SW News: Dominic Lumon, archbishop of the Diocese of Imphal, has condemned the ethnic cleansing of Christians taking place in the North East Indian state of Manipur. This was declared in a letter to the global Catholic assistance organization Aid to the Church in Need. The situation is gloomy and tense due to imposed Internet blocks; it is difficult to organize help especially when the populace's mistrust and resentment are escalating.

"The apathy and silence of the authorities continues," the archbishop accused the local government of inaction. He said since May, countless people have been displaced. According to information available to Aid to the Church in Need, more than 300 places of worship and church facilities were destroyed, as well as numerous homes of Christians.

Archbishop Lumon said the Catholic Church is now making an effort to deliver humanitarian relief in the anti-Christian riot-hit  Manipur. Pastors, nuns, and other assistants supplied food and supplies for personal cleanliness, or they gave the populace pastoral and medical care.

To avoid stoking anti-Christian sentiment anymore, all of these steps would need to be implemented with extreme prudence. In consultation with authorities and moderate Hindu organizations, the Church is attempting to contribute to the cessation of the violence.

The Archbishop requested assistance but also prayed for the turbulent area, saying, "We need prayers for our legislators and decision-makers so that they can bring about amicable solutions. People's minds that are driven by hatred and intolerance can be changed by the power of prayer.”

Ethnic hostilities between the Christian Kuki and Naga tribes and the primarily Hindu Meitei ethnic group have risen in Manipur, which borders Myanmar. The latter is acknowledged as a "registered tribal community" by the government. The Meitei's desire to be included on the list and the accompanying counter-protests by locals who feared more prejudice against the Christian minorities resulted in violent outbursts against the Christians. In the interim, it's estimated that over 100 Kuki members have died and over 500,000 people are on the run.