By Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 30 Jan 2015: “We, the Christians of this country, need an assurance from the Government that we are protected and secure and safe in our motherland,” said Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) in a pastoral letter.
The three-page letter was drafted on the recommendations of the Special Consultation held in New Delhi on 20th Jan to discuss the recent developments in the country affecting the Church and the minorities in general.
“We strongly felt that the untoward incidents that happened in the past few months in various parts of our country have wounded the sentiments of the minority community especially the Christian community and has shaken the faith in the secular fabric of our Nation. The shocking incidents that have taken place against Churches, clergy and laity in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi have caused great concern for the Christian community,” said Cardinal Cleemis and also condemned Ghar Wapsi campaign launched by some saffron outfits.
The Pastoral Letter was issued on 27th Jan – coincidently the same day US President Barack Obama while addressing a gathering at Siri Fort auditorium here had raised the issue of minority rights. “India will succeed as long as it’s not splintered along religious lines,” President Obama had said. “Every person has the right to practise their religion and beliefs and not practice it if they choose so without any persecution. No society is immune from the darkest impulses of men and too often, religion has been used to tap into those instead of the light of God. The peace we seek in the world begins in human hearts,” President Obama had said during his 40-minute speech.
The Pastoral Letter reads: “The recent controversies in the name of religious reconversions portray a negative image of India. Communal polarization and the bid to homogenize India are posing threat to all minorities – women, dalits, and all linguistic, cultural and religious minorities.”
President of Catholic Bishops Conference of India, Baselios Cleemis Cardinal Thottunkal met PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi on 18 Aug 2014. (Photo credit – PIB)
Expressing concern on the incidents, the Church leader has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention to stop incidents that pose threat to the unity of the country.
“We express our strong concern on the aforementioned issues. Putting an end to such dangerous tendencies is inevitable for the growth and progress of our great nation. This great secular nation has to remain as a place where people of all religions and of different cultural backgrounds should live freely, practicing their faith without fear or threat and in harmony. While we recommit ourselves for the progress and development of our nation, we strongly urge the Honorable Prime Minister, to intervene urgently and take appropriate action to stop incidents that pose a big threat to the unity of this secular nation and put an end to the statements made by the responsible persons in the central ministry and of the party,” said the Christian leader Cardinal Baselios Cleemis who had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2014 in New Delhi.
The 20th Jan special consultation was attended by the four Cardinals of India, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Cardinal George Alencherry, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, and Cardinal Baselios Cleemis besides CBCI office-bearers, representatives of the Catholic Council of India, Conference of Religious India, A11 India Catholic Union and Indian Catholic Youth Movement. This was followed by a meeting with the leaders of other Christian Churches based in Delhi.
