The call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji for a nationwide cleanliness program on Sunday, 1st Oct 2023, and the pursuant directive from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to the States, is yet another violent chapter in the never-ending saga of intolerance and persecution against the minorities in India, scripted by the party and the government of the day, under the mentorship of the RSS.
It is universal knowledge that Christians consider Sunday as a day of rest and worship, and it is common sense to deduce that any attempts to disturb the sanctity of the day was clearly not going to sit well with the Christians in the country.
Under more sensible times, it wouldn’t have been amiss on our part if we had allowed ourselves to be tempted in brushing aside this affront as a mere case of insensitivity, or one of momentary lapse in judgement from our Prime Minister. But sadly we know otherwise.
The last few years of Ache Din has been a nightmarishly exacting ordeal for the minority communities in India, having had to face a constant onslaught of hate from both state as well as non state actors.
Under the circumstances, It makes a compelling case to consider this act as one in a connected chain of premeditated violence against the minorities of the Nation. After all the colors that inked the document declaring Christmas Day as the “Day of Good Governance”, is still fresh in our memories.
And while we acknowledge the NDPP-BJP government’s move of rescheduling the event in our state by preponing it, we couldn’t help but rue at the complete lack of outrage from their end.
As a Christian majority state, the state government had the moral agency, and should have taken the lead in protesting against this subjucative take of the Central government. While it can afford to hide behind such soft interventions, it is pertinent to remind itself that millions of Christians across the country are not accorded such luxuries.
The NPCC is greatly pained to see the hurt sentiments of untold Christian brothers and sisters across India, and outrightly denounce such oppressive agendas against the Christian community and urge all right thinking citizens of the country to follow suit.
We also demand in no uncertain terms that our honorable PM Modiji tender an apology to the Christian community and ensure that this divisive endeavor is immediately called off, or at least rescheduled.
Communications Department
NPCC