Manipur, India, and anti-Hindu sentiment: Why its story needs to be told, and not just on Twitter
Manipur is a complex issue, and it’s hard for an outsider to call themselves an expert on it when they cannot speak the language and have not lived on its land.
As an Indian, I was aghast at what was happening.
Some form of affirmative action was in the works for the Meiteis, the mostly Hindu community in Manipur who form the majority in the state but are restricted mostly to the Imphal valley. Protests over it by the minority community, the Kukis, who are mostly Christian, somehow resulted in violence and widespread riots.
Who started the riots? Nobody knows for sure, some say it was the Meiteis but what we know is that within a week, 77 Kukis and 10 Meiteis were killed. Disinformation and old videos was disseminated suggesting that women had been raped by the other community. By the time it was debunked, it was too late.
Visuals of burning churches went viral on social media. Temples were also burnt but numerically it appears more churches than temples were affected. Indian media reported on the riots, but not always. It was only in July 2023, a day before the Monsoon session of the parliament, that a video of two Kuki women being paraded naked on the fields before being taken for rape went viral.
The Indian leader held a press briefing and announced that exemplary action would be taken against the criminals. Why did he hold his silence for such a long time? Left-leaning journalists declared that this was the result of partisan politics; the state CM, a Meitei, was also a BJP leader, therefore his leader in the Centre was being partial to him.
According to comments on Reddit, it appears that the situation is much more complex. A massive drug trade is being run by the Kukis, but even the Meiteis and others are involved in it. Earlier, there was a woman police officer, Thounaojam Brinda, who arrested a powerful Meitei drug lord in 2018. However, political pressure forced her to release that suspect, leading to her resignation from law enforcement. Two years later, she would submit an affidavit before the high court, making powerful allegations against the top-most rungs of the current (BJP) Manipuri leadership. [1]
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Some Kukis allegedly are drug lords who have ties to their brethren living across the border in Myanmar, which is a drug hotspot, and they are allegedly altering the demographics of the state through illegal migration. However, Meiteis and other ethnic groups of Manipur are also quite involved in the drug trade. There are reports that elements of the BJP-led Manipur government also have links to the drug mafia. This conundrum could be a potential explanation for the Indian prime minister’s silence for so long.
In 2024, the Manipur government announced measures to deport those who arrived in the state after 1961. Savio Rodrigues, a Christian and a BJP supporter from Goa, has written an article on his views which you can read on his website, Goa Chronicles.
There have also been statements from Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, about a plan to create a Christian state out of the ashes of Myanmar, Northeast India, and other countries in the region.
The Meiteis, while dominant, are restricted to the geographically smaller Imphal valley, while the Kukis live on the surrounding hills. There is also reports that laws were being brought to make Meiteis able to purchase land in the hills — something opposed by the Kukis.
Subtitled videos uploaded to Indian subreddits allegedly showed Kuki militants holding military rallies and supposedly saying objectionable things. Some users challenged the accuracy of the subtitles, claiming they were falsely translated.
Today, r/Manipur has an endless stream of videos, mostly showing Kuki militants attacking and engaging in crimes such as beheadings (both sides have engaged in it). While it has a pro-Meitei tilt, both sides and even outsiders are allowed to speak on this subreddit. (There are even Dravidian extremists from south India who criticise Hinduism any chance they get, and attribute all of Manipur’s problems to Sanatan Dharma.)
Following r/Manipur is a good way to expand your knowledge of the dynamics of the state and its ongoing conflict.
While domestic interest in Manipur has waned, foreign interest in Manipur is hard to measure. India is the 5th largest economy in the world, and it is surrounded on all sides by dangerous enemies. Many powers conspire to besmirch our reputation and precipitate our collapse. To prevent our ascent, they wish to take us down using any tactic they can.
Coming from tiny nations, their outsize impact and influence on the perceptions of the global population cannot be understated. Christians evangelists, leftists, selective human rights activists with a Marxist bent, and even Islamists — all of them use one-sided coverage to push their agenda.
I am not implying that Meiteis are not to blame, or that no crimes were done. Both sides deserve blame, but the situation is far more complex than the ‘Hindutva extremists unleashing their violence on innocent Christians for merely existing’ narrative they are pushing.
American Right-wing
Many right-wing personalities in America find themselves in a conundrum. Some, like hugely influential MAGA leader Steve Bannon, have chosen to hold their tongue. After aligning with the Republican Hindu Coalition and its leader Shalabh Kumar, who is also a Trump financier, Bannon is reluctant to bring up anything that will affect the relations between the Trump-voting Indian bloc and the MAGA base. In the past he has also interviewed European guests who align with New Delhi’s views on Kashmir, Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), and China.
Others, however, are less inclined to be reticent. Relying on simplified narratives and a non-nuanced understanding of the dynamics, American Christians and evangelists have increasingly portrayed the issue as a religious conflict. The consensus in India — at least among centrists and the right-wing — is that Manipur is primarily an ethnic conflict. While religious places of worship indeed were defiled on both sides, these are said to be the outcome of ethnic conflict, and not the primary intention.
The proud Indian rightwinger who doesn’t give a sh*t about the whites — while living in India
Some Indian rightwingers like to push a brazen form of nationalism. You are looking for gora (white/European) validation is what they say when others bring up the topic of foreign perceptions. We don’t care what you think about us; we know we are right, they shout loudly as they beat their chest with jingoism. They don’t realize they short-sightedness of their perspective.
Yes, you, a person living in India may not care for global reputation. It may not directly affect you. But the global Indian diaspora will be very much affected by this. Attitudes towards Indians have changed in the aftermath of the Gau Rakshak videos, which show Muslims being beaten (sometimes killed) and humiliated for transporting or ‘smuggling’ cows. Does it really have no effect on the safety of an Indian labourer working on a sheikh’s farm in Qatar or Saudi Arabia when Al Jazeera Arabic broadcasts videos of Hindus smearing cow dug on the face of Muslim cattle van drivers? The Middle East is not a utopia for human rights; it is foolish to think that televised hugs or a tranche of investment from the Arabs means all is well for the blue-collar Indians who work there.
Europe’s affinity with India
In the west, the refugee crisis is a sticky issue. Rise in crime and concerns of demographic change have increased popularity of right-wing movements both in Europe and India, and elected them to power. Overtures by some Indian right-wing on Twitter to their counterparts in Europe and America have been well-received.
Geert Wilders, whose party won the Netherlands election, has made several posts in favour of BJP and its members like former spokesperson Nupur Sharma.
Amy Mek, a controversial Jewish American anti-Islamism activist whose X (formerly Twitter) account is withheld in several European countries, has developed a huge Indian following in recent years. She has tweeted in favour of the JSR slogan, calling it a slogan of peace and denying its existence in the many violent videos uploaded by Hindu activists themselves. She may bond with her followers over their mutual opposition to rapid demographic change, which some say is a consequence of Islamism and immigration policies, and terrorism but the information war waged by the enemies of India can potentially puncture this bonhomie.
Hate speech against Indians is now widespread with Telegram channels and Bitchute ‘documentaries’ dedicated to exposing and reviling the ‘subh*man pajeet’ (warning: highly offensive and disturbing). It’s not just white supremacists consuming such content. Others watch it and develop hatred towards Indians and Hindus.
RISKS
A. The Middle Eastern diaspora
The ‘dank culture’ in India developed in online spaces over the past few years has lead to a decrease in common sense and an abundance of outrageous vitriol. Threats of rape, violence and sexual assault are all considered normal and cool. It is important to mention that this phenomenon is mostly seen among the so-called ‘GenZ’ population.
While cruel pro-suicide comments are made to vulnerable people on Instagram, on X (formerly Twitter) this is reflected in shameful memes about the Gaza war and anything to with Islam. A crying Palestinian boy covered in cement dust is portrayed as an advertisement for a skin whitening cream. It does not matter to the meme’s creators that the boy probably lost his family members and may be in unimaginable pain. No, my friend, it is just another opportunity to be ‘dank’.
The memes are created and shared by handles with Hindu names. They even spam it in under tweets likely to have the widest reach, ensuring the whole world sees what comes out of the mouth of Indians. One such meme creator even got photographed with a union minister (BJP). When said person died of some disease, it was portrayed by Muslim influencers on Twitter as divine punishment from Allah.
How do you think the worldwide Muslim and Arab diaspora feel when they see Indians behaving in such a reprehensible manner? Perceived slights on religion and race have provoked terrorist attacks around the world — nothing justifies violence but it does happen.
In West Asia, many Gulf Arabs are unhappy with their rulers’ alliance with Israel and refusal to extend anything beyond ‘harsh words’ in rebuke of the Jewish nation’s unrelenting military operations. Construction of Hindu temples (considered mushrik or pagan by religious Muslims) and even Jewish prayer houses incur the wrath of the most religious. With some preaching an end to the world and the various signs of it (tall buildings, uncovered human thighs — according to eschatology), it is possible some instability may occur.
It is wise to remember what happened to Saudi Arabia in 1979, when an armed Salafist cult stormed the Grand Mosque in Makkah, and captured it in order to bring political and religious changes.
The Indian diaspora in the Middle East could be the target of attacks.
B. Western countries
The onslaught of cultural Marxism in the West has to led a revival of traditional thought. However, many impressionable Western youth are drawn not to the Christianity of their ancestors, but Islam.
New converts are often isolated and radicalised, with some channelling their confusion and frustrations into diabolic lone wolf plots. Many youth in Europe and America have been pre-emptively arrested after security agencies got wind of their plans. The arrested includes Indians and Pakistanis. What if a terminally-online, radicalised youth, with the hate in his/her heart shaped by professional propaganda and a smattering of objective injustice, decides to target an Indian/Hindu gathering? Could the presence of counterpropaganda/alternative narratives potentially disrupt his/her/their train of thought enough to prevent a mass casualty incident?
There is also a significant white nationalist movement in the West. Proponents of such ideology have carried out many attacks, especially in north America, where Indian Americans are the richest minority/ethnic group. With some Christian pastors portraying Manipur as a sign of the coming of the Antichrist, when discontent with the unmitigated flow of illegal migrants from India, South America, Middle East and other countries via the southern border is only matched with alarmist conspiracy theories of replacement and a sense of paranoia which drives beliefs in theories of satanism and an all-encompassing, omnipotent ‘c*bal’, it is safe to say things are quite unstable in the West.
C. Leftwing operatives and the LGBT community
The Gaza war and its discussion on digital spaces has also brought another topic to the fore: Communist support for Palestine.
Especially from the 1960s onwards, the spread of Communist thought among the youth of the West resulted in a unique phenomenon: Communist militant action in solidarity with Muslim militants. When Palestinian militant groups hijack a plane in Asia, their purely European-origin allies would ensure a simultaneous hijacking of flights in some other part of the world. The planes would be flown to neutral countries, hundreds of prisoners (including those convicted of terrorism) would be freed, as the ‘revolutionaries and freedom fighters’ disappear into the shadows.
The LGBT community in the West has also become defensive. Facing discrimination and cynicism from the rightwing, several plots by some LGBT members were thwarted by law enforcement while others unfortunately resulted in casualties. All forms of violence are wrong and nothing will ever justify it. But sometimes members of transitioning communities are exposed to bullying and ridicule, and are driven by vengeance against their perceived persecutors. Christian schools and places with significant presence of whites, such as banks, have been targeted several times in 2023.
Many violent plots by members from this community have been thwarted at the last moment due to the friends and families of the suspects reporting them to law enforcement.
Mental health also plays a role here. It might be an abusive comment or disturbing video online that breaks the camel’s back and culminates in an act of violence. Again, the presence of counter-propaganda to disinformation that vilifies India and Hindus could potentially deter a disaffected person from an extremist act.
It is also important to refrain from using slurs against the LGBT community and instead treat them with compassion. Condemn homophobia and transphobia and let them know you will not tolerate hate towards your fellow citizens.
RESPONSE
This is where Indians should step in.
As I mentioned in my previous article, the best places for counter-propaganda are Gettr, Bitchute (video sharing platform), Rumble, and Truth Social.
Why not just X (Twitter)?
Under Elon Musk, free speech has reached new heights (or lows, depending on your perspective) on X (formerly Twitter). There is a lot of controversial anti-immigrant content and conspiracy theorists whose presence has lead to an exodus of advertisers. However, many of the disaffected individuals in the West are banned or continue to get banned from X. Therefore, reaching them in time with correct information can only be achieved through use of Twitter alternatives. It is good to have accounts on multiple platforms.
Many of those who are banned, will not return to X. It is vital to reach them with information that challenges their beliefs in a non offensive way. While I wouldn’t want to term Truth Social an ‘extremist website’, liberal Democrats such as Joe Biden and the California governor have joined the platform in order to engage with MAGA users.
What are the other social media sites?
Gettr has more than 10 million users, and the possibility of the widest reach. However, there is a legal case against its founder and there also happens to be reports much of its staff has been laid off. This was also reported in 2021 when its cybersecurity team was let go. Therefore, an anti-CCP website like Gettr is the target of hacking efforts by foreign intelligence agencies, and this constitutes a huge risk for any Indian user using it.
You can register and use the site while using the USB-mounted Tails OS system. No phone number verification is needed. Videos cannot be posted while on TOR/Tails but YouTube links are supported. Video streaming and other features become smoother once its AI is convinced you are not a spammer.
Bitchute and Rumble are two free speech video-sharing websites run from Thailand and the USA respectively. Bitchute is owned by a British libertarian and has an extreme free speech attitude. There are many videos about controversial topics (including India) by extremely controversial people. This hasn’t stopped more mainstream free speech supporters like Dave Rubin and Dan Bongino, along with GB News and several other channels from uploading their content to the website.
One of the best things about Bitchute is that you can disable comments. This way, you don’t have to worry about trolls leaving abusive comments under false names, thus forcing you to login regularly and moderate the comments section. Your videos still get found and get views.
Videos from Manipur have turned up here, so channels covering the Indian perspective on it will be welcome. There are already some Indian creators who upload to Bitchute. Influential pro-Indic channel Prachyam appears to uses Bitchute for video hosting on their website. Our Stories Manipur should also start a Bitchute channel.
Rumble, unlike Bitchute, is a publicly traded company. It hosts Donald J Trump’s official channel as well as his social media platform, Truth Social. Truth Social, which on March 26th, 2024 became a publicly traded company, after a long-delayed merger, now has no debt and more than $200 million in the bank. They allowed international signups only in June 2023, more than a year after launching.
The MAGA crowd can be influenced to be more receptive to India through the sharing of relevant content such as illegal migration from Bangladesh, the truth about CAA and why it doesn’t affect most Indian Muslims, Jihadist extremism, leftist NGO’s, as well as the issue of Manipur. Fake profiles have been created on that platform to defame India and Indians. This is most probably done by Pakistani cyberwarriors. So, presence of Indians — genuine Indians — will not only be a form of true representation but also an opportunity to address propaganda and disinformation, which directly impacts the Indian diaspora living in the West.
Remaining anonymous on these platforms
Gettr used to require phone number but not so since 2022. You can create a Protonmail or Tutanota account on a regular VPN and then boot up on TAILS OS before creating your account on the New York-based platform. As mentioned earlier, there is still a risk of hacking. I recommend against using Gettr on VPN as this exposes your operating system to the platform, which is said to be laying off staff in 2024. Perhaps you can use Virtual Box (free) to run a virtual machine in sandbox mode for added security. You can run Linux distributions on Windows, offering additional privacy.
Bitchute and Rumble can be signed up over VPN and then logged in over Tor. You can upload videos and links there.
Truth Social does need phone number but this may change soon. While the site does have a bot/troll problem, it is being addressed by its team. The $200 million in funds they now have means it may be possible to sign up without a phone number very soon. They are also bringing in a lot of new features including streaming, TV apps, and video shows.
In any case, you only need to enter mobile phone OTP once. They won’t ask you for it again even if you are logging in from another location.
You need to use a USA VPN server in order to use a US virtual number. IP address location and phone number location mismatch might make you unable to verify your account. According to reviews on the Truth Social Playstore page, signing up is more error-free if done on a computer.
It’s better to use a phone number not associated with your real-life identity. This mitigates doxxing in case the website is hacked and its database gets uploaded to the darknet.
Information is one of the methods of waging war in the 21st century. Spread information for the right reasons and you and your countrymen — and even the world at large — will remain safe, happy, and prosperous.
