DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 27 (MExN): The Ao Baptist Church Association (ABAM) has vehemently condemned the deliberate attempt to execute mass social work on a Sunday and termed it as a “systematic mistreatment infringing the religious rights and freedom of Christians in India.”
“When Baptist mission arrived to the Nagas way back in the 19th century, worship and teaching on the Sabbath was the core practice. Today, a nationwide Shramdaan for Swachhata, must not erase off the practice of the Christians for the last 150 years. Every reasonable citizen must highlight that sunday worship was one of the fundamental expressions of the new faith contribution of early missionaries and this will continue in our faith journey,” ABAM said in a press statement on Wednesday.
“Today, we are extremely disheartened because the concept of Shramdaan for Swachhata, cleanliness drive on Sunday October 1, 2023 at 10 am has overshadowed our religious rights, condemned our beliefs and piety, and repressed Christian rituals and activities that centered on Sunday Worship, which in fact is the central facet of every Christian community in India,” it further stated.
ABAM held that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we continue to anticipate ‘acche din’ (Good days) which includes transformation and renewal. However, it reminded that ‘acche din’ becomes a reality only when every citizen of the country irrespective of their socio-cultural, religious and faith experiences are liberated from dissection to unity, exclusion to inclusion, exploitation to humanity, ignorance to knowledge, poverty to prosperity, subjugation to freedom, and from filth to cleanliness.
Cleanliness drive, not at the cost of Sunday: PBCA
Also opposing the call made by Prime Minster Narendra Modi for a nationwide cleanliness drive on a Sunday, the Phom Baptist Christian Association on Wednesday stated that to keep one’s towns and cities clean are the civic duty of every citizen which much be practiced sincerely, however not at the cost of Sunday.
While India is popularly known for its unity in diversity, the PBCA lamented that the government of the day does not see the beauty of it and instead believe in the “power of unity in uniformity.” This is the underlying ideological agenda of the government pushing for ‘One Nation, One Election’ which is so suffocating in a secular democratic country, it stated.
Further questioning why the government of the day programmes and activities always coincide with Christian events like Sunday, Christmas day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, the PBCA remarked that a good and enlightened leader of the country must know how to respect others.
The PBCA, meanwhile, called on all Naga Christians to avoid working on Sunday. The government may initiate cleanliness drive on any day, but not Sunday, and we will extend our full cooperation, it added.
