'Religious conflict narrative is misleading'
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 06 2023:
Against 350 Churches, 393 Temples and sacred sites were destroyed in the course of the Manipur violence, asserted the Meitei Christian Victims of Manipur Violence, citing UKAL but negated the claim that the clash is one based on religious divide.
Speaking to the media at Manipur Press Club here today, some Meitei Christian victims said that the Manipur violence was falsely portrayed as a religious conflict to the outside world between Kuki-Zo Christians and Meitei Hindus by highlighting only the 350 Churches torched by mobs while covering up all the acts of vandalism and arsons which targeted 393 Temples and sacred sites.
Of the 350 Churches torched in the course of the violence, more than 50 per cent belonged to the Meitei Christians.
As such, the narrative that the violence is a religious conflict is highly misleading, they said.
Yet, Kuki people have been seeking huge donations in foreign countries by falsely claiming that all the Churches targeted in the course of the violence belonged to them (Kukis), they said.
But where and how the huge funds thus collected from foreign countries/Churches are utilised is highly questionable, the victims said.
There is nothing new in non-believers attacking Christians but Christians attacking fellow Christians is quite surprising, they said referring to attacks by Kuki-Zo Christians against Meitei Christians, they said.
It has been confirmed that around 200 houses of Meitei Christians were set ablaze by Kukis at Churachandpur, Moreh, Laikhong, Sugnu and other peripheral areas, they said.
It has also been confirmed that 393 Temples and sacred sites of Meitei deities were destroyed by Kukis, the Christian victims said citing a UKAL report.
They added that Rohan Philem, representing Meitei Christians, has been touring different places outside the State and working hard to correct the wrong narrative.