By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 25: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has condemned the alleged atrocities against Christians and the harassment of a nun in Assam.
The party said such incidents should be nipped in the bud and the rule of the law should prevail. If not contained, there is every likelihood of such acts leading to the escalation of friction among religious groups, it added.
“The atrocities against Christians in Assam and the harassment of a nun should be condemned in the strongest of terms. Those involved in spreading hate and violence should not be spared and perpetrators should be held accountable for their actions,” UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh said on Sunday.
Stating that incidents of atrocities against Christians or any other religious group for that matter are a manifestation of a deeper malady, he said, “It is surprising that in this age when human progress and liberal ideas are supposed to be the hallmarks of any nation or civilisation, radical elements are encouraged to spread hatred and intolerance.”
“More surprising is the indifference exhibited by political and religious leaders, thereby adding more fuel to the fire,” he said.
Stressing that protecting religious freedom regardless of any faith is paramount, Mawthoh said employing appropriate strategies in a more sustained manner is required to promote a just and tolerant world for all religious communities.
“Such atrocities perpetrated by radical elements should be nipped in the bud. If the rule of the law does not prevail, such acts may lead to friction among religious groups,” he said.
The Opposition in Meghalaya expressed serious concern over the harassment of a nun in Assam and asked the NPP-led government to ensure peace and unity among different communities. TMC MLA Charles Pyngrope asked the Meghalaya government to immediately take up the matter with its Assam counterpart.
Earlier, the Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders’ Forum (KJCLF) took a strong note of the alleged “harassment, perversion, and threat of violence” to the educational institutions run by Christian organisations in Assam.
In a statement, the KJCLF also expressed concern over the Assam Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill which seeks to ban magical healing.
The KJCLF criticised the Assam government’s interference in matters of “piety, prayer, faith, and spirituality which constitute the wholeness of a human being.”
