How US Deep State-Linked Baptist NGOs Fan Flames of Violence in Manipur

Schemes by non-governmental organisations, particularly those affiliated with the US Baptist Church, to exploit religious divisions in Manipur and other northeastern states have raised significant concerns in India.

"The biggest project of the US Baptist Church in India right now is 'Nagaland for Christ,' which is supported by banned militant groups like the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) and other separatist organisations," stated the Foreign Evangelists' Cyber Monitoring Desk (Kohima), part of the Indian non-profit Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), in an interview with Sputnik India. "Dozens of Western missionaries, including those from the US and other Western countries, are present in Nagaland. Many of them have in the past have disregarded tourist visa norms and engaged in religious work."

The LRO group reported that another notorious organisation based in the US, the Sudan Interior Mission (SIM), has been conducting preaching events in India.

"An Australian citizen (name withheld), currently living in Meghalaya, has been actively proselytising on behalf of SIM among the Garo tribes along the Meghalaya-Assam border. SIM has a reputation of engineering conversions in Africa. We are closely tracking their activities," the group stated.

Last August, LRO kept a close eye on the movements of Daniel Stephen Courney, a blacklisted American "street preacher" and US Army veteran. He delivered an incendiary sermon at a Kuki refugee camp in Churachandpur district, Manipur, only weeks after violent clashes erupted between the Meitei and Kuki communities.

"Courney managed to sneak into India last August despite being blacklisted," the group told Sputnik India.

In a video of Courtney's speech posted on YouTube, the American preacher can be heard inciting the Kuki people against the Government of India and the Meitei Hindus, referring to them as an "enemy."

Courtney was deported from India in 2017 for violating the terms of his tourist visa by engaging in missionary activities, which foreigners are prohibited from doing in India, the group said. The street-preacher was deported again via Delhi last August, after authorities took note of his controversial speech, LRO said. Currently, he is believed to be in Nepal, according to a social media status update from last week.

The Indian government has implemented stricter regulations for foreigners seeking a "missionary visa" in response to rising concerns about "illegal religious conversions" in tribal and other vulnerable regions of the country. Despite these measures, Western "preachers" continue to try to get into India.

In February of this year, two American citizens — 64-year-old John Matthew Boone and 77-year-old Michael James Flinchum — were arrested in Assam for attending a Baptist convention while on tourist visas.

In October 2022, police in Assam reported that they had deported three Swedish nationals and placed several Germans under restrictions for engaging in unauthorized "religious activities."

"India and the entire South Asian region fall within the so-called 10/40 Window, which encompasses parts of both Africa and Asia". The LRO explained that US-backed missionaries are particularly active in these areas, as they tend to focus on areas where missionary efforts have yet to gain traction.

There are well-founded fears in India that Western preachers and groups are operating at the behest of the US Deep State, former Indian intelligence officers told Sputnik India.

Western NGOs and governments have been engaged in pushing what many suggest is a one-sided narrative of the Manipur tensions, as they seek funds globally for so-called “persecuted Christians” there.

Sputnik India has examined the fundraising campaigns of Baptist groups like International Ministries (IM), the Netherlands-based Open Doors, and the US-based Wesleyan Methodist Church. These campaigns often depict Christians as a "vulnerable target" in Manipur. However, they overlook an important aspect: the ethnic violence in Manipur has adversely impacted thousands from both communities, with both temples and churches suffering attacks.

It remains unclear how these groups are able to channel their funds to India for their declared purposes and whether such actions comply with the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), which oversees international donations received by non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in the country.

Notably, the Manipur government declined a $280,000 aid offer from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in May, following hailstorms that devastated the state. This offer was publicised by the European Union (EU) through its social media platforms.

In July 2022, India vehemently criticised a European Parliament resolution that called for an independent investigation into the situation in Manipur. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) dismissed the resolution as "unacceptable," arguing it reflected a "colonial mindset" typical of Western overreach.

Similarly, in May of this year, India condemned a report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that alleged human rights abuses in Manipur. The MEA characterised the report as "deeply biased," pointing to a pattern of Western meddling that undermines India's sovereignty and ability to manage its internal affairs.

Political Affairs

American Baptist Church’s Alleged Role in Manipur Unrest Raises Alarm

25 September, 21:08