Is Daniel Courney using the Kuki to advance US 'deep state' interests in India?

In India, allegations have long swirled that foreign-funded entities, including human rights organizations and missionary groups, exploit religious, ethnic, and tribal identities to destabilize the nation. 

By framing religion card as victims, these actors are accused of sowing division to serve external agendas. The ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur, pitting the Kuki against the Meitei, has become a flashpoint for such concerns. 

At the centre of the controversy is Daniel Stephen Courney, a US missionary and Army veteran accused of providing Kuki terrorists in Manipur with military-grade equipment, such as drones and bulletproof vests. Rather than promoting peace, his actions and provocative rhetoric seem to intensify ethnic tensions. This raises a pressing question: he a fervent evangelist, a rogue actor, or a covert agent tied to the US "Deep State"—unelected networks within government or intelligence circles pursuing hidden agendas—leveraging the Kuki community to further geopolitical interests in India’s volatile Northeast?
 
Daniel's recent arrest in Nepal, reportedly for violating the country’s anti-proselytizing laws under its 2015 Constitution, has intensified speculation about his motives. Nepal, a Hindu-majority nation with a delicate balance of religious communities, strictly regulates missionary activities to preserve its cultural heritage. Courney’s religious activities on a tourist visa constituted a clear violation, but allegations of his ties to Kuki terrorists and broader geopolitical schemes have elevated the case to a regional concern.

Comparing to Nepal officials, Western missionaries have repeatedly disregarded Indian regulations. Before Daniel Courney, two US citizens, John Matthew Boone and Michael James Flinchum, were found attending a Baptist event in Assam while on tourist visas. In 2022, authorities deported German and Swedish nationals for comparable breaches.The Sudan Interior Mission (SIM), notorious for large-scale conversions in Africa, is also drawing attention. Active near the Assam-Meghalaya border, its operations are causing concern among locals and Indian officials. These groups often target regions prone to social tension, fueling a volatile mix of religious shifts and ethnic discord.

Retired Colonel RSN Singh, a former officer of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), has claimed that Manipur is a battleground for a “proxy war” where religion is a key factor. He alleges that Christian terrorists, potentially backed by the US Baptist Church and the CIA, are leveraging ethnic ties between Myanmar’s Christian communities and Northeast India’s Kuki and Naga communities. Supporting RSN Singh's opinion, BJP leader Savio Rodrigues has also hinted that Daniel Courney’s actions are part of a CIA strategy to create a Christian state in the region, encompassing parts of Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India’s Northeast, to counter China’s influence. Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina echoed the same sentiment, alleging a plot to carve out a Christian enclave from parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar, with potential implications for Manipur and Mizoram. Though speculative, these claims expose the region’s strategic importance and the suspicion of foreign meddling. 

Also Read: Why Kuki Inpi Lies About Thadou Chief Chengjapao Doungel

Social media platforms amplified claims that Daniel Courney is a “deep-covered agent” of the US “Deep State,” a term often used to describe shadowy government or intelligence networks. His activities have drawn intense scrutiny as he was seen providing Kuki terrorist groups with items such as bulletproof vests, long-range surveillance drones (capable of operating over five kilometers), helmets, boots, socks, sleeping bags, and clothing. While donations of non-military items like clothing are common, similar contributions have been made by Meitei individuals. However, the provision of tactical gear in a conflict zone raises alarms. Daniel himself claims to be a preacher but his activities tells a different stories. 

His rhetoric further complicates the narrative. In a recorded statement, he reportedly referenced drones used by US Special Forces, stating, “To monitor the enemy, we have drones like these,” seemingly identifying Indian security forces and Meitei groups as his personal enemies. He advised Kuki terrorists, “Protect your homes from the Meiteis, but don’t let hatred drive you to murder. There’s a difference between killing in self-defense and killing out of malice.” Such statements, cloaked in moral distinctions, appear to legitimize violence under the guise of defense, contradicting the peaceful mission expected of a preacher.

The timing of Courney’s activities is particularly troubling. Shortly after his departure from Manipur, Kuki militants reportedly encroached on sacred Meitei sites at Thangjing and Koubru peaks, erecting crosses and conducting prayers—an act perceived as provocative. While coincidence is possible, the sequence of events fuels suspicion that Courney’s presence emboldened such actions, intentionally or otherwise.

Daniel Courney’s background is mired in legal and ethical controversies, both in India and the United States. According to reports, he first arrived in India in August 2009 on a tourist visa, hosted by a pastor in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. Advised to marry locally to secure residency, he wed Anusha, the pastor’s niece, later that year. The couple, now with six children, frequently traveled to conflict zones like Manipur and Chhattisgarh, areas affected by Naxalite insurgency, under the pretext of missionary work. Daniel’s prolonged stay, allegedly beyond visa terms, and his proselytizing activities drew scrutiny from Indian authorities earlier. 

In 2017, the Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF), an Indian advocacy group, lodged a complaint that led to Daniel’s deportation and blacklisting from India. Undeterred, he reportedly established a base in Nepal, re-entering India without proper documentation. The LRPF recently claimed to have alerted India’s Ministry of Home Affairs and police officials in Assam and Manipur about his activities, including his distribution of blankets and mattresses in Assam while posing as a social worker.

Surprisingly, along with his associate, MS Kumar from Hyderabad, both were engaged in missionary work in the name of social service. On August 3, 2023, Daniel Courney’s Facebook posts detailed his distribution of 50 Assamese New Testaments at Guwahati Railway Station. Two days later, he visited Senapati, Manipur, streaming a video accusing India’s government of being a “Radical Hindu Government” responsible for violence against Christians. He claimed the BJP seeks to transform India into “Hindustan,” violating its secular Constitution.

Besides, his fundraising appeals further stoked controversy. On August 10, he sought foreign donations for Manipur’s violence victims, alleging that “400 churches were burned, hundreds of Christians killed, and countless villages razed” due to Kuki Christian identity. These claims, widely disputed as exaggerated, risk inflaming communal tensions by framing the conflict as religious persecution to the international media and human rights organizations. 

Daniel Courney is not alone, there are several US and UK volunteers engaged in Myanmar as well. Across the border in Myanmar, a civil war rages between the military junta and anti-coup forces, including Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs) like the Chin, Naga, and Karen, many of whom are predominantly Christian. Reports indicate that foreign volunteers, including a former British soldier and an American named Azad, are training and fighting alongside groups like the People’s Defence Force Zoland (PDF Zoland) in Chin State. Azad, hailing from the southern US, has admitted to teaching sniper and infantry courses while conducting reconnaissance. Such activities raise concerns about a broader network of foreign involvement in Manipur conflicts.

Cementing this claim, the recovery of US -made M16-series rifles in Kuki-dominated areas of Manipur—Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal suggests the presence of an international arms network. While no direct evidence ties Daniel Courney to these weapons, his alleged distribution of tactical gear fuels speculation about his role. A source however, claimed Courney contacted Myanmar’s Arakan Army, a rebel group, potentially linking Manipur’s violence to the civil war in Myanmar. Such connections would raise serious concerns about cross-border destabilization.

In this context, it reflects fears that Daniel Courney is using Kuki by leveraging religious and ethnic tensions to weaken India. Allegations of CIA backing for Myanmar’s National Unity Government (NUG) and Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO) support this narrative. His US military background, further adds credibility to these suspicions for some. His provision of tactical equipment and references to US Special Forces drones suggest a level of expertise atypical of a missionary, or a street preacher. 

Involvement of Daniel Courney in Manipur conflict posed the challenges of regulating foreign nationals in sensitive regions. His alleged network, including International  Human Rights Council in West Bengal demands further scrutiny. His actions, whether driven by missionary zeal or a hidden agenda, have amplified tensions, making reconciliation harder. His history of legal violations in the US and India suggests a pattern of ideological confrontation, raising questions about his true motives.

So far, the Kuki terrorist groups have developed a sophisticated structure to shape narratives in their favor, portraying themselves as victims of alleged excesses by the Meitei community and the Indian government. Their adept use of weapons and technology suggests training by a foreign entity. Daniel Courney’s activities, coinciding with incidents like the alleged Kuki encroachment on Meitei sacred sites, recovery of US made M16 weapons and drone bombing against civilians raise suspicions of external influence. India must stay alert to potential foreign interference, possibly linked to Northeastern states, involving Myanmar and Bangladesh, perhaps advancing to "deep state" interests of the West!