Imphal, March 18: Close on the heels of the All India Christian Council taking a serious note of the harassments meted out to some Meetei Christians and Rongmei Christians, Chief Minister O Ibobi today assured the Assembly that the SPF Government will do all it can to protect the interest and rights of the Christian community.

Earlier, raising a call attention motion during the morning session of the Assembly, Chandel AC MLA BD Behring said that the minority Christians have been at the receiving end of the majority Hindu community in different parts of the State and questioned what steps the SPF Government has taken up to protect the rights and interest of the Christians in Manipur.

The MLA merely did not stop at questioning the stand of the SPF Government but gave details of 8 instances where Christians were harassed and inconvenienced by the majority Hindus.

BD Behring cited the incidents at Phumlou wherein the bodies of the deceased parents of a Meetei Christian were dug up by the local people and placed at the court yard of the Christian family as well as the desecration of the Church there.

Other instances mentioned by the MLA included the vandalisation of a Church at Wangjing Lamding and stopping the celebration of Christmas along with the active connivance of the police, the expulsion of a family from Langthabal Khoupum for converting to Christianity, setting a Church building aflame at Awang Yumnam Khunou and the desecration of the Phaknung Baptist Church building.

Though the Constitution of India clearly grants the freedom to all its citizens to practice any religious belief, here in Manipur, the minority Christians are at the receiving ends of the majority Hindus with even the security force encouraging the harassments of Christians, charged the MLA.

Christians have never objected to the religious practices of any other religious groups, said Behring and added that Hindus have never been harassed or stopped from practising their religious beliefs in areas dominated by Christians.

Migrant Hindus who come to eke out a living in Christian dominated areas are left to their free will, said the MLA and asserted that no interference is ever given when any of the deceased Hindu workers are cremated in Christian areas.

Expressing deep anguish over the instances of Christians being harassed, Chief MinisterO Ibobi, who holds the additional portfolio of Home said that seven persons have been arrested in connection with the case at Phumlou adding that the police has also registered a case.

"At Wangjing Khunou, which comes under my Assembly Constituency, I personally instructed all the people to ensure that the Christians are not harassed in any way," said the Chief Minister and assured the House that if any security personnel are involved in harassing Christians then they will not be let off the hook.

Though the assurances of the Chief Minister somewhat placated BD Behring, the MLA nonetheless informed the House that the seven persons arrested from Phumlou have all been released on bail and added that these same people have threatened the Christians there against setting up any Church building or any cemetery.

Comment