Imphal, July 22 2009: A village authority in Manipur has been alleged of serving un-constitutional order on Christian minority by the Manipur unit of the All India Christian Council (AICC).

Christian minorities in Huikap village in Thoubal district of Manipur served "un-constitutional" order by villagers.

The villagers warned the tiny Christian population in the village to face dare consequence if break the order, said Rev N Debendra Singh, state vice president, AICC today.

The order of the villagers was related to the death of a two year-old boy who drowned in a village pond and the family buried the body on July 19 in a place donated for Christian cemetery by a family from a neighbouring Christian village.

After the burial of the body, father of the child and the pastor of the church were summoned by the villagers and forced them to sign a paper that by 10 am next day, the dead body must be exhumed from the place.

After earnest request by both the father of the child and the pastor, the villagers agreed that the dead body not be exhumed from the grave but gave the Christian community of the village a stern order.

The minority Christians are harassed by the village authority by calling them every night since the incident occurred, the statement alleged.

The villagers' order states that no dead body of a Christian will be allowed to either carried away from the village or buried in the village, the AICC statement revealed.

With regard to the incident, the regional secretary of AICC has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Secretary, Government of Manipur requesting him to look into the "unconstitutional" diktat of the villagers of Huikap village and also ensure safety to the Christian community of the village, the statement said.

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