Guwahati: Northeastern Christian leaders, representing all the Churches of the region, i.e. Council of Baptist Churches in North East India, Church of North India, Presbyterian Church of India, North East Christian Council( All Protestant Churches), Evangelical Fellowship Of India (All Pentecostal Churches) and Regional Catholic Bishops Conference of North East India (All Catholic Churches of NEI), gathered in Guwahati today and expressed great anxiety about some of the painful developments in the society these days. They saw in the alarmist news that is being spread among people in connection with the issue of ‘conversion’, nothing but an effort to malign the community which has rendered yeoman service in the field of education, health and social development to all sections in society irrespective of caste, creed, or ethnicity.
In a press release they said, “We have been the first to denounce any sort of “forced” conversion. At the same time, we also affirm the right of every citizen to choose any religion of his/her own choice that the Constitution guarantees, see Article 25-28. We consider it very wrong to make false allegations of ‘conversion’ by force, fraud or inducement with the intention of humiliating our community. We feel that such accusations are made with the deliberate intention of dividing our society.”
They further stated, “What we feel embarrassed about most is that it is the very identity and cultural ethos of the North-Eastern region and of Assam that are being eroded by people who seek to take their models from those areas of our country, where, unfortunately, communal violence has found ideological acceptance. North-eastern society has always been open-minded and liberal, with an eagerness to promote enlightened thinking and refined relationships.”
People in the Northeast have always vigorously opposed the imposition of value-systems, divisive thinking and narrow-mindedness that are totally alien to the collective ethos. They have always believed in harmony and cooperation and warm-hearted relationships. They have always been “inclusive”.
“In this context, we express our pain at the unpleasant incidents that have happened at the inter-state borders and express our solidarity with all those who are trying to settle the problems amicably. We appeal to all parties of good will to approach the entire matter with a sense of history and fair-mindedness,” the release stated.
“What we want more than anything else is that an atmosphere of peace, collaboration and mutual assistance prevails among us in these days of growing political and economic anxieties. United we shall never fail,” the release added.