Christianity is the second largest religion in Manipur, a state in Northeast India, according to 2011 census. The tribal communities, Kukis and Nagas are overwhelmingly Christian, along with their kindred communities in the neighbouring states.[a] The dominant Meitei community has only small numbers of Christians, but Meitei groups claim Christianity to be a threat.[1][2] At the start of the 2023–2024 Manipur violence, Meitei mobs burned down 200–300 churches in the Imphal Valley belonging to all communities, and prohibited pastors from rebuilding them.[3][4][5]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Scroll 2023was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
New Lineswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Churches and homes attacked and set ablaze in India violence, Sky News, 4 May 2023.
- ^ Ziya Us Salam, Christian groups, alarmed by church attacks in Manipur, urge Centre to start talks, The Hindu, 5 May 2023. "While the Kukis and other tribals in the districts close to Imphal are the main targets as a community, the churches targeted include those of the Christians in the Meitei community."
- ^ Aman Gupta, Manipur: Archbishop claims 249 churches burnt in 36 hours, says, 'collapse of constitutional machinery', Mint, 19 June 2023. "249 churches belonging to Meitei Christians in Manipur have been destroyed within 36 hours, with some pastors told not to rebuild them, according to the Archbishop of Imphal."