Christians in India can break the cycle of religious violence

Despite the growing threat Hindu nationalism poses to the Christians already facing persecution in India, Joseph D’Souza urges the Church to resist retaliation and embody the love of Christ. It’s the only way to achieve lasting peace, he says 

In early February, Washington, D.C. will host the annual International Religious Freedom Summit. While religious freedom is always an important topic, this year, it feels even more urgent. All over the world — from Nigeria to North Korea, from Afghanistan to Burma — there is persecution and unrest. But it’s happening here in India as well. All you need to do is look at the past 18 months of chaos and upheaval engulfing the Indian state of Manipur. 

There are about 600,000 Kuki Christians in Manipur who have been forced to resort to self-defense to protect themselves from attacks against them due to their ethnic and Christian identity. Meanwhile, in attempts to resist those who would impose an extremist Hindu identity, radicalised elements of the Meitei population have taken up arms by seizing weapons from state armories and attacking both the Kuki population and state forces.

This cycle of violence stems from the radical ideology of violent extremist Hinduism which has now turned against the Indian state itself, in Manipur. The Meitei, long struggling for their own tribal identity and land, now face an additional challenge in 10% of their population now being Christian. 

This religious and ethnic struggle has attracted attention around India, and the large Naga Christian population in the State of Manipur is watching how the conflict unfolds. It is important to recognise that…