the authorities to restore law and order, it is equally important for them to provide relief”
According to Christianity Today, the Hindu “destroyed or burned down 25 churches in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur. Since May 3, thousands of victims, the majority of them Christians, have fled as their homes and businesses have gone up in flames.” Secular media has been reporting that the violence is over the Hindu community’s anger over not getting access to certain state money (like farm loans) but the burning of churches is obviously anti-Christian Hindu nationalist hatred. As Christianity Today reported:
While tensions over property rights and economic interests have existed between the state’s ethnic groups for decades, local leaders told CT that church burnings are the result of the growth of Hindu nationalism among the dominant Meite community.
The same report goes on to say that “tensions have been exacerbated by the political influence of the Hindu nationalist organizations Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which have sought to promote their faith as the dominant religion in India and have used the Meitei community to advance their political agenda in the state.”
Churches are being attacked in Manipur, India. The regime fails to contain the violence – it may spread to Nagaland. pic.twitter.com/IwhiTYygNe
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) May 4, 2023
Ngaineilam Haokip, an academic at university in Kolkata, described what happened as a pogrom:
“In this pogrom, the Hindu Meiteis not only burned down churches belonging to tribals but also churches that exclusively belong to Meitei Christians … They targeted their own brethren who follow Christ by burning their churches.”
A Christian leader in the area who wished to be anonymous stated:
“If this is not a pogrom, what is? They are burning churches when the protest rally was simply against the inclusion of Meiteis as Scheduled Tribe by All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM). There is definitely a religious angle here”
For years the BJP has been working to push for Hindu identitarianism in Manipur, and this violence is the fruit of such ideological advancement.
A burning church in Manipur, India. pic.twitter.com/qLCdFo7hp8
— Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) May 7, 2023
I think mobile network is not working in Manipur, otherwise Modi would have stopped this violence with one phone call.
Remember Ukraine-Russia war?#ManipurOnFirepic.twitter.com/BNRf61pH5z
— Md Asif Khan (@imMAK02) May 4, 2023
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