More than a year after massive riots in the Manipur area of India, more than 60,000 Christians remain homeless. The violence that began in May 2023 continued sporadically throughout the rest of the year. Meanwhile, authorities did little to resolve the situation. 

And while some characterized the violence as ethnic, it primarily affected Christians. “The violence appears to be a result of a targeted campaign of hate and aggression against these communities,” an evangelical monitoring organization wrote. After a visit to the area, an ICR field worker said, “all evidence points to this conflict being organized by the BJP government under the influence of the RSS.”

The field worker also noted that even Christians from the majority ethnic group, the Meitei, are too afraid of the repercussions to hold a worship service. In practice, Christian worship is banned in Manipur right now.