Conference of clergy in India launches housing project for riot victims in Manipur

By LiCAS News

This initiative, which is part of the CDPI’s 2024 National Council Action Plan, aims to construct new homes for affected families, with each unit estimated to cost around Rs. 4 lakhs (approximately $4,900 USD), according to a report by Catholic Connect.

The project was officially initiated this month and seeks to raise more funding to build houses for internally displaced families. 

To fund the humanitarian endeavor, the CDPI National Council has introduced the ‘Minimum of Rs. 500 to Manipur’ challenge, urging each member of the diocesan clergy to contribute at least Rs. 500 (around $6.10 USD). 

The challenge is inspired by St. Paul’s teachings on generosity, emphasizing “cheerful and heartfelt giving,” as noted in 2 Corinthians 9:7.

CDPI regional executives are currently organizing meetings across their diocesan units to spearhead a two-month fundraising campaign through July and August 2024. 

The funds collected will be handed over to the Archdiocese of Imphal, with the CDPI Presidents overseeing the transfer. 

The collaborative effort between the national team and the Imphal Archdiocese is aimed at completing the housing project by February 2025, ahead of the next CDPI National Council.

Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal, the patron prelate, has endorsed the project, calling for earnest cooperation from all members of the clergy. 

To maintain transparency and foster accountability, detailed reports of the contributions will be shared among the clergy. 

The organizers said the initiative is not only about rebuilding physical structures but also about reinforcing the bonds within the priestly fraternity and making a tangible difference in the lives of those devastated by the riots in Manipur.

The northeast Indian state of Manipur experienced the highest displacement due to conflict and violence in South Asia last year, according to the 2024 Global Report on Internal Displacement by the Geneva-based Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). 

The report revealed that out of the total 69,000 people displaced in South Asia, Manipur alone accounted for 67,000.

The report noted that while displacement figures triggered by conflict and violence in South Asia were significantly lower than the decadal average of 576,000, the 69,000 recorded last year was still double the 2022 number. 

Most of these displacements were due to an increase in communal violence in Manipur, which began on May 3, 2023, with protests in the Churachandpur district. 

The violence subsequently spread to other districts, including Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Tengnoupal, and Kangpokpi, leading to the mass displacement.

The displacement in Manipur was identified as the highest caused by conflict and violence in India since 2018. 

The report estimated that over three-quarters of those displaced remained within Manipur, while nearly a fifth moved to the neighboring state of Mizoram, with smaller numbers relocating to Nagaland and Assam.

The conflict in Manipur erupted following a protest rally in Churachandpur by tribal communities opposing a judgment by the Manipur High Court. 

The court had directed the state government to consider granting Scheduled Tribe status to the Meitei community, which predominantly resides in the Imphal valley.

So far, the violence has resulted in the deaths of more than 200 people and forced thousands to flee their homes.

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