Council of churches expresses concern over escalation in Manipur violence, calls for more Central forces

NCCI expresses concern over escalating violence in Manipur, calls for immediate action to restore peace and harmony.

The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), the official representative body for around 14 million members of the country’s Protestant and Orthodox churches, on Tuesday (November 19, 2024) issued a statement expressing anguish and concern over the recent escalation of violence in Manipur’s ongoing ethnic conflict.

It said the failure to restore peace in Manipur was a “national tragedy” that reflected “systematic breakdown of governance and the rule of law in the State”.

This statement comes in the wake of the recent escalation in the conflict beginning this November 7 after the discovery of the remains of a Hmar woman in Jiribam who was allegedly burnt alive. Since then, at least 22 people have been killed so far, including six women and children of the Meitei community who were allegedly abducted from near the area of a relief camp manned by the police and the Central Reserve Police Force in Borobekra, and found dead a few days later.

In its statement, the NCCI called for “immediate and robust” deployment of Central forces, a transparent and inclusive peace process, quick humanitarian aid, and accountability for acts of violence.

The church body appealed to the President, Prime Minister, and the Home Minister to “intervene urgently” to end the violence and restore “harmony, trust and cooperation among the communities in Manipur”. “The time to act is now,” it said, adding, “The intervention of state authorities has often been viewed with suspicion by different communities”.

“The presence of Central forces will hopefully provide a neutral and authoritative presence that is needed to de-escalate tensions and stop the violence,” the statement said.

Since November 7, the government has sanctioned the deployment of around 7,000 personnel from various Central forces to the State, and the Home Minister has convened security review meetings as well. The Centre has also extended Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) to six police station areas in the valley region, from where the AFSPA was removed in 2022.