SW News: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s special envoy for religious freedom has raised concerns over the violence that is going on in the Indian state of Manipur in the House of Commons. Member of Parliament Fiona Bruce explained the “pre-meditated violence” that is happening in the northeastern state before the lawmakers.

She said that since early May, hundreds of churches have been destroyed in the state and more than 100 people have been killed, said the lawmaker. Bruce also added that more than 50,000 people have been displaced and the attacks on schools and seminaries show that they were systematic attacks in which the main element was religion.

The envoy also asked what the Church of England could do to bring more attention to the lament of the suffering people in Manipur. She was citing a report prepared by former BBC correspondent David Campanale for the International Religious Freedom of Brief Alliance. This group is headed by Bruce herself.

Separately, a delegation of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) visited the conflict-ravaged areas of Manipur and bemoaned the government's laxity in restoring law and order. The group was led by Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Thrissur who made a sincere appeal to the authorities to protect the secular fabric of India and buttress the constitutional values while promoting peaceful coexistence of members of various ethnic groups.

On July 23 and 24, the team went to the places affected by the violence to take stock of the situation. It was a first-of-its-kind visit comprising Church officials after violence broke out between the Hindu-dominant Meitei people and the mostly Christian Kuki tribals.

Their visit came a few days after a video of the stripping and molestation of two women of a minority group by a mob went viral on social media. After it surfaced, the video created a furore across the country with people from all sections of society condemning the violence against women and the general unrest in Manipur. Although the incident shown in the video took place on May 4, the clip went unnoticed for so long because of the internet clampdown in Manipur.