A slap on the face of Christianity : Sordid story of Leingangching
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: August 12 2017 -

This is a slap on the face of Christianity. Correction, a slap on the face of humanity.

No one except those in the Baptist denomination of Christianity will be allowed to stay at Leingangching, a small hamlet near Litan on the Imphal-Ukhrul road.

This is the pronouncement made in a communication by the Village Authority of Leingangching to the Sacred Heart Parish Pastoral Council, Hungpung, sometime in 2009-2010, when the Village Authority decided to banish a family from the village for adopting another denomination, albeit of the same religion, Christianity.

It was not only one family which was banished but a total of five, if reports coming from the village is anything to go by and all for the same reason, that is for adopting another denomination as one’s faith.

Nothing can be more farcical than this and it borders dangerously close to what some religious fanatics have been preaching and practising, even going to the extent of killing in the name of religion.

The fanatic side of the Village Authority of Leingangching may not have come to light if the mortal remains of a lady, who happened to belong to one of the families banished for adopting a different denomination, had not come to light.

This is sickening. Cannot say if the Government has taken note of the report widely covered in all the dailies published from Imphal, but it should be noted that the very act of the Village Authority of Leingangching also goes against the Constitution of India.

It is good to see some response from the Catholic Church, but remember the onus to what is happening at Leingangching should not fall only on the Catholic Church but should be the responsibility of everyone.

According to latest reports, the stand of the Village Authority may have been dictated by reasons other than the denomination to which the family members of the deceased belong to, but why cloak the reasons under the denominations to which the family belongs to ?

This reeks of not only a rigid mindset, but also a train of thought which will not hesitate to come out with bombastic justifications for their religious intolerance.

This is where the apex body of the Baptist Church in Manipur need to come out and speak out their mind.

Is this what Christianity teaches the Village Authority of Leingangching ?

Moreover the apex Church of the Tangkhul community too need to speak out and as for the Government, let it crack the whip and underline the point that no one can be picked out or targeted for practising one’s faith and religious beliefs.

Let the body of the late lady be given due respect and let it rest at her native place.