What Now for the Meitei Christians In Imphal?

According to the 2011 Census, Christianity in Manipur rose from 34.11% in 1991 to 41.29% in 2011. The majority of these Christian groups belong to the tribal groups. The non-tribal Christians in the state are mainly Meiteis numbering between 1,00,000 - 3,00,000 lakh.

“About 249 churches belonging to the Meitei Christians have been destroyed. All these destructions took place with precision within 36 hours of the start of violence”, as stated by Archbishop Dominic Lumon of Imphal a few weeks after the conflict started on May 3, 2023.

The ongoing conflict between the two communities in Manipur cannot entirely be called a religious conflict. However, religion cannot be downplayed in this conflict since the above statistics tell us that there are attacks meted out to the churches and residences of the Meitei Christians in and around Imphal by their own ethnic group who are largely Hindus, who at the same time have been organizing themselves strongly to revive the Meitei Indigenous faith “Sanamahism” at least for the past two years.

Way back in 2022, it was reported that the BJP leadership applied pressure on Meitei Christian leaders to convert to Sanamahism. At least two public personalities said they were summoned to meet the chief minister after videos of them speaking about their faith went viral. One of them alleged that in a meeting where Meitei Leepun chief Pramot Singh was present, they were indirectly pressured to abandon their Christian faith.

An MLA who belongs to the BJP said that the chief minister had pressured Paonam Brojen Singh, a Meitei Christian politician and BJP MLA, to convert to Sanamahism through his aides. “Both Sanajaoba and Leishanthem Susindro Meitei [another BJP MLA] were also present,” they said. Another pastor alleged that MLA Mayanglambam Rameshwar Singh, who belongs to the National People’s Party, offered him money to convert in 2022. (Source: New Lines)

To look back again, Rev. Takhellambam Ramananda, a Meitei Christian pastor, in his speech in a Gospel Outreach program at Sagang Bazar organized by Sagang Baptist Church on March 26 2023, mentioned a tradition of the Kom community. A short video clip of his speech targeted only at Kom Christians went viral. However, the remark made by him was received by the Meitei community to be highly impious and disrespectful against “Sanamahism”, thereby demanding an apology for his alleged affronting comment. His house was attacked by the radicalized Meitei group called ‘Arambai Tenggol’. He was demanded to make a public apology the same day and was threatened that he would be responsible for any untoward incident if he didn’t apologize.

Reacting to the same story, on one side, the Manipur titular king and Rajya Sabha MP Leishemba Sanajaoba on his Facebook post wrote, “If he does not apologize, I swear in the name of Ebudhou Pakhangba (Supreme God of Meitei) that I would skin him alive. I do not care whether I remain an MP or not”. His Facebook post on April 1, 2023 is still undeleted to this day.

Again, the Meitei pastor was publicly warned and called out in the open by his own community and by various socio-cultural groups like the Kanglei Salai Apunba Lup, the Maichou Ningshing Lup, Lairembi Shintha Lup, World Meetei Organization – WMO, to name a few. He was receiving threats and abuses from all ends. Fighting all alone and without an option left, for the safety of him and his family, he tendered a public apology on April 10, 2023. “I consider myself guilty of all these acts and tender my sincere apology and beg forgiveness of all those who have been hurt by my words”, he said.

Going back to 3rd May and since, in Imphal, especially during the initial days of the present conflict, churches and houses of the Meitei Christians were not spared but were rather under constant attacks. They were intimidated and terrorized by their villagers and volunteers of the radicalized Meitei groups like the Arambai Tenggol, the Meitei Leepun and so on.

A Meitei Christian missionary who filed a police complaint on May 16 alleged that he was assaulted, threatened at gunpoint to give up Christianity and told he would be killed if he continued to preach or practice his faith. “They [the mob] told me that by the time they return, I should demarcate a space within my house for Sanamahi deity, failing which they would kill me”, he said. In his complaint, he stated that “some unknown people numbering about 60” had damaged and burned his property. (Source: New Lines)

On May 28, 2023, a mob numbering between 3,000 and 4,000 attacked the residence of Paonam Brojen Singh, a Meitei Christian and BJP MLA, in Wangjing Wangkhei, Thoubal, and the Wangjing Baptist Church that he had built. (Source: New Lines) On December 21, 2023, in Awang Leikinthabi village of Imphal West, Premkumar Chingsubam, a pastor, found his house, which he had decorated for Christmas with a tree and artificial snowman, vandalized when he returned from dinner at his relative’s place. The village committee called a meeting the next day where members of the mob, who, the pastor’s nephew alleged, belonged to Arambai Tenggol, also showed up. They acknowledged their role in the attack but did not give a reason for it, the pastor said. Instead, they opened fire, disbursing the meeting before they attacked the pastor, leaving him hospitalized with a bruised forehead and fractured ribs and hip bone. Photos of him later circulated on social media. (Source: New Lines)

Many Meitei Christians in Imphal who have been attacked during this conflict when asked about their stories were frantic to voice out. Reports are that some of the pastors are directed not to rebuild the vandalized or charred churches. In some cases, these people are forced to sign conversion oaths. Many of them were stopped to conduct religious meetings and church activities. Some pastors even fled from Imphal to ensure their safety.

Taking a glance at the occurrences mentioned, it is mortifying and inglorious that these things are still given a chance to surface in the 21st Century. It won’t be wrong to say that many such stories still remains to be told and heard. It is quite understandable, to some extent, though still unacceptable, that these Meitei groups are looting, vandalizing, burgling and burning down houses and churches that belong to the Kukis because of the intensity and magnitude of the conflict. But, it must have been appalling and shocking for the Meitei Christians to have witnessed their own people demolishing and burning their churches; threats and intimidation coming from their own kith and kin. However, in reality, it wasn’t a surprise to some because of the episodes that happened even before the conflict started.

The word “Persecution” would not be accepted by many, but when we analyze and note the things that unfolded before and during this conflict, the word “Persecution” is not even too big a word to be used. Here, we do not mean that all the Meiteis are against their fellow Meitei Christians but some of their people deserved to be called “persecutors”! The mocking and blasphemous actions aimed at the Kuki Christians must have been felt by the Meitei Christians as well.

In some way or other, it is believed that the lives of these Meitei Christians were protected by their non-Christian Meitei friends and family from the radicalized and extremist Meitei groups. Yes, the breath of these Meitei Christians was not stopped, but the constant threats and warnings dispensed to them are disturbing and traumatizing for their mental and psychological health, to date. And it would have been laudable if their houses and churches were left

untouched. Therefore, it won’t be too wrong to say that the non-Christian Meiteis, as a whole, have failed to safeguard their fellow Meitei Christians.

Having said all this, out of all the negative things that happened, one positive element can be deduced. It was when the early Christians were persecuted at the hands of their fellow Jews, and the Romans, that Christianity rose and spread to the nations far and beyond the great Roman Empire. Also, Christians are taught to be glad and rejoice when people insult them, persecute them and falsely say all kinds of evils against them. Now, the onus is on the Meitei Christians whether they stand firm on their faith or wither away from their belief.

(The writer can be contacted at gidosingsit@ gmail.com)