NEW YORK (TIP): ‘Concerned Citizens on Manipur,’ an activist group, is organizing a prayer vigil in front of the United Nations building in Manhattan on Saturday, August 5th, at 11 am in solidarity with the victims of violence in the northeastern State of Manipur in India and to pray for restoration of peace.
The tiny State of Manipur has witnessed violent conflict between the majority of Meitei and a minority of Kuki tribes. Stabbing, chopping, burning, shooting, and other attacks killed more than 140 people. Mobs have destroyed more than 400 churches and shrines; houses have been burnt, some with inhabitants in them and over 50,000 people have been displaced into temporary relief camps in miserable states. Parading of naked women, gang rape and sexually abusing them have occurred in public spaces. Although the Government is supposed to protect the lives and properties of its citizens, the BJP government in power in the State and at the Center has done very little to quell the violence. Independent observers report that the Government has indirectly tolerated the majority Meitei community to continue the atrocities. The BJP government is a fundamentalist Hindutva party advocating for converting India into a Hindu nation. The religious persecution behind the conflict has not been known to the public. The state government has been suppressing the dissemination of information by taking legal action against people who speak the truth publicly and shutting down the Internet. The current Government led by Prime Minister Modi remains silent. There have been reliable reports that Christians are being targeted, and part of the agenda is said to be the ethnic cleansing of the Christians from the Tribal land.
There is almost a blackout by the Indian media on this ongoing tragedy, and the international media has not covered the worsening humanitarian situation in detail. The prayer vigil is primarily organized by a group of activists from different organizations and churches belonging to the Indian Christian Community. However, the vigil is also supported by other minority groups and Dalits living across the country.