India (MNN) — India rejects the latest United Nations report voicing concern about violence in Manipur state, calling it “misleading.” Authorities also dismissed a report from the Editors Guild of India that describes government efforts to hide Manipur violence from the outside world.
Since unrest began in India’s Manipur state in May, at least 160 people have been killed, hundreds injured, and thousands displaced.
“It’s a very complex situation,” John Pudaite of Bibles For The World says.
“Things are happening on a political level and ethnic level. But there’s also the religious aspect that can’t be denied. Why [else] were over 360 church properties across many denominations attacked, looted, burned, and destroyed?”
India’s central government describes a “peaceful and stable” Manipur while aid workers decry government inaction.
“We’re now over three and a half months into the violence in Manipur, and there’s been no concerted effort to bring this thing to an end,” Pudaite says.
“The central government sent 45,000 more troops into the state, but they’re doing nothing because they haven’t been given orders to intervene in any significant way.”
(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)
Citing local media, Pudaite says, “There have been statements by retired Army officers in India [saying,] ‘We are trained to get this under control in 24 to 48 hours. If given a free hand, we would end this violence within a day or two days.’ Obviously, they’re not being given that opportunity.”
Persecution in Manipur is the latest example of a nationwide trend. Pray believers will endure. Help meet believers’ practical needs through Bibles For The World here.
“Since the BJP came to power in 2014, we’ve seen aggression against Christians and other minorities on the [rise,]” Pudaite says.
“There are hundreds of acts of persecution and oppression against Christians every year now; more than one per day.”
In the header image, you can see the smiles of those who received relief items recently distributed by Bibles For The World. Many small villages in Manipur affected by ongoing conflict desperately need supplies that are no longer available. (Photo, caption courtesy of Bibles For The World)
