Imphal:
Meitei people following
Christian faith today questioned
the Kuki Christian followers
over the rationale behind
the destruction of Meitei
Churches at various places.
“They burnt our vehicles
and vandalized Church property
on May 3 and May 4 by
Kuki people following the same
faith”, a Meitei Christian victim
from Churachandpur, Warrepam
Sobha Meitei told media persons
at Manipur Press Club today.
Ofcourse they didn’t burnt
our Church because there are
many houses of the Kuki people
in the surroundings. But their
motive was cleared they looted
and took our church property
and vandalized in the campus,
Sobha said adding that why the
Kuki Christian followers destroyed
the churches run by the
Meitei people.
Another Meitei Christian
Victims of the violence Pastor
Angom Shantikumar said that
his Church – Manipur Baptist
Church located at Sugnu
Zouveng in Kakching district
was vandalized by a mob on
May 28 evening and later burnt
by the armed Kuki militants.
“We – all communities of the
Sugunu area formed a peace
committee to maintain harmony
in the region but all of a
sudden on May 27, we were
told to leave the area as the
Kuki militants were reportedly
targeting the Meitei people”,
He said adding that the Church
was surrounded by the Kuki
Villages and later we vacated
the area our church was attacked
and burnt.
Another Meitei Christian,
Pastor John said that three
Churches of the Meitei people
located at Chrachandpur district,
namely – Boljang Asha
Presbyterian Church in India
(R), Thingangphai Nungshiba
Presbyterian Church in India
(R) and Yaiphakol Presbyterian
Church in India (R) were looted
and vandalized by Kuki miscreants
in the wake of the violence.
Pastor K. Ibungo, who
looks after Immanuel Meitei fellowship
Church at Shanti Veng,
in Kangpokpi district said that
after the Meitei people irrespective
of Christian followers
were driven out from the area
by the Kuki miscreants, the
property of their churches were
vandalized and later they converted
our church into kitchen.
In Imphal East district, Kuki
miscreants vandalized, burnt
and looted 3 Meitei Churches
– Believer Eastern Church,
Laikhong Yairipok, Revival
Church of God, Laikhong
Yairiok and Yengkhuman Baptist
Church, Saikul in the first
week of June.
Warrepam Tamu, a follower
of the Believer Eastern Church,
Laikhong Yairipok said that she
along with her family and other
followers were told that Meitei
people are preparing to attack
their churches. However, as she
requested the Meitei people not
harm the church it was spared.
That was on May 29 and latter
after the incident, the Kuki
people who were staying in the
surrounding of their village attacked
and vandalized and burnt
the church.
“The Church was built with
the help of the Kuki villagers and
the Kuki villagers again vandalized
and burnt our church”,
Tammu told the media persons.
The Meitei Christian Victims
of the Manipur violence told the
media persons that a church in
Moreh town, which is pastured
by a Kuki Pastor but members
of the Church were Meitei community
was also vandalized by
the Kuki miscreants. The victims
said that around 200 Meitei
Christian Churches were burnt
down by Kuki miscreants at different
locations. Around 172
Meitei Christian houses were
burnt at Churachandpur, around
9 Meitei houses at Moreh , 15
houses in Laikhong, 5 houses
at Yengkhoman and 10 houses
at Kangpokpi were burnt by
Kuki miscreants during the crisis
erupted since May 3 in
Manipur.
The victims of the violence
said that the crisis is not between
the Hindu and Christian
and nor a religious war.
