Imphal, Feb 24: More than 40 people were arrested after they attacked new Christian converts in Imphal West today. A police team has been posted at the village to prevent a backlash. Of the arrested, 34 are women.
The police said villagers attacked the house of Apabi Golmei and her family, who converted to Christianity recently, at 10 am today. However, timely intervention by a police team prevented the mob from harming the family.
Of the 43 arrested, 34 are women. They will be produced before an Imphal court tomorrow. Earlier on Sunday, the police had rescued three missionaries from a mob in the same village.
The villagers, led by the head of village court called pei pou, had waylaid the three missionaries while they were coming to visit the house of the new converts. A police team had rushed to the village on being informed and rescued the three.
The residents of Langthabal Khoupum under Singjamei police station in Imphal West belong to the Rongmei Naga tribe who follow their own religion. Apabi, her husband G. Ningthou along with their two sons and two daughters had converted to Christianity recently. Their conversion sparked an angry protest from the other members of the village.
Church leaders said ever since the conversion, Apabi?s family was being persecuted regularly by the neighbours. The village court passed an order a few days ago to banish the family from the area as a punishment for their conversion, they added.
Having also ordered that Apabi?s house be pulled down, the court set a February 20 deadline for the family to leave the village. Though the villagers were throwing stones at the house regularly, the attacks intensified after the deadline expired, the police said.
In a joint statement, the Rongmei Naga Baptist Association and other Church bodies appealed to all human rights groups, church leaders, social organisations and the government to prevent persecution of converts. Though several families have converted to Christianity in the state in the past few years, which did give rise to conflict, the attack on the Golmei family is the first major one in recent times, the police said.