Re-reading British MP Jim Shannon’s Statement

During a backbench business debate in the House of Commons, British MP Jim Shannon labelled the violence in Manipur, India, as a "silent attack on Christians." He queried whether UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed Manipur's violence with the Indian government during his G20 trip. Shannon, who chairs a parliamentary group on religious freedom, highlighted that the violence targeted Christians and Hindu extremist groups were likely behind it, resulting in over 230 church destructions and 60,000 displaced people.

He suggested that UK aid to India should be conditional. UK Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan acknowledged the concerns but wasn't privy to Sunak's discussions. Downing Street's readout of Sunak's meeting made no mention of Manipur.

Even though the British MP’s raising of the issue is commendable, the current conflict is not a religious one. It has been iterated time and again that Meiteis destroyed the churches belonging to the Kukis in Imphal to garner support from Hindu Extremist groups. If the attacks were on Christians, Churches belonging to non-Kuki groups would not have been spared either. There would have been a mass exodus of all Christians from the capital city on the month of May. Four and half months have passed, churches and houses of non-Kuki tribal groups stands strong. In the month of July, U.K Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's special envoy raised Manipur violence in the House of Commons. British MP Fiona Bruce aptly portrayed the violence in Manipur when she said it was ‘premeditated and systematic'.

(Insightful facts: A Backbench Business Debate is a type of debate that allows Members of Parliaments who are not part of the government or the official opposition to raise and discuss topics of their choice)