Manipur as a state grapples with deep-seated tensions under Kuki-Naga-Zo-Chin violence against the Meitei community! The flames that burnt the state were presented as ethnic clashes. However, these violent mobs of Kuki-Chin-Zo groups were armed by anti-India elements through Myanmar from beyond the borders. The main focus of the conflict arose from the BJP administration’s actions against the Arms and Narco -nexus in the area.
His name is Daniel Stephen Courney, a blacklisted American preacher and US Army veteran. This man poses serious threat to India's national security. Here are some information about him:
1. Daniel Stephen Courney frequently enters India through… pic.twitter.com/BpPuoqA8Lu
— Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury (@salah_shoaib) October 2, 2024
However, recent videos show that the continued Manipur and the Northeast unrest were fueled by foreign missionaries. Individuals, like Daniel Stephen Courney, formerly of the US Army, stand accused of exploiting the conflict to propagate religious ideologies and spread anti-India narratives. Some reporters accuse him of being part of the Arms-nexus in the region, helping Kuki terrorists in ethnic cleansing of the state. Although the trend of aggressive evangelism is not new to Bharat, this cloaked version of Arms nexus under ‘religious freedom’ fuels the unrest in Manipur. Thereby, raising concerns about foreign intervention in India’s internal matters. Let’s explore!
Manipur Faces Hate Speech Cloaked As Aid!
A video of an American preacher, Daniel Courney, inciting Kukis against Meiteis is viral on SM
The video is from Aug 2023, months after violence broke out in Manipur. He was subsequently blacklisted & deported
Settled in Nepal, Sneaks illegally now&then pic.twitter.com/lmvtFr1eco
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) October 2, 2024
The modus operandi of foreign missionaries follows a familiar script – enter India on tourist visas and engage in proselytization under the pretext of offering aid. In Daniel Courney’s case, he distributed blankets, food, and mattresses while simultaneously preaching Christianity to the locals in Manipur.
What makes his activities more insidious is the anti-Hindu rhetoric that accompanies his so-called humanitarian efforts. Daniel Courney was previously deported and blacklisted in 2017 for similar activities. Married to an Indian woman from Andhra Pradesh, Daniel currently calls Nepal his home after being thrown out of Bharat. However, he usually finds a way back into India using the Visa-Free system between the two nations. And this US Army veteran uses religious aid and prolystization as a cover to fuel hate against Hindus and the BJP.
A viral Video shows Courney stating that the ruling BJP government is systematically persecuting Christians.
Wrote to the MHA @DGPAssamPolice & @Manipur_Police against Daniel Stephen Courney (US) involving proselytization activities in Assam.
Recently he visited Manipur & delivered hate-filled speech against Indian Govt & Hindus.Once he was deported in 2017 based on our complaint. pic.twitter.com/sIPkDJ0lQ4
— Legal Rights Protection Forum (@lawinforce) August 14, 2023
He accuses the Meitei community of driving Kukis out of their homes due to jealousy over their prosperity. Daniel completely whitewashes the presence of advanced drones and weapons in the hands of the Kuki terrorists. He even hides how thousands of Meiteis stand displaced from their ancestral homes. Daniel’s hate-filled narrative also conveniently omits the complexities of the Arms and Narco nexus in the region. He also hides the role of missionary activities as the origins of the Meitei-Kuki conflict. Thereby, reducing the Manipur issue to a simplistic “Christian persecution” agenda, which misrepresents the actual political and social factors at play.
Evangelical Activities and Anti-Hindu Propaganda
In Manipur, like in all of Bharat, Daniel Courney is not only distributing Bibles but also broadcasting inflammatory words against the Indian government. His speeches often centered around painting India as a “radical Hindu government.” In Manipur churches tells the locals that the BJP government is numb to Kukis’s problems. Therbey, accusing the BJP of attempting to exterminate Christianity.
This messaging directly fuels mistrust and division within Manipur’s fragile communities, adding to the already tense situation.
This kind of missionary activity poses significant risks to India’s social fabric. Foreign agents of disharmony like Courney, whose actions blatantly violate Indian visa regulations, have a history of stirring communal tensions. His efforts to portray the BJP and PM Modi as persecutors of Christians in the northeast not only create a false narrative but also harm India’s image internationally.
Manipur Suffers Under Foreign Intervention
The involvement of foreign missionaries like Daniel Stephen Courney in Manipur’s ongoing conflict is a grave concern. It is a glaring example of how religious proselytization can be weaponized to push anti-India sentiments. While humanitarian aid is helpful to the people of Manipur, it should not come at the cost of spreading hate and division. Hence, the viral video of Courney highlights the urgent need for stricter monitoring of foreign missionaries.
Such elements should not be left free to exploit Bharat’s weakness for their own agendas.
India, a nation built on pluralism, cannot afford to allow foreign actors to disrupt its internal harmony. The government and civil society must work together to ensure that Manipur’s fragile peace is not further eroded. Such divisive tactics of foreign missionaries who use religion as a tool to sow discord should be stopped at all costs!