Dimapur, Dec. 27 (EMN): The Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF) has come out strongly against the recent reported spate of persecution and harassment in different parts of India targeting Christians celebrating Christmas. The organisation issued a press release on Wed. decrying the fundamentalist attacks and advising the bigots to learn about living peacefully with their neighbours first.
“The NJCF is appalled by what is happening in the mainland India where Christians are being targeted during this Christmas season. The nation has been experiencing more and more of an increased trend where Christians and minority groups are persecuted and cornered over and again in recent past,” the forum stated in the press release.
“What have we done as a community of faith where we cannot even expressed our joy and celebrate Christmas which is the birthday of our Savior? Last year Christmas day was made good governance day to disrupt our celebration.”
The forum expressed its unhappiness at the attack on minorities: ‘How long will the minority be tested because of their faith and practice? What actually is ‘force conversion’ for which Christians are always accused of? Is carolling in joyous spirit and moving around in celebration ‘force conversion’? Do we Christians ever disrupt any of the majority religious celebrations? Never! It is time for the majority religious group in India to learn from the religious minority the spirit of tolerance and humility.’
The organisation demanded that the Christians be given the opportunity to ‘flourish in their faith in any manner they choose to.’ “Leave us alone to celebrate Christmas in peace and in jubilant. If our worship and our celebration is a threat to your faith, strengthen your inner self by learning to live in peace with your neighbor.”
Only then, the forum stated, true peaceful coexistence with mutual respect will be experienced in this secular country of India.
The organisation added: “It is the duty of the government and those in authority to guarantee constitutional safety to every citizen and protect the minority from religious harassment. As people of faith in Christ Jesus and as Christians, we are simply expressing our joy during this Christmas season, we assure our majority brethren that our celebration will not harm the faith of any religion as your celebration has not harmed our faith and practice.”
NPP flays bigots for attack
The National People’s Party (NPP) of Nagaland has also vehemently condemned the ‘blatant atrocities’ reportedly committed against Christian communities in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The party issued a press release on Wed. denouncing the attacks.
‘The National People’s Party, Nagaland, vehemently condemns the blatant atrocities committed against Christian communities and acts of vandalism upon Christian institutions in the BJP-ruled states of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. These consistent acts of violence and also threats not to celebrate Christmas commemorating the birth of Christ is not acceptable and only seeks to divide and polarize the country along secular lines which is a direct threat to the secular ethos and rights provided for by the constitution of India.’
The NPP has urged the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, local church associations and right-thinking citizens in Nagaland to condemn the ‘acts of violence and threats against Christian communities.’
