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A Manipur government order declaring the coming Easter Sunday on March 31 as a working day for all public offices in the conflict-ridden State ignited public outrage on March 28, after which the State government was forced to modify the order and clarify that both Good Friday and Easter Sunday would remain holidays.
On Wednesday, the Manipur government issued orders in the name of the Governor, declaring that March 30 (Saturday) and March 31 (Easter Sunday) would be working days for all government offices in the State. According to the 2011 Census, 41.2% of Manipur’s population is Christian.
The move drew sharp reactions from the Scheduled Tribe community in the State, especially from the Kuki-Zo community, which has borne the brunt of the fatalities in the ongoing ethnic conflict. Many called it another attempt to target them by a “Meitei-majority” government. Further, Christian rights groups such as the United Christian Forum (UCF) also called for the order to be withdrawn, calling it unconstitutional.
‘Hurting sentiments’
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also reacted to the order, telling a crowd of reporters, “It is surprising and worrying. It has come in the aftermath of a devastating year in Manipur where violence happened. Amid all this, to hurt the sentiment of one community is a matter of grave concern. The Government of India should intervene and get this withdrawn.”
After hours of outrage on Thursday, which leaked onto social media as well, the Manipur government issued an order modifying its earlier order, clarifying that only March 30 (Saturday) was being declared as a working day.
Soon afterwards, BJP MPs such as Prakash Javadekar and party leaders such as Kerala unit president K. Surendran posted statements on X accusing the Congress of “spreading falsehoods”, while reiterating that Easter Sunday remained a holiday. They both asserted that the Manipur government had given holidays for both Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and went on to accuse the Congress of “having no issues” and relying on “falsehood”. They continued by questioning the Congress and the Left parties on whether they would condemn the “Hamas attack and terror attack in Russia”.
Also read | KeralaBJP in damage control mode as Manipur govt. reverses decision declaring Easter Sunday working day
‘New political narrative’
UCF national coordinator A.C. Michael, a former member of the Delhi Minorities Commission, told The Hindu: “It seems like a deliberate attempt. It is not possible that they are not aware how important the day is, despite running a State with a 41% Christian population.”
“It is related to the new political narrative we are seeing across the country which demeans minorities,” Mr. Michael said, adding that the UCF’s helpline for anti-Christian violence had recorded 731 violent incidents against Christians in 2023, a significant increase since the helpline started functioning in 2015.
“In Manipur, the majority of Christians are Baptists and Presbyterians. For Baptists, their Easter Sunday service often runs till late afternoon. It will be very difficult for them to leave the church and go,” he explained. “They tried to test the waters. When they saw the protests, they walked it back. But the point is, would they dare to ask the same of Hindus on Diwali?”
Tense situation
The controversy comes just ahead of the Lok Sabha election. Manipur will go the polls in two phases, on April 19 and 26. Inner Manipur, largely comprising the valley areas dominated by Meitei voters, is due to vote on April 19, while Outer Manipur, with largely tribal populations (both Naga and Kuki-Zo tribes), will vote on both dates.
An ethnic conflict between the State’s hills-based Kuki-Zo people and the valley-based Meitei people has left over 200 people dead since May 3 last year, injured thousands of others, and internally displaced tens of thousands. Throughout the conflict, the Kuki-Zo people, largely Christian, have insisted that the Meitei community had been assisted and supported by the administration of Chief Minister N. Biren Singh in the attacks against them over their ethnic identity.
