Political commentators express shock over Christian figures lauding PM Modi during Christmas
Says “irony of the year 2023” in joint press statement
New Delhi: A joint press statement by prominent figures and political commentators including Apoorvanand, John Dayal, ASR Mary Scaria SCJM, AC Michael, Minakshi Singh, and Shabnam Hashmi, highlights the irony of the year 2023 as it began with church burnings and the killing of Christians in Imphal, Manipur, and concludes with religious leaders commending Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his contributions to the welfare of the Christian community during Christmas celebrations.
“Throughout the year, the Christian community, including bishops and clergy, had appealed to the Prime Minister to visit Manipur, a region marked by communal crimes and human tragedy. However, the plea seemingly went unanswered, leaving the responsibility to the Home Minister and the state’s Chief minister, who, according to public allegations, have been negligent in addressing the situation,” the press statement added.
“Despite Supreme Court intervention and the Chief Justice of India's involvement, the only significant action taken has been the burial of Kuki-Zo-Hmar people in Imphal hospitals. Approximately fifty thousand people from these communities continue to endure harsh conditions in refugee camps run by various church groups. Harsh Mander, a renowned human rights activist, highlights the persistent human disaster, especially affecting women and children, with unemployment, malnourishment, and the rule of private armies in the hills,” it added.
“But it is not about Manipur alone. The persecution of the community is rampant, hate towards it from the highest quarters of nationalist religious leadership as deep as it can be. The government seems keen to starve it out of existence by withdrawing the FCRAs of a vast number of churches and its NGOs, and using the investigating agencies against Cardinals and Bishops, Pastors and lay people. In UP for instance, nearly 100 pastors and even ordinary men and women are in jail under charges of illegal conversions when all they were doing was celebrating birthdays or conducting Sunday prayers,” the statement further added.
International and national human rights bodies, including the Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, have criticized India for its treatment of religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians. The United Christian Forum reports an alarming rate of two incidents of prosecution per day in the country.
“Apart from Prosecution, arrests, the crisis of schools and other institutions, the massive social issue of the Dalit Christians remains. The Modi government’s spokespersons have been particularly harsh on it.
“The Prime minister is not only free but duty bound to embrace the nation’s religious minorities and invite their leaders to functions at his house on Christmas and important days. We remember when Christmas carols were a part of the Rashtrapati Bhawan Calendar. Similarly, as citizens, Bishops and Cardinals and others too are duty bound to felicitate their political leaders and rulers,” it added further.
In concluding the statement, the figures extended Christmas and New Year greetings to the nation, urging everyone not to forget the plight of their brothers and sisters who suffer due to government impunity and the actions of political elements with little regard for constitutional principles.
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It's govt's responsibility to support youth who dare to dream: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the government may not be able to provide jobs to everyone, but it can create an ecosystem for youngsters to become entrepreneurs and innovators.
It is the responsibility of the government to support youth who dare to dream, he said.
After inaugurating the 11th National Conference and Exhibition on Emerging and Innovative Trends in Engineering Technology (NCEEITET) at the Government College of Engineering and Technology (GCET) in Jammu, Abdullah said, “We may not be able to provide jobs to everyone, but we can certainly create an environment where our youngsters become entrepreneurs and innovators.”
The two-day conference is being organised by the GCET in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur and the World University Consortium (WUC).
Addressing the gathering, Abdullah assured that all necessary steps would be taken to strengthen infrastructure and support systems at the GCET, ensuring that it continues to evolve as a premier institution.
The chief minister also inaugurated a new building for the School of Architecture in the college, built at Rs 19.71 crore.
Stressing the need to balance modernity with the region’s cultural and historical identity, Abdullah said, “Not every building needs to be made of glass and steel. Our structures must reflect our heritage and preserve our cultural ethos.”
Highlighting the role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, Abdullah said they could significantly improve tourism management, visitor experience and service delivery in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, he cautioned that technological advancement should complement human effort rather than replace jobs, especially in a region where unemployment remains a concern.
The chief minister said that attracting tourists to Jammu and Kashmir was not difficult, but ensuring repeat visits required consistently enriching experiences and better infrastructure across tourism segments, including pilgrimage, border and leisure tourism.
To address the infrastructure gaps in the college, Abdullah announced that funds would be provided this year for the construction of an auditorium.
He also assured support for setting up an incubation centre in GCET.
During the event, Abdullah also released the e-proceedings of the conference, comprising 28 shortlisted research papers.
