Christian advocacy group, said Saturday, April 9, it has released a list of over 20 "atrocities" against Christians in India’s north-eastern state of Manipur, including killings, attacks against churches, and the digging out of human remains of Christians.
The document, which will be presented to Manipur Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, comes after Hindu nationalists claimed that mainly Christians were responsible for crimes against Hindu communities in the north-eastern states.
Manipur’s Christians, who comprise roughly 34 percent of the total population, according to government estimates, are increasingly the target of various forms of Hindu intimidation, AICC investigators said.
This year, January 22, "villagers dug out the three-month old corpse of the father of Pastor Amuba, Phijam Leibakmacha," who was recently buried in the Christian cemetery of the village of Phumlou in Imphal West district, according to the document obtained by the BosNewsLife New Delhi Bureau.
"RE-CONVERTED" BODY
"When the local police arrived on the complaint of Christians, the crowd had "re-converted" the exhumed body to Hinduism and was cremated the remains. The police was able to prevent a few parts of the body from burning, but later to throw the parts into a dustbin," the document claims. Seven suspects were later arrested after the Meitei Baptist Association met with the chief minister and police officials.
Earlier a 300-strong mob from a nearby village, Mayanglangjing, dug out the grave on November 3, 2004, according to the AICC. The militants allegedly also attacked the church of Pastor Amuba, who became a Christian 10 years ago, and "set his house on fire." After the police intervened, Christians reportedly re-buried the body of the deceased.
The body of Pastor Amuba’s mother, Phijam Yumshang Devi, was similarly dug out from the same cemetery and returned back to the family on July 14, last year. "Christian reported the matter to the Lamshang Police Station, but only to be abused and insulted." The body was finally buried in a cemetery in a nearby village, the AICC said.
VIOLENCE CONTINUES
However elsewhere in the area, Thoubal district, violence continued with reports that "a church was attacked on March 8" this year in the village of Lamding-Wangjing in Thoubal district, the third since 2000, when congregation members began constructing a church building.
"When the construction of the church was completed on May 9, 2000, villagers attacked [it] and brutally beat up Pastor Sunil Sharma," according to the AICC. After looking for another plot of land the Christians again received warnings and eventually were allegedly barred from the land, despite being the owners.
Local authorities have so far refused to change the situation, despite a court order, AICC officials said. The latest cases are seen as part of a trend in the troubled state, that dates back to the 1990’s.
CONSTRUCTION THREATENED
"On December 26, 1998, the local club of Phaknung village, 10 km [about 6 miles] from the
capital city of Imphal, gave a warning to the members of a local church under construction to stop building it "and remove its existence before January 5, 1999. Those failing to observe the notice will have to face severe consequences," said the club, according to the AICC document.
Already on "December 22, 1991, local villagers had burnt down the church building when its members were preparing to celebrate their first Christmas in it." Although complaints were lodged with local authorities, "police also took the side of the attackers, imposing Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code to prevent both church members and others from entering the church compound. The case is still going on," added the AICC.
In addition a Village Court ordered the "excommunication of a Christian family" in a village with ten Christian families, "while villagers destroyed their house," AICC investigators said in the document.
PROPERTIES DESTROYED
"On February 24, 2004, villagers of Langthabal-Khoupum village surrounded the house of Mr. G. Apabi, who embraced Christianity in 1990, and destroyed three buildings completely along with the household items. The culprits physically assaulted the family members, severely burnt their Bibles and chopped up a number of Bibles by axe and swords."
The Village Court, an ancient judicial system still practiced by tribal villages, had earlier ordered the family to leave the village or leave Christianity, according to the AICC. There were also reports of recent destruction of churches in the villages of Awang Yumnam Khunou and Keirak as well as other areas.
While most reported attacks against Protestant Christians are aimed at damaging Christian properties, at least five Catholic priests and one Catholic student are known to have been killed while others were seriously injured, said Father Rev. Jeyaseelan Lazar of Imphal Diocese.
SEVERAL KILLINGS
"Rev.Fr. Mathew Manianchira, the principal of Catholic School, Canchipur, Imphal was assassinated on April 29, 1990. Fr. V.J. Sebastian, the Headmaster of Don Bosco School, in Chingmeirong survived an attempted assassination and sustained a bullet injury on May 18, 1992. Rev. Fr. N.V. Joseph, Principal of Don Bosco Higher Secondary School in Maram of Senapati District was assassinated on November 22, 1997," he was quoted as saying in the AICC document.
"Fr. Shajan Jacob Chittinapally, the Vice Principal of St. Joseph’s school, Sugnu was assassinated on December 2, 2000. Fr. Tomy Manjaly, the principal of Catholic school, Canchipur survived an attempted assassination and sustained bullet injuries on February 2, 2001."
"Frs. Raphael Paliakara SDB, Andrew Kindo SDB and Bro. Shinu Joseph at Salesian Training Centre (Novitiate) Ngarian, near Yairipok were assassinated on May 15, 2001. Lunglina Elizabeth, a Catholic student of Little Flower School in Imphal…was kidnapped and murdered on November 4, 2003," Lazar added.
The AICC paper claims that the actual "number of atrocities would be much higher than the number of reported incidents." The advocacy group has urged the international community to help end the violence against Christians in the troubled state and throughout India. Hindu organizations and the government have not yet reacted to the latest AICC document. (Based in New Delhi, Journalist Vishal Arora, 32, has covered persecution and other hard hitting news stories for a variety of international and national publications. He has traveled around the country on invitation by NGOs for seminars and talks on human rights, communalism, and religious persecution. Vishal Arora can be contacted at e-mail address vishalarora_in@hotmail.com or visit his website http://www40.brinkster.com/vishalarora/ )
