Imphal: A fresh misinformation campaign has been exposed where a photograph of a burnt Kuki Christian church is being falsely circulated as a Naga church to create communal tension between communities.
The image in question is of Games Village Christian Church located in Imphal West. The church was burnt down during the initial outbreak of violence in Manipur in May 2023. It has been documented as one of many Kuki religious structures destroyed in the valley.
However, the same photograph is now being recirculated on social media with a misleading caption claiming it to be a Naga church destroyed in the recent conflict. The posts, amplified by pages named Manipur Pao and Āmai batman, have contributed significantly to the spread of this false narrative.
Fact verification confirms that the location is Games Village, Langol area, and the church belongs to the Kuki community. No credible report or documentation since the Kuki-Naga conflict of the 1990s has established burning of churches by the Kuki side or by Manipuri Nagas. Documented destruction has involved houses and properties, not churches.
The act of using a burnt Kuki church image to invent a story about a Naga church being burnt is not only factually incorrect but deeply misleading. It attempts to rewrite the timeline and victimhood of the 2023 violence where over 200 Kuki churches were documented as destroyed.
Community leaders and fact-checkers have urged the public not to fall for such propaganda. People are advised to verify the photograph, geolocation, and original date before sharing. Reverse image search clearly shows the image dates back to May 2023 and was originally reported as a Kuki church burning.
Spreading such disinformation risks further polarizing communities and diverting attention from actual reconciliation efforts. Don’t let propaganda rewrite the facts.
