Manipur Govt showcaused in church attack incident

IMPHAL, Sept 16 – The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has served a 15 day notice to the Manipur Government to explain the State’s failure to take up a case in Chingmeirong church attack incident, according to a release by All India Christian Council (AICC), Manipur Chapter.

A church building constructed inside the private compound of one Kaphun Kamei at Chingmeirong Kabui village near here was attacked and destroyed on December 14, 2008 after the village council had resolved that ‘No Christian activities like prayer, worship, singing and preaching is allowed within Chingmeirong Kabui village Ward 173. Anybody violating this order would be punished under the rules and regulations of the village council.’

The village council had served a notice to the members of the village who had converted to Christianity, the release said.

The case was reported to police who arrested seven persons involved in the incident but they were released on bail.

“Since then, neither police nor the Manipur Government took any action to book the culprits and give justice to the victims”, the release said. The AICC had submitted a memorandum to the State Chief Secretary to look into the matter three days after the incident alleging that “the unconstitutional rules and regulation” by Chingmeirong Kabui village violates the basic fundamental rights provided under the Constitution of India.

On September 7, NCM had summoned the State Chief Secretary DS Poonia and gave 15 days notice to submit chargesheet of the case. The Commission is expected to write to the State Government to compensate the victims.

Meanwhile, the AICC has appealed to both NCM and the State Government to ask Chingmeirong Kabui village authority to revoke the regulation imposed on Christians in the village, the release said.

“Over 10 churches and Christian homes were destroyed by anti-Christian elements. The village authorities in many villages have segregated many Meitei Christians, Rongmei Christians and Nepali Christians”, the release said quoting a fact-finding report by AICC’s Public Relation secretary Reverend Madhu Chandra and Legal secretary advocate Lansinglu Rongmei in 2004. Twenty cases of attack on Christians were reported from 1990 to 2004.