The charred walls, collapsed tin roofs and broken windows of the Kuki community’s church reflect how ethnic violence has fueled brutal communal riots in India’s restive state of Manipur.

According to the French news agency AFP, at least 120 people have been killed since May in armed clashes between the majority Hindu Meitei and Christian Kuki communities in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur.

Across from the burnt-out church, Pastor Zwan Kaming Damai performed the Christian rite of baptism on Sunday, attended by only a third of the usual number of people as many Kuki followers have left the area.

“After these riots broke out, they have gone to different places to save their lives,” said Pastor Xuan Kaming. They want to come back, they want to resettle, they want to be with my family.’

“They have told me this and I have comforted them to trust in God,” said Xuan Kaming Damai.

Damai belongs to the Naga tribe, a major tribal group in the region, and the group has been largely unscathed in reprisal attacks. However, many of Zhuang’s followers have been scared away by the violence.

The 55-year-old priest said, ‘Irrespective of whether someone is Christian, Hindu, Muslim or whatever, we have to respect every religion. We should not attack temples when there is conflict everywhere.’

On the other hand, India’s Home Minister Amit Shah has promised a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the violence, saying that “the government stands shoulder to shoulder with the people of Manipur.”

However, the Human Rights Watch group says state authorities led by Amit Shah’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party have implemented “divisive policies that promote Hindu majoritarianism.”

Many argue that religious divisions are fueling the conflict.

Manipur has been in a state of civil war for the past two months.

It may be recalled that violent riots erupted after Christian Kokkis in the state protested against government-sponsored land purchase permission and special status for Hindus in their populated area.