Northeastern India’s Manipur state is grappling with a resurgence of ethnoreligious violence after a period of relative calm, according to International Christian Concern (ICC).
Recent clashes have reportedly left more than a dozen people dead and at least six churches destroyed, deepening tensions in a region already scarred by last year’s widespread unrest.
The latest violence was allegedly triggered by the murder of a young Kuki woman, whose body was discovered abandoned in a river.
The Kuki people, a predominantly Christian ethnic minority concentrated in Manipur’s hill regions, have long faced tensions with the majority Meitei community, a Hindu-majority group residing in the state’s valley areas.
In 2023, Manipur experienced devastating violence that claimed hundreds of lives, displaced over 60,000—mostly Christians—and destroyed more than 300 churches.
Reports from that period indicated that Meitei mobs and militias targeted communities based on both ethnicity and religion.
Among the destruction, dozens of Meitei churches were also reportedly destroyed, underscoring the complex interplay of religious and ethnic identities in the conflict.
The unrest in 2023 began when the Manipur High Court recommended granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei people.
This move, fiercely opposed by the Kuki community, would grant Meiteis access to land and benefits traditionally reserved for indigenous tribes.
Historically, the Meitei community has not been considered an indigenous tribe, and the demand for Scheduled Tribe status has been controversial due to associated social stigmas.
Manipur’s unrest reflects broader challenges faced by India’s religious minorities, ICC said. Christians and Muslims, the first and second largest religious minorities in the country, have long been subjected to discrimination and violence.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, reports indicate a decline in democratic and religious freedoms.
A 2024 U.S. Department of State report highlighted that “attacks on members of religious minority communities, including killings, assaults, and intimidation, occurred in various states [across India] throughout the year.”
The report also noted state-level laws criminalizing minority religious activities and “numerous reports during the year of violence by law enforcement authorities against members of religious minorities.”
While immediate measures to quell violence in Manipur are essential, experts stress the need to address the underlying causes of the conflict.
Religious tensions, though not the sole factor, remain a critical component of the crisis. A long-term solution must reconcile these divides, ensuring both ethnic and religious communities have equitable access to resources, representation, and protection.
