ASIA/INDIA - Bishop of Manipur: "The situation is polarized: we need peacemakers"

Imphal (Agenzia Fides) - "There is less violence in Manipur today than a year ago, thanks to the massive presence of the Indian armed forces: more than 70,000 soldiers are deployed in all the buffer zones that separate the two conflicting communities. But the situation remains tense and very polarized. An official ceasefire and concrete mediation measures for pacification are needed. We need peacemakers", explains to Fides Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal, capital of the Indian state of Manipur, describing the situation in this state in northeastern India, where an inter-ethnic conflict broke out between the Meitei and Kuki-zo communities in May 2023. To avoid clashes, the temporary solution found by the local government was to separate the belligerents into isolated territories. Constructive steps towards peace are lacking today. Manipur Finance Minister N. Biren Singh said on Sunday that "the government is working for the development of the state" and that it intends to work "for a new Manipur, where peace and love for the past will reign."
Bishop Neli says he is encouraged by this prospect, which, he stresses, must necessarily start from listening to the two conflicting communities: "The two communities," he notes, "cannot cross into each other's territory because of the 24-hour surveillance by armed men. In the Meitei community, Christians present report a climate of repression. The Kuki Zo, for their part, are fighting fiercely for a separate administration, which goes against the wishes of the Meitei majority. The Meitei are for the territorial integrity of Manipur and are demanding the status of "recognized tribe," which has been the cause of intercommunal violence. Today, he says, in this situation, "there is no spontaneous political solution in sight until the state government and the central government work on it."
At the social level, worrying phenomena are manifesting themselves: "The increase in drug trafficking, armed militancy by people who procure weapons, increasing cases of extortion: in other words, crime thrives on the difficulties of the state and the central government in ensuring security," says the bishop, who notes that "society is highly polarized." "Only members of neutral communities or other ethnic groups such as the Nagas are allowed to cross the border between the strictly closed areas of the Meitei and the Kuki," reports Bishop Neli. "The local Church," he says, "with its religious priests and lay people, continues to provide humanitarian assistance: we are engaged in building houses, providing livelihoods, education, psychosocial support. In addition, he reports, Christians are active and involved in an interfaith forum that is constantly trying to bring the parties to dialogue and peace. We are now calling for a formal truce and a pact, so that civilians can move safely on national roads and have free access to the airport and medical facilities,” he hopes.
The Catholic faithful of Manipur, who are part of both the Kuki and the Meitei, are facing the same difficulties and are unable to move, which is impacting the celebrations and activities of the Church: “On the occasion of the Jubilee,” he says, “we celebrated the solemn opening Eucharist in the cathedral, which is in Meitei territory. The Archbishop Emeritus opened another holy door in another church for the Kuki Zo who cannot come here, in the city cathedral. We therefore allow everyone to pray and benefit from the plenary indulgence. We have set the theme of hope for 2025 and a nine-year programme that will lead us to the Jubilee of 2033. We really hope that it will be a journey marked by peace and reconciliation." (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 29/1/2025)

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ethnic minorities

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violence

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