What do they achieve by imposing religion?
EMN
Dimapur, March 20
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Catholic Association of Nagaland (CAN) has decried the resurgence of militant Hinduism and fanaticism in India which has led to a series of attacks on places of worship and church members in India. The association issued a message on Friday.
The association stated that it was “exceedingly horrified at the inhuman, undemocratic and appalling fanatical position adopted by some members, Hindus, of the dominant religion, Hinduism, of the country.”
“What does it hope to achieve by suppressing the beliefs and practices of other religions though they could be minorities? Do these people know that Christians and other minority religion members are also human and have feelings too? From the recent attacks on Christians, it is clearly indicative of a well-planned and coordinated chain of actions being undertaken by members of the Hindu community, and this too in the land of “ahimsa”.The Catholic Association of Nagaland expressed profound concern at the increasing acts of violence against Christians on one hand and the apathy of the Government of India in their wake. “Since the new government came to power after the 2014 general election, several churches were attacked in the country’s capital, Delhi, including St. Sebastian’s Church which was burned,” the association reminded.
From North to South of the country, violence against Christians have been going on unabated. “Churches are desecrated, ransacked and set ablaze. The consecrated people of the Churches are attacked, abused, molested and killed. The most recent attack, on 14thMarch 2015 in West Bengal where a 72-year-old nun was gang-raped, is most detestable and despicable and utterly loathsome act a human being could inflict upon one of its members who should otherwise should have been at all times protected being the gentler gender.”
The Catholics asked a query: “Are such acts echoing the Government declaration of “good days and development’ for the country. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, told church leaders on the 18th of February 2015 that every citizen has the right to follow any faith without coercion and that he vowed to protect all religious groups in India and also asserted that his government would not allow any religious group, belonging to the majority or the minority, to incite hatred against others, overtly or covertly.”
The stated promises of the Prime Minister of India stands mocked and just a pie in the sky for the minor religions of the country, the association has said.
The Catholic Association of Nagaland has urged the government of the day to uphold the principle of tolerance, democracy, secularism and collaborative governance with religious freedom as enshrined in the constitution of the country.
“CAN extend solidarity and support to those fellow Christians in other parts of India who are suffering under the spell of religious intolerance instigated by the selfish political group. In the footsteps of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, the Catholic Association of Nagaland invite all Christians beyond any denominational divide to remain steadfast in faith and draw strength from our Lord in these period of tribulation to endure sufferings and difficulties as Christ did upon the Cross,” the message added.
The Catholic association also asked the government of Nagaland and the governor of Nagaland to be the “harbingers of religious tolerance and continue to plea with the central government to promote religious freedom and protection of religious minority groups in the country.”
