Naga Churches appeal to PM to protect minority Christians

Kohima:A three-member delegation led by Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) general secretary Rev Dr L Anjo Keikung representing the Baptists, Catholics, Christian Revival Church, Assembly of God Church and Salvation Army Church, has appealed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protect minority Christians in India, who are under constant threat.
The letter was supported by facts and figures of atrocities meted out against Christians in various states including Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Utter Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Har-yana and some other places.
The Prime Minister assured that he would look into the issue.The letter said in a secular country like India, one of the largest democracies in the world, minority groups of various religious affiliation and ethnicity should be protec-ted by the Central govern-ment and respective state governments.
In the letter, the delegation said Christians in India suffered about 150 violent attacks annually, with many more going unrecorded. These attacks include physical and sexual assaults, brutal murders and desecration of places of worship and graveyards.
The states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have recorded the most number of attacks in the past two years. The letter also made some recommendations, which include Repeal Para 3 of The Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 making it religion neutral, enact a comprehensive hate crimes legislation safeguarding the rights of religious minorities and the Ministry of Home Affairs should provide trainings on human rights and religious freedom standards and practices to the state and Central police and judiciary.
The Central government should also issue an advi-sory to the state govern-ments to repeal the anti-conversion laws, besides ensuring an active Com-mission for Human Rights and Commission for Minorities, it added. (UNI)