India: Rally for peace in Manipur by the Patna people

More than 500 people from Patna organized a silent rally and interfaith prayer to protest against violence and human rights violations in the Northeast Indian state of Manipur on June 25, 2023.

Presentation Sister Dorothy Fernandes, the event's convenor, said, "Manipur has been burning for 53 days, and silence is not an option. If I remain silent about the tragedy of Manipur, it will be taken as though I have consented to this gross human rights violation."

She added that those in power haven't spoken up in such a situation of gross human rights violations. So, we, the people, speak through a silent march. We implore India's government and all state governments to intervene and restore peace, harmony, and humanity.

At the Dak Bungalow Chouraha (crossing), Bihar Nagrik Adhikar Manch [Bihar Citizens' Rights Forum] organized a solidarity march.

Several leaders from political parties and social organizations attended the event.

When the procession reached Buddha Smriti Park, religious leaders from the Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist communities prayed for peace and harmony.

S. K. Lawrence, the representative of the Bihar Chapter of the International Human Rights Council, said, "I call for a speedy resolution to the problem. I remained the prime minister when Manipur burned for more than 50 days, making "the situation out of control" with thousands of lives ruined, homes destroyed, and people killed. " And still, you are silent?"

Father Prakash Louis, a Jesuit social activist, claims that the ruling establishment's experiment in Manipur and its sinister plan to replicate similar violations in the northeast have raised serious questions about the fundamentals of the Indian Constitution: democracy, socialism, civil rights, and equality for all.

Organizers reported in their press release that over 55,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by the disaster, of whom 3,413 homes have been destroyed, and 105 have been killed.

In addition to the destruction of entire villages, the violence continues to rage.

"If we are all Indians, then we have to be attentive to the politics of hate that is causing the violence and affecting our Manipuri sisters," said Pranesh Chandan Singh, a 28-year-old volunteer from Bihar's Munger.

Mukund Singh, a social activist, and politician, said, "The politics of hate that have been fanned in Manipur will spread to destroy the whole country. If you spread hate, you will have nothing, so we must counter hate with love. This is our reason for joining this rally."