A spate of “terrorist” attacks resulted in the burning down of homes, including the home of a local community leader, and at least nine deaths on Wednesday in Manipur, northern India, where the majority Hindu Meitei tribe has engaged in a campaign to eradicate the smaller, mostly Christian tribes of the region since early May.
Manipur, on the border with Myanmar, has experienced nearly two months of deadly violence between the Meitei tribe and other tribal residents, most prominently the majority-Christian Kuki tribe. Tensions have existed in the region for years, but the latest wave of conflict erupted after the Meitei community, already politically dominant in the region, requested that the federal government designate it a “Scheduled Tribe,” a label that would expand its government privileges. In response, 50,000 people of other tribal communities in Manipur staged a peaceful protest against the designation in May, prompting Meitei militants to attack civilian communities and displace tens of thousands of people.
The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has largely ignored the violence, with the exception of sending Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the region last month to speak to community leaders. The Modi government also dispatched security forces from Assam to Manipur, a territory also in northern India but little in common culturally with Manipur.
Kuki leaders have accused the Modi government of enabling Meitei Hindu violence against Christian communities through a lack of action and, on occasion, support for their attacks. Christian aid organizations have documented Meitei mob violence against Christians as going largely unpunished, even when mob attackers record their crimes and post them online. In addition to targeting Christian homes, the Hindu mobs have burned down dozens of churches.
Manipur, on the border with Myanmar, has experienced nearly two months of deadly violence between the Meitei tribe and other tribal residents, most prominently the majority-Christian Kuki tribe. Tensions have existed in the region for years, but the latest wave of conflict erupted after the Meitei community, already politically dominant in the region, requested that the federal government designate it a “Scheduled Tribe,” a label that would expand its government privileges. In response, 50,000 people of other tribal communities in Manipur staged a peaceful protest against the designation in May, prompting Meitei militants to attack civilian communities and displace tens of thousands of people.
The Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has largely ignored the violence, with the exception of sending Union Home Minister Amit Shah to the region last month to speak to community leaders. The Modi government also dispatched security forces from Assam to Manipur, a territory also in northern India but little in common culturally with Manipur.
Kuki leaders have accused the Modi government of enabling Meitei Hindu violence against Christian communities through a lack of action and, on occasion, support for their attacks. Christian aid organizations have documented Meitei mob violence against Christians as going largely unpunished, even when mob attackers record their crimes and post them online. In addition to targeting Christian homes, the Hindu mobs have burned down dozens of churches.
Mobs Kill at Least 9, Burn Down Christian Homes in Northern India as Biden Prepares for Modi Visit
"Terrorist" attacks resulted in the burning down of homes and at least nine deaths on Wednesday in Manipur, India.
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