DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 12 (MExN): The Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF) today condemned what it termed as the “intimidation and threat meted out against the Christian minorities across the nation and of late in the north east region especially in Assam.”
“It is unfortunate to see that there is now no respect for each other when it comes to religious practice of the citizens,” a press release from the NJCF Vice President, Rev Dr N Paphino stated. While claiming that the “region has been experiencing unprecedented hate crimes, hate speeches,” it lamented that the “authority is silent.” “The assurance given by the CM of Assam has gone down the drain when in his state minority religious groups are made to suffer under his regime,” it stated.
“Communalism and hatred is becoming stronger. Politics is played on religious line. Force conversion is defined conveniently to harass and intimidate. And the people in power are helpless because they are engineered by fanatics who run the show,” it alleged.
It meanwhile stated that “external communal force” must not be allowed to “set precedence to play with our emotion during this critical period of our history.” It added that “politics and religion should be kept away from each other. One deals with governance and the other is a matter of beliefs and practice.” The NJCF urged that “we must not allow the politics of disintegration to divide our people.”
The forum observed that “politics should work to unite the nation and not divide the nation.” “If a political party is emboldened by a communal force behind them to govern the nation with those ideologies, they have no right to advocate their political manifestos in the guise of trying to develop the nation otherwise,” it stated.
It further stated that though Nagaland is a Christian majority state, “we are still are minority.” “But we will continue to stand defending the minority communities in the nation. We will continue to be their voice. We still hold on to the ideals of a secular India. Any force agenda in matter of faith and practice is an individual choice and cannot be forced upon any citizen,” it stated.
“Talk about politics to build the nation. Talk about development for the region to come in par with the rest of the nation.
You have neglected this for a long time. You have divided us for so long and it is time for you to realize and admit that the region has experienced bad politics from the mainland for a very long time,” the NJCF said.
The forum further stressed that “we all must go to the poll to cast our vote without threat and intimidation without influence.”
