Church leaders from Manipur, north-east India, have issued an urgent plea to the UK’s new special envoy for freedom of religion and belief, David Smith MP, calling for international intervention to address ongoing violence and displacement affecting the region’s Christian community.
The appeal comes two years after religiously motivated attacks erupted in Manipur in May 2023, when at least 360 churches and 7,000 Christian homes were burned down by Hindu-associated extremists. Over 200 Christians were killed, and many believers from the Kuki-Zo tribal group remain internally displaced, unable to return to their villages for fear of further violence.
A dossier of recent evidence highlighting the plight of those affected was delivered to Mr Smith and Foreign Office officials by Revd Kailean Khongsai, a Manipur-born Anglican vicar of Christ Church, Roxeth in Harrow.
“The crisis in Manipur shows no sign of healing, even under President’s Rule from Delhi,” said Revd Khongsai. “Each day, I hear the sorrow in the voices of my parents, relatives and church community – echoes of pain, fear and despair. Many have lost hope, their future now a blur of displacement and grief.”
He added: “The Kuki community has been cut off from essential services. Hospitals, universities, basic aid – all located in the Imphal valley – are now inaccessible. The government sees this suffering but chooses inaction. The death toll rises, and our cries go unheard.”
During the meeting, Revd Khongsai relayed the urgent plea of Manipuri church leaders: “We need the world to see us, hear us and help us survive.” He described thousands living in “unbearable conditions – displaced, forgotten and stripped of dignity.” Children are growing up in camps without education, and families lack access to medicine or support.
Foreign Office officials assured the delegation that the situation in Manipur remained “a priority issue” for the UK, and said there is a need to first “build up understanding” as the state remains largely closed to foreign observers.
Revd Khongsai called for the establishment of a separate administration for the Kuki Christian community under the Indian constitution. He urged the UK government to “speak out against this injustice, to pressure the Indian government into action, and to provide humanitarian aid to those left behind.”