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American Baptist Church’s Alleged Role in Manipur Unrest Raises Alarm
American Baptist Church’s Alleged Role in Manipur Unrest Raises Alarm
Sputnik India
There is a need to analyse the role of US-backed Baptist organisations in fuelling separatism in India's Northeastern State, particularly in the wake of ongoing ethnic unrest in Manipur since last May.
2024-09-25T21:08+0530
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There is a pressing need to analyse the role of US-backed Baptist organisations in fuelling separatism in India's northeastern states, particularly in the wake of ongoing ethnic unrest in Manipur since last May, a rights group and a former Indian Military Intelligence (MI) officer told Sputnik India.Joshi stressed that several 'Christian' militant groups in India's northeast, where a significant portion of the population shares cultural ties with tribal communities in northern Myanmar, have adopted a similarly "twisted separatist and violent ideology backed by the US Baptist Church".The US Baptist Church wielded significant influence on the society and culture of these states, and even more so in tribal regions, he said, accusing the American institution of trying to create a "demographic edge" for Christians. Christianity, which was followed by around 1% of Nagaland's population in 1901, now had over 85% adherents, Joshi underscored.Baptist missionaries first arrived in Assam, India's northeast, in the 1830s, gradually spreading their influence in the region, the expert recalled. At present, there are seven main Baptist conventions operating in the region. In a global context, they work under the patronage of US-headquartered Baptist World Alliance (BWA), which has a presence in 130 countries and affiliation with 176,000 churches globally. According to BWA's Annual Report last year, it supported "evangelism and discipleship training" in India, prima facie under the bounds of the Indian law.Joshi referred to media reports that outlawed groups like NSCN-IM and NSCN-Khaplang targeted the homes and businesses of Meitei Hindus during the ongoing unrest in Manipur. It was a march by the civil society group All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur to oppose the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category last May which fuelled the current cycle of ethnic tensions, he further pointed out.While there is no clear-cut evidence linking activities of these Indian militant groups with the US Baptist Church as yet, Sputnik India is reporting on a widespread sentiment in the region, which has become more acute since unrest in Manipur last May.Indian Baptist Church Sympathetic to Their Kin in Myanmar: Ex-Intel OfficerHe recalled that, in February, a delegation of the 'Burma Advocacy Group' met Mizoram Chief Minister Pu Lalduhoma to convey their "appreciation for the warm reception and support extended to Burma refugees in Mizoram".The Burma Advocacy Group delegation was headed by Rev. Dr. Roy Medley, the General Secretary Emeritus of the American Baptist Churches of the USA, according to an official statement from the Indian state.There was "definitely American involvement in support of [the] insurgents fighting in Myanmar" to bring down the military government, Hariharan asserted, emphasising that the 'US District of Colombia (DC)' Baptist Church had established numerous congregations in Myanmar, representing at least three ethnic groups: Chin, Kachin, and Karen.He stated that the Chins and Kachins inhabit areas along the borders of the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Mizoram, while the Karens reside near the border with Thailand.The Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) efforts to supply arms to Burmese insurgents during the Cold War are well-documented, the former colonel noted.Following the rise of the military government in 2022, civil war ensued, resulting in the displacement of ethnic populations in the Kachin, Chin, and Rakhine states, Hariharan explained. Many of these individuals eventually sought refuge in India, drawn by cultural ties."The border trade facility between India and Myanmar, which allows for movement up to 20 kilometers on either side, has been beneficial in addressing the situation," he added.
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American Baptist Church’s Alleged Role in Manipur Unrest Raises Alarm
21:08 25.09.2024 (Updated: 21:32 25.09.2024) Ethnic tensions between majority Meitei community and minority Kuki-Zo tribes in Manipur have left over 200 dead and displaced over 60,000 people since last May. This month, the state witnessed high-tech drone and long-range rocket attacks by Kuki militants, prompting a security probe on alleged involvement of foreign actors.
There is a pressing need to analyse the role of US-backed Baptist organisations in fuelling separatism in India's northeastern states, particularly in the wake of ongoing ethnic unrest in Manipur since last May, a rights group and a former Indian Military Intelligence (MI) officer told Sputnik India.
"The Liberation Theology has been effectively manipulated by American Baptist missionaries to spawn secessionist movements based on religious lines. Myanmar is a textbook case of how the Baptist Church, with the help of American agencies, have advanced [a] separatist agenda by Christian militant groups," remarked Vinay Joshi, the founder-convener of nonprofit Indian group Legal Rights Observatory (LRO).
Joshi stressed that several 'Christian' militant groups in
India's northeast, where a significant portion of the population shares cultural ties with tribal communities in northern Myanmar, have adopted a similarly "twisted separatist and violent ideology backed by the US Baptist Church".
"Calls such as Manipur for Christ and Nagaland for Christ by outlawed groups such as National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) have become more prominent, which have contributed to communalising the situation," he explained.
The US Baptist Church wielded significant influence on the society and culture of these states, and even more so in tribal regions, he said, accusing the American institution of trying to create a "demographic edge" for Christians. Christianity, which was followed by around 1% of Nagaland's population in 1901, now had over 85% adherents, Joshi underscored.
Baptist missionaries first arrived in Assam, India's northeast, in the 1830s, gradually spreading their influence in the region, the expert recalled. At present, there are seven main Baptist conventions operating in the region. In a global context, they work under the patronage of US-headquartered Baptist World Alliance (BWA), which has a presence in 130 countries and affiliation with 176,000 churches globally. According to BWA's Annual Report last year, it supported "evangelism and discipleship training" in India, prima facie under the bounds of the Indian law.
Joshi referred to media reports that outlawed groups like NSCN-IM and NSCN-Khaplang targeted the homes and businesses of Meitei Hindus
during the ongoing unrest in Manipur. It was a march by the civil society group All Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur to oppose the demand for the inclusion of Meiteis in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category last May which fuelled the current cycle of ethnic tensions, he further pointed out.
While there is no clear-cut evidence linking activities of these Indian militant groups with the US Baptist Church as yet, Sputnik India is reporting on a widespread sentiment in the region, which has become more acute since unrest in Manipur last May.
Indian Baptist Church Sympathetic to Their Kin in Myanmar: Ex-Intel Officer
The Indian Baptist Church in the northeastern states was "sympathetic to their kin" in Myanmar, where anti-government rebels were being backed by the US, Colonel R Hariharan, a retired military intelligence specialist on South Asia and terrorism, told Sputnik India.
He recalled that, in February, a delegation of the 'Burma Advocacy Group' met Mizoram Chief Minister Pu Lalduhoma to convey their "appreciation for the warm reception and support extended to Burma refugees in Mizoram".
The Burma Advocacy Group delegation was headed by Rev. Dr. Roy Medley, the General Secretary Emeritus of the American Baptist Churches of the USA, according to an official statement from the Indian state.
There was "definitely American involvement in support of [the] insurgents fighting in Myanmar" to bring down the military government, Hariharan asserted, emphasising that the 'US District of Colombia (DC)' Baptist Church had established numerous congregations in Myanmar, representing at least three ethnic groups: Chin, Kachin, and Karen.
"Today, seven percent of these churches consist of ethnic communities from Myanmar. In 2016, they established a multi-ethnic 'Burma Work Group' to address the spiritual and physical needs of the Baptist ministry in Myanmar. This initiative creates a direct channel through which assistance, both financial and in kind, flows from the United States to the ethnic communities residing in the region," explained Hariharan.
He stated that the Chins and Kachins inhabit areas along the borders of the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Mizoram, while the Karens reside near the border with Thailand.
"These areas have been facing insurgency for the last four decades. At one stage, Mrs Bush Jr, the wife of former President George Bush Jr, was the chairman of the Baptist Helpline to Karens in Myanmar. The Biden Administration’s recently passed BURMA Act formalises US supplies of ‘nonlethal’ aid to the insurgent groups fighting the military government which is ruling Myanmar for the last three years," Hariharan said, pointing to deep connections between the US establishment politicians and Myanmar's insurgents.
The Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) efforts to supply arms to Burmese insurgents during the Cold War are well-documented, the former colonel noted.
Following the rise of the military government in 2022, civil war ensued, resulting in the displacement of ethnic populations in the Kachin, Chin, and Rakhine states, Hariharan explained. Many of these individuals eventually sought refuge in India, drawn by cultural ties.
"The border trade facility between India and Myanmar, which allows for movement up to 20 kilometers on either side, has been beneficial in addressing the situation," he added.
India's initiative to fence the entire Myanmar border, along with various "security measures," could contribute to restoring normalcy in Manipur, Hariharan believes. However, a comprehensive "political settlement" is necessary to fully resolve the situation, he concluded.
