In India, 50,000 people displaced and 150 killed
As a result of the violent conflict that broke out in Manipur, India this May, tens of thousands of people have been displaced, and more than 150 have died. Additionally, a source close to the Archdiocese of Imphal told Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that Meitei militants have destroyed 290 villages and 603 churches in the last three months.
The church buildings that were destroyed include St. Paul’s Church and Pastoral Training Center in Sangaiprou, Imphal, and as the aggression unfolded, the police were “nowhere to be found,” according to the source.
He added, “All SOS calls to emergency numbers (100 and 112) went unanswered. There were no security deployments, which left the premises vulnerable to further attacks and eventual destruction. But today, with everything already destroyed, there is 24-hour deployment of police personnel.”
He said that the mobs also looted and vandalized other church-owned buildings, like St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School in Sangaiprou.
ACN’s source explained that the deadly conflict has many complex causes, among them the ethnic tension between the predominantly Hindu Meitei and the Christian-majority Kuki tribes.
He said that the tension resulted partly from disputes over land ownership and agricultural activity.
ACN continues to monitor the situation in India and is in touch with Church authorities to find ways to provide emergency aid and help alleviate the suffering.
—Amy Balog
