Dominic Lumon, the Archbishop of Imphal, said dialogue and discussion is the only solution to the Manipur conflict. Speaking to TNM’s Haritha John, the Archbishop said that although the conflict in Manipur was primarily an ethnic one - between the Meiteis and Kukis, it had elements of religious intolerance. He pointed to the Kuki-Naga conflict in the 1960s, where both sides would attack each other’s properties but spared churches as both groups belonged to the Christian community. Domnic Lumon said that in over 100 days, the conflict has already destroyed around 60 Catholic churches, with their losses amounting to around 50 crore rupees. He also said there have been reports of many temples that have been destroyed in the conflict.
Archbishop Dominic Lumon also spoke about the causes and the possible solutions for the conflict. He said blaming one community squarely for the conflict has affected the magnitude of violence. The Archbishop of Imphal also pointed out that the hatred that has been unleashed will not be easily healed. “The hurts are so terrible,” he said. Archbishop Dominic Lumon said only the government can bring about a solution to the conflict, which has now spanned over 100 days, but that they are yet to do so.
He also went on to tell TNM that while life is almost back to normal in the valley for the majority Meitei community, in the hills, where the Kuki communities reside, schools are still not open. There is also uncertainty over sporadic attacks in the peripheries.
Watch the full interview: