The Assam Christian Forum, representing all denominations of the church in the State, has appealed to the people to vote for candidates who work for an inclusive and secular society and uphold the Constitution.
In the first such pre-election appeal, the forum also warned against the victimisation of people if the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is promulgated. The Act seeks to fast-track the citizenship of non-Muslims who reportedly fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and took refuge in India till December 31, 2014.
ACF spokesperson Allen Brooks said the forum had in the past restricted itself to canvassing for free and fair elections and seeking jobs and development for the community.
“We are now speaking about an inclusive society because minorities are being increasingly intimidated. Father Stan Swamy’s arrest in the Bhima Koregaon case is an example. Another is the religion-specific CAA, though religion has nothing to do with citizenship,” he told The Hindu on Sunday.
“The ACF stands for the sanctity of the Constitution both in letter and spirit. The sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic republic character of the Constitution should be upheld and implemented,” the forum, headed by Rev John Moolachira, said in a statement on Saturday.
“Secularism must be further nurtured and strengthened: people of different faiths, ideologies, cultures and races should have the joy of living with dignity and freedom in the State. This implies that the freedom of religion should be facilitated and ensured; the worship and worship places, religious practices and services of the minority groups, and the autonomy of their institutions should be respected and protected as enshrined in the Constitution. Persons from minority communities should be given representation at all levels of governance and administration,” the forum said.
Christians constitute about 3.74% of Assam’s 3.3 crore population, according to the 2011 census.
