Religious Angle In Manipur Conflicts: Salai Taret Symbolizes Persecution of Kukis, Contrary to Biren and COCOMI's Claims

Section 295A of the India Penal Code deals with Punishment related to BLASPHEMY, it punishes the culprit with imprisonment of up to 3 years or fine or both. The section seems to have been discarded in the wastebin as it could not be seen put into force to deal with what it should have, despite the series of BLASPHEMOUS Acts committed by members of the Meitei community. Blasphemous activity against the Kuki Christians has become so regular, that one could not help but wonder as to whether secularism has been deleted from the constitution for the Kuki Christians in Manipur.

The Meitei mobs have yet again attacked the religious beliefs of Kukis, unfurling their salai taret flag on the figure of Jesus on a cross, at St.Joshep prayer Mount in Sugnu. No one can expose the lies of Mr Biren and COCOMI more than the activity of their own community members. To save the asses of their community and their members, they travel far and wide, or address multiple media channels, to put their points on the table that there is no RELIGIOUS ANGLE in the conflict. Alas, their own members betray their efforts.

Demolition, partying and mocking of Christian rituals inside the churches, unfurling of Meitei sacred religious salai taret flags on the top of the churches, the unspeakable things they have done to figures and statues of Jesus Christ on every church from where they forcefully evicted the Kukis, couldn’t have happened if there is Religious Tolerance and enforcement of secularism in the state as they have claimed. The series of blasphemous acts by the majority Meitei community against the Kuki Christian minority are evidence that religious persecution against the Kuki Christians today in Manipur is a fact.

In a democratic country like India that commits itself to the promotion of secularism, without the support of the state government, members of one religious community couldn’t commit blasphemy, persecute or discriminate against members of other religious communities on a large scale like it is presently In Manipur. The inaction by the Manipur government against the culprits let alone the non-condemnation of the act by the government speaks volumes of their concurrence. Thus, the emboldening of Meitei mobs to further resort to the act of blasphemy is bound to occur.

The unfurling of the salai taret flag on the top of Kuki churches or on figures and statues of Jesus Christ is a common characteristic of the blasphemy committed in all the Kuki churches in their domination, Thus understanding what salai taret flags symbolize becomes important to understand the intention behind their act.

The seven-coloured flag symbolizes the birth of Ibudhou pakhangba’s seven sons, who in turn represent the seven clans of Meitei ethnicity. Ibudhou pakhangba is a primordial deity, often represented in the form of a Dragon in Meitei mythology and Sanamahism, the indigenous religion of Manipur. In 1992, in an effort to revive the Sanamahism religion, the then titular king Okendrajit Singh converted from Hinduism to Sanamahism. The seven-coloured flag is also called the Kangleipak flag, Kangleipak is a name for the kingdom or civilisation of the Meitei. Thus the revivalism of Sanamahism and the popularization of the salai target flag today is not as simple as it looks, with secessionist terrorist organisations from the Meitei community still active in Manipur. One must know the present titular king RK Sanajaoba’s house is an abode for Arambai Tenggols who spearheaded the ethnic cleansing and radicalisation against the Kukis and to whom constitutional authorities like the MLAs, Ministers and MPs surrendered at Kangla fort.

Thus, the salai taret flag represents today’s Manipur revivalism of Sanamahism (Meitei indigenous religion) and Kangleipak (their kingdom), the unfurling of the flag at any place thus in an open declaration that the territory now belongs to the descendents of the seven sons Ibhudhou pakhangba, not of the legal owners acknowledged by India government records and law.

Some of the other reasons why salai tarets are unfurled at the top of churches or over figures and statues of Jesus Christ are:

1. To appease right-wing extremists of mainland India and garner their support to keep mainlanders at bay from commenting against their atrocities masking behind their Hindu identity while revivalism of their ancient religion is the goal, as the flag itself has nothing to do with Hinduism. They are killing two birds with one stone, persecution of the Kuki Christians to appease them while they, the right-wing extremists, keep the mainlanders at bay, although they are being fooled by the Meiteis.
2. Churches in Kuki society hold the same significance as the Royal Palaces of the past, they symbolize the unity of the community like the palaces symbolize the unity of the kingdom. Thus influenced by rituals of kings of the past that unfurl their flags on the palaces of the defeated king, they unfurl the flag of Kangleipak in areas they forcefully drive the Kukis away from and declare their ownership, though legally unrecognized.
3. Manipur might have merged with India geographically on September 21, 1949, but emotionally their aspiration for an independent Kangleipak lives on. Thus the unfurling of the flag can be a declaration on their part to announce to the world the commencement of revivalism of Sanamahism and the threat to the residents of Manipur they must live like the subjects of Kangleipak in Manipur.
4. Christianity is one such bond that unites the majority of the Kuki community. As they have driven away Kukis from their domination, physical atrocities and torture are no longer an option, the thirst for committing atrocities against the Kuki has led them to resort to emotional torture and atrocities. Thus what better option than an attack on their beliefs that binds majority of them? The attacks on churches are thus an extension of their pogrom to ethnically cleanse the Kukis.

Revivalism of a religion practised by the majority community threatens all the non-believers of that particular religion. The persecution might happen a little later but it definitely shall happen, History is the witness. Thus, the mute spectators today shall regret their silence tomorrow, if they are the residents within the authority of the community that revive its religion. Sooner or later they will realize like the Kukis today have, that, in Manipur Constitutional rights and laws are toothless tigers as the enforcement agencies and authorities succumb to the whims and fancies of the majority community.

Demanding for one’s right from the government that discriminates and possesses an enmity attitude towards you alongside succumbing to the whims and fancies of the majority community in a state like Manipur is a waste of energy. Let us conclude by highlighting what the Government owe the Kuki by their inaction and support in this incident alone:

1. Article 14 that grants equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all.
2. Article 15 which enlarges the concept of secularism to the widest possible extent by prohibiting discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
3. Article 25 provides ‘Freedom of Conscience’, that is, all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion.
4. As per Article 26, every religious group or individual has the right to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes and to manage their own affairs in matters of religion.
5. Article 29 and Article 30 provide cultural and educational rights to minorities.