[Assam] Manipur mourns the dead--culture vultures, religious rivalry?

Thu Aug 17 16:28:15 PDT 2006

Is that correct? Is this the basis for the bombings?
  http://www.saag.org/papers13/paper1210.html
  http://hinduworld.tripod.com/views/nscn.html
  Umesh

  "
  The Christian Missionaries, who followed the British flag in Manipur and landed there in 1894 gradually converted the animistic tribes into Christianity through allurement of some basic medical and educational facilities. In 1901 census there were only 8 Christians against 60% Hindus, 36% animistic tribes and 4% Muslims (Manipur: A British Anthology - Edited by Prof. N. Sanajaoba, Akansha Publishing House, New Delhi, 2003, Page 220). But by 1991 the number of Christian population in this state increased to 34.11% (1991census). However, the percentage of Hindu population was reduced to 57. 67 % though, the number of Muslims increased to 7.27 % of state population. If 12.81 percent of decadal growth (1991-2001 as projected in 2001 census report) in overall state population is taken into account the Christian population of the state might have gone above 36%. Thus, through Christianisation of the native tribes  they not only cut off the latter from the mainland of this
 country but also debarred them to integrate in the socio-cultural national stream with their new religion. This was a major obstacle against their constitutional integration in post Independence India. Wide socio-cultural gaps even between the Hindu Meiteis of Manipur valley and the Christian tribes of the hill areas became a permanent source of their socio-political rivalry.  "
  --------------------------------------
  Manipur mourns the dead
  Statesman News Service
IMPHAL, Aug. 17: Angry residents near Iskcon temple today blocked traffic movement on Imphal Airport road over bombing of Janmastami crowd yesterday. Women braved a heavy shower in the morning to stop vehicles on the road. Little Flowers School which is near the temple had been closed for the day. 
Four persons including a child who was playing the lead role of Krishna in the Manipuri dance Ras Leela, was killed when a powerful bomb exploded. At least, another 50 including four foreign nationals and Swami Damudor, a big name in Iskcon movement and member of international governing body of the society were injured. A local photo journalist identified as Asem Bhakta was among those injured. Of the injured, four are said to be in critical condition. 

  Mr Brian W. Nash, a devotee from the USA, is likely to loose eyesight in one eye, said a report. Three other local girls are said to be in ICU of RIMS. Some injured were rushed to Shija Hospital. 

Those killed have been identified as H Birakumar (73), who was killed on the spot. Dr Birkumar (65), Wahengbam Anil (9) and Angom Blodin (12) died after they were brought to hospitals. 
Police are yet to find a clue to the bombing. Manipur DGP Mr AK Parashar today ruled out the involvement of Islamic groups. He said there was a possibility of Manipuri insurgent groups being involved. According to police, the unidentified youths lobbed two Chinese hand grenades around 7 p.m. One of the bombs went off causing the damages and another one did not explode. A security meeting attended by the DGP and top police officials was held today. 
The chief minister has announced ex-gratia for those killed and promised to take care of the medical bills of the injured. He along with some MLAs visited the injured. Revolutionary Peo-ples Front, a revolutionary group, has condemned the bombing. In a communiqué to the Press here it said the act was mindless. The All Manipur Students Union, have also condemned the bombing. The United National Liberation Front, an armed insurgent group, has clarified that it was not involved in the Iskcon bombing. 
The All Manipur Clubs organisation has condemned the bombing saying it was a crime against secularism. 

  from the Telegraph, Kolkata

            RITUALS IN BLOOD 
      There is a core of unreason in acts of violence. That is perhaps the only explanation for the brutal madness of the attack on a temple near Imphal that killed five people. This certainly is not the first time that innocent lives have been lost in senseless violence in Manipur. Long years of ethnic insurgencies and the states battles against them have claimed hundreds of such lives. But the attack on the temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness exposes how violence can lose meaning even to its perpetrators. The devotees who gathered at the temple did not represent any of the forces that the militants of Manipur have been battling. There is a dark irony in the fact that the killings took place in a temple. It suggests that no place is safe enough from such killers. Also, it shows to what length mindless violence can go. There is a hint, though, of a cultural context to the tragedy. 

  Some militant groups see all rituals linked to Hindu religious traditions as alien to Manipurs ethnic culture. In fact, they see such rituals as instruments of Indian domination of the erstwhile princely states politics and culture. It is the same argument that advocates the restoration of the Meitei script for the Manipuri language. It is not unusual for communities to argue about historical wrongs or to seek cultural changes. But violence is not the way to win such arguments. 
  The chief minister, Mr Okram Ibobi Singh, has predictably condemned the violence. But his government does not seem to know enough about either the assailants or the motives behind their action. It is important to get to the roots of the incident simply because it is uncommon and very different from the known patterns of militancy-related violence. There obviously are violent forces other than the ones that the army and the police fight in Manipur. Unless such forces are identified and tackled, the people will be forced to live in perpetual fear of undefined enemies of peace. The government has to fight the militants and, at the same time, try to win them over to democratic ways. But the government and the politicians have a constitutional obligation to provide peace and security to the people. It is time also for the ordinary people to cry louder against the cult of violence. The bloodbath at the temple is a grim wake-up call.

  MPs condemn ISKCON temple blast
Friday August 18 2006 00:00 IST NewIndPress
  NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha MPs Thursday condemned a grenade attack at a temple in Imphal that killed four people and injured 34 during Janmashtami celebrations Wednesday.

Raising the issue during zero hour, Congress party's Thokchom Meinya urged the house to join him in deploring the militant attack on devotees at the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in the Manipur capital.

Chandrakanth Khaire of the Shiv Sena said attacks on the Hindus were on the rise and the government should take steps to protect the community and its institutions.

Tapir Gao (Bharatiya Janata Party) and Arun K Sarma (Asom Gana Parishad) asked the government to nab the culprits at the earliest.

Gao pointed that the militants in Manipur had been forcing Indians to give up Indian traditional dresses and watching Hindi films. 

Speaker Somnath Chatterjee said the entire house joined the MPs in condemning the attack.
  umesh sharma <jaipurschool at yahoo.com> wrote:
    http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=72510

  any role of Christian fundamentalists from the region?

  Umesh

Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, MD 20740

 1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]

Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005

weblog: http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/

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