There had been an underlying fear that the perpetrators of these ethnic and religious attacks—violent Hindu Meiteis—would never be held accountable for their actions; officers in Manipur initially failed to take action and uphold the law due to their prejudice against minority populations. But we’re praising God because the tide is turning, thanks to international media attention and the Body of Christ’s fervent prayers.
After the victims had requested an impartial investigation and trial, the Indian Supreme Court decided to appoint former Mumbai Police Commissioner Dattatray Padsalgikar to be head of the probe into the sexual violence and assault in Manipur. By appointing Padsalgikar, the Supreme Court is putting in-charge an independent third party to get to the bottom of the assaults, removing the prejudice and bias of local officials in Manipur. In addition, the Court has also assigned three retired female judges to look into the onslaught of attacks.
While the corrupt Manipur officials sought to overlook these heinous confrontations, the people of India have started to wake up to the plight of our persecuted family. And at Global Christian Relief, we’re doing all we can to help. Earlier this year, the ethnic and religious violence in Manipur had spiraled out of control: Entire villages were torched, hundreds of churches were burned and many people were killed. Tens of thousands—mostly Christians—became homeless. But GCR and our partners on the ground are currently operating two emergency relief centers in India that can support up to 10,000 at-risk believers who’ve been impacted.
