HT Bureau
DIPHU, Feb 24: The United Christian Forum (UCF), Karbi Anglong and West Karbi Anglong has alleged that some organisations are trying to adopt a hostile attitude towards tribal Christians in the guise of safeguarding the indigenous people.
In a press release UCF said, “The movements from demanding the delisting of Tribal Christians from ST status to harassment and persecution of Christian community in various places in the districts in various forms are visible. The Tribal Conference held at Diphu Government Boys’ School on April 12, 2022 is evidence of sinister designs to divide the Tribal of the districts on the basis of religious affiliations and particularly targeting Christian community by saying that Tribal Christians should not enjoy Article 342 of the Constitution of India because they have renounced their former belief or religion.”
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The Christian organisation also said, “The United Christian Forum strongly oppose this kind of wrongful interpretation of Article 342 and that this provision of the article towards safeguarding the tribes is not on the basis of religion as co-tribal in the other North Eastern Christian majority states like Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya continue to remain under the provision of the article. Targeting the Christian minority in the region is to malign the spirit of the Indian Constitution. The Constitution of India clearly empowers every citizen of India to freely choose, practice, and propagate one’s own religion under Article 25 and it is fundamental in nature guaranteed by the Constitution of India.”
The UCF further said that in 2019, the land of Puhorsing Enghi and Kamal Enghi of Phonglongpet under Bakalia police station were cancelled by the Council authority even after obtaining periodic patta for decades. A case in this regard was registered in Diphu Court for justice and even approached the Council authority but till now no proper justice has been given to the victims. In another incident in 2022, two Bodo families at Magurmari, Rajapathar, Karbi Anglong were driven out from the village because they are Christians.
