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DIMAPUR — The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has termed the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji for a nationwide cleanliness programme on a Sunday (October 1), as “another violent chapter in the never-ending saga of intolerance and persecution against the minorities in India, scripted by the BJP party and the government of the day, under the mentorship of the RSS.”
The NPCC in a press communiqué said that it is “universal knowledge” that Christians consider Sunday as a day of rest and worship, and it is common sense to deduce that any attempts to disturb the sanctity of the day were clearly not going to sit well with the Christians in the country.
“Under more sensible times, it wouldn't have been amiss on our part if we had allowed ourselves to be tempted in brushing aside this affront as a mere case of insensitivity, or one of momentary lapse in judgement from our Prime Minister. But sadly we know otherwise,” the NPCC said.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]The state Congress party also claimed that the last few years of ‘Ache Din’ have been a nightmarishly exacting ordeal for the minority communities in India, having had to face a constant onslaught of hate from both state as well as non-state actors.
“Under the circumstances, it makes a compelling case to consider this act as one in a connected chain of premeditated violence against the minorities of the Nation. After all the colours that inked the document declaring Christmas Day as the ‘Day of Good Governance,’ is still fresh in our memories,” the party said.
While acknowledging the NDPP-BJP government's move of rescheduling the event in Nagaland state by preponing it, the NPCC however said that it couldn't help but rue at the “complete lack of outrage from their end.”
The NPCC argued that as a Christian-majority state, the state government should have taken the lead in protesting against the domineering take of the central government.
“While it (state government) can afford to hide behind such soft interventions, it is pertinent to remind itself that millions of Christians across the country are not accorded such luxuries,” it said.
The NPCC further demanded that the Prime Minister should tender an apology to the Christian community and ensure that “this divisive endeavour is immediately called off, or at least rescheduled.”