Reply to 'An open letter to people of Manipur'

Hemam Bijen Singh *

Sir,

This is in reply to "An open letter to people of Manipur" by Rev. Seksim Kasar, General Secretary, Council of Nagalim Churches, published in The Sangai Express on 6 July 2023.

I respond to this letter as it has been written under Council of Nagalim Churches and not in your personal capacity so your letter carries the sanction of all the Churches under Council of Nagalim Churches.

1. You start by the heavy toll the conflict has taken but your focus is on Meitei Churches and Meitei Christians affected by own Meitei community. I wish this letter was written under Council of Manipur Churches. Also your view/concerns for the Christian community is rightfully fair, and similarly Meitei's views are to be considered.

2. Your blame of CM.

Here I agree being the elected leader he has the majority share of the blame amongst all leaders.

But why are other leaders helpless. Why is your Council helpless. Why are countless civil society and major or-ganization unable influence the masses on either side. Simply blaming will not do.

What concrete solution do you propose?

3. You mention all community and particularly the Meiteis to shoulder full accountability.

That Meitei community is to prove demonstratively to the world that they are civilized. That Meitei community must show magnanimity etc. Burning Churches, Umang Lai, houses, vehicles is wrong. Period.

But you seem to suggest Meitei to be key instigators which cannot be agreed. What I agree to is Meitei being the majority commu-nity bears greater responsibility. However minority community are not the victims all the time, let this also be acknowledged.

4. You also mentioned "Intimidation to minority Meitei, Kuki Christians by radicals must be controlled totally". For this I thank you. This is the only one place in your long letter where you have tried to give equal treatment But in your long letter you failed to ex-plicitly call out respon-sibility on the Kuki front.

In conclusion, your article is titled "An open letter to people of Manipur" but your primary address and grievances is only to the Meitei community.

Is it your position Meitei community is at the root of the current conflict. Did you want to title your letter "An open letter to Meitei people of Manipur"?

Yours faithfully,
Hemam Bijen Singh,
Imphal,