How an ethnic conflict in #Manipur was exploited for propaganda against India? What was the role of US-based front FIACONA?

Who is its mysterious founder?

How his linkages reach Pentagon’s doorstep?

And how he exploited diaspora Manipuri org NAMTA?

As the conflict erupted in Manipur over a High Court decision, most of the discussions around the conflict was on the issue of reservation, a long history of ethnic conflict and drugs. A word cloud of all discussions on social media till May 4 confirms this.

But by 5 May, 2 set of groups started painting the conflict in communal terms– one the usual suspect–Pak ISPR troll farm aided by their newfound friends in Turkey. Other more effective-US based Christian platforms like FIACONA who started “Christian persecution” narrative.

However, there was a problem. FIACONA had earlier published ‘Reports’ on Christian persecution in India, which got exposed for fabrication of data and a sloppy rhetoric, destroying FIACONA’s credibility.

They needed a fresh front to exploit Manipur Crisis & found one.

As the conflict raged, many overseas Kukis & Meities started agitating, launching protests and calling for peace. Kuki activists were better organized, & by May 5 they set up advocacy groups in both the US & and Canada called– North America Manipur Tribal Association (NAMTA).

However, NAMTA members saw the conflict as an “ethnic” issue. At this stage, NAMTA never mentioned the conflict as Hindu vs Christian, which is clearly reflected in the word cloud of their posts. And then FIACONA and IAMC came calling.

Per NAMTA, FIACONA & IAMC reached out to ‘offer support’. Offer they did. While NAMTA was garnering attention organically, Christian & Islamist fronts– FIACONA & IAMC– pulled resources to pop up NAMTA With one condition: Conflict should be painted as Christian persecution

How big the spin was? Here’s a comparison of NAMTA & FIACONA’s word cloud on same topic of same duration. The ethnic Kukis (NAMTA) who have stake in Manipur saw the conflict as it is.

But US based ‘Christian activists’ sees through the only lens they know – a communal lens.

NAMTA fell for the trap! FIACONA & IAMC brought NAMTA on board with usual suspects– HfHR, USCIRF’s Nadine Maenza etc. Suddenly, NAMTA was a popular name. Intl. & domestic cabal started citing NAMTA as ‘go to’ source on the conflict Question is, how did FIACONA pull it off?

FIACONA was set up by a mysterious Indian origin US national – John Prabhudoss. Surprisingly, there is NO verifiable info available about this man. He suddenly appears on scene in the 2000s in US as an ‘activist’. Rather quirky for an ‘activist’, he uses various aliases!

The ‘story’ John tells about his background is perfect for an activist. Born to a Hindu-converted-Christian father from TN and a Christian mother from Kerala.

He went to ‘Gandhian school’ despite his father running a school of his own. He then ‘sails’ to Andaman to work with ‘tribals’. Returns to the mainland see ‘rising Hindu nationalism’ (in the 1980s?!), and goes to the US. Clean!

He also offers no details about his higher education, or how he reached the US, who invited and sponsored him. The only specific detail he has mentioned is that he worked with a Christian Missionary Apostolic Coalition and its head Jeff Snyder for 6 years from 1991, and yet, he suddenly arrives on the scene in 2000 as activist.

In 2001 he registered PIFRAS, tailored by interesting figures: Ex-Pak Diplomat Akbar Ahmed & Congressman Ronnie Shows. Ahmad was Dy. Secretary in Pakistani Mission in Dhaka during the 1971 Bangladesh genocide.

John starts organizing symposium on South Asia and manages to invite many Senators and Congressmen! PIFRAS members were known to be close to then-US VP Dick ‘Vice’ Cheney and Pentagon.

His biggest feat is his 2003 Iraq visit to teach Iraqis ‘art of governance’(AoG). John set up office in Baghdad inside US-military-protected green zone. Unsure what’s more ironic, US invading Iraq on false pretense of WMD or John teaching Iraqis AoG without known experience.

Unsurprisingly, PIFRAS was active until US war in Iraq lasted (2012). John then shifted his focus to teaching art of human rights to India. Meanwhile, John’s links with US Army officials & Pentagon contd. He set up several companies in US- almost all with US Army officials.

In 2014, John joined one J3 Solutions Corp in Alexandria, Virginia which was founded by a former US Army Civil Affairs specialist Jacek Orzol who served in Iraq between February 2003 and April 2004. Other members included James Johnson, and James Oleen.

In 2014 J3 Solutions had a new face Jody Lynn Lautenschlager, an ex-US Army who worked as part of the Civil Affairs of the US Army in Iraq, Jordan, and the US between 1998-2007. Between 2005-14 she worked as a State Department consultant in Political-Military affairs.

Interestingly, J3 Solutions Corp jointly owned by US Army officials was housed at the residence of Prabhudoss i.e., in Arlington, Virginia. Note: Blurred the exact address owing to X (Twitter) Policy

How well John and his family were connected with ‘powers that be’ could be guessed from the fact that John’s wife Suneetha Othugadi had put a property for rent which is in close vicinity of the Pentagon.

It goes more than that. John had also been funding US politicians- Republican Joseph Pitts and Democrat John James Conyers. Joe Pitts is known as the Pakistani voice on Capitol Hill.

In Sept 2004, Pitts received contributions from convicted ISI mole Ghulam Nabi Fai through straw donor Zaheer Ahmad. In return, next month, Pitts introduced a resolution calling for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict & and seeking US intervention in the matter.

John & Co. have turned their focus to India, & instrument is FIACONA. PIFRAS & FIACONA are in same building, on different floors– walking distance from Capitol Hill. Expectedly, resources & machinery has also been moved, & more such activism could be expected.

Not surprising that John managed to put NAMTA at the forefront and center through a combination of ‘international organization’ and ‘news media’. John also managed to co-opt NAMTA for his agenda, which we will detail in the next thread.

John may not seem charismatic if you watch him speak, but he definitely has an esoteric power supporting him, moral or material, John knows.

(This article has been compiled from the tweet thread posted by @DisinfoLab on August 24, 2023, with minor edits to improve readability and conform to HinduPost style guide)