IMPHAL (AsiaNews): Violence broke out on May 2, in the north-eastern Indian state of Manipur, in the wake of a protest in Churachandpur district that sparked tensions between lowland ethnic Meitei, who are mostly Hindu and Muslim, and the Naga and Kuki/Zo tribal groups, who are predominantly Christian and live in hilly areas.
The bone of contention is the request by the Meitei, who are more than 50 per cent of the population, for “Scheduled Tribe” [ST] status, which under Indian law provides certain benefits such as quotas in public employment, political representation, and land rights.
On April 19, the Manipur High Court called on the state government to consider petitions for the Meitei community’s demand and decide on it “expeditiously”.
This prompted the All Tribal Student Union Manipur to stage a protest in Torbung, Churachandpur district, which attracted thousands of people from non-Meitei groups. Clashes followed across the Imphal Valley with some unconfirmed reports of deaths. As many as 15 churches were attacked.
“This is a fight between the Tribals who are 90 per cent Christian and Meitei who are 90 per cent Hindu and Muslim,” explained Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao, speaking to AsiaNews. “The Meitei want to be included in the ST category, giving them access to all benefits, including land.”
The bishop explained, “Tribals live in hilly areas. There are many churches of different denominations in the area, so the churches are caught up in this, and torched.”
A mob stopped a vehicle with a group of Jesuits, including seminarians, on board as they made their way home to Moirang. Visibly drunk, some of the attackers forced the Christians out of the vehicle and set it on fire, while the latter fled into the fields.
Others, realising that they had attacked a group of clergy, apologised and took them to a nearby house. One of the travellers, Father Stephen Naulak, suffered injuries to his forehead and was taken to a hospital.
“It is with deep concern that we note the resurgence of persecution of Christians in Manipur,” Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore said on May 5, UCAN reported. He has filed a petition with the Supreme Court.
The state government imposed a curfew in most of the state’s 16 districts and suspended mobile Internet services for five days.
The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur, which is leading the movement for the inclusion of Meitei in the Scheduled Tribes category, said the request was not only made for quotas in jobs, educational establishments and tax breaks, but “more than anything else to protect our ancestral land, culture and identity”, which they believe to be “threatened by illegal immigration from Myanmar, Bangladesh and by people from outside the state”.
