Church leaders ask govt to desist from questioning conversions

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Publication: The Indian Express
Date: July 11, 2000

NAGPUR: National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) today asked the government to desist from raking up the issue of conversions and demanded ban on organisations with overt communal leanings and involved in hate campaigns,reports PTI.
 
The Church organisations, however, did not specify the organisations which they sought to be banned.
 
Desist from any utterances regarding the issue of conversions as it (conversions) is within the constitutional and human rights/religious liberty framework, the NCCI and CBCI advised the government through a press statement issued after their joint meeting here.
 
Later addressing a press conference, NCCI president bishop Vinod Peter and CBCI general secretary Bishop Oswald Gracias said the government must take immediate measures to stop violence against Christians and other minorities.
 
The NCCI, an apex body of 29 non-catholic churches and CBCI, which had a day long discussion on Christian response to the situation, accused the government of slow in reacting to attacks on them.
 
Bishop Gracias said the Christians in the country wanted the government to take immediate and effective steps to stop violent attacks on Christians and their prayer halls.
 
No individual has been brought of book for the recent incidents in the country, he alleged.  The attacks and hate-campaigns are systematic and pre-planned, Bishop Peter said.
 

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