Surendra Jain, local exponent of Vhp, speaks of ‘involvement’ of ecclesiastical institutions in the ‘business’ of drug trafficking. In addition to ‘destroying our culture, insulting traditions, beliefs’. Three Christian organizations file a complaint with the authorities against the smear campaign. ‘Derogatory and hateful’ words.
Delhi () – Three Christian organizations have submitted a joint note to the administrative district of Dima Hasao, in the state of Assam, denouncing the smear campaign by Surendra Jain, local leader of the far-right Vishva Hindu Parishad (Vhp) movement. He has supposedly made accusations – without any basis – of unspecified “involvement” of the local Church in the “drug business”, just to discredit the local community. Drug trafficking and use are an unsolved problem in several areas of the northeast. State governments, along with central agencies, have intensified operations in recent years to curb this menace. In the note dated October 28, the organizations expressed their “deep shock, pain and disappointment” at the attempt to “slander” the Christian community during the inauguration, the day before, of the Joya Thaosen computer learning center in Haflong.
In the video of Jain’s speech, delivered in Hindi, he is heard saying: “I have noticed that girls here progress in all walks of life, while boys are left behind. “This is becoming a reason to fall into drug addiction.” «Today I have realized – he continued – that the drug business is also directed on a large scale by the Church. In a way, the Church is destroying our culture, insulting traditions, beliefs and also ruining the lives of people here. «Keep going to church, Christians here must follow their faith, we have nothing to object. But if they disrupt public order, damage beliefs, the destiny of drug trafficking, this,” Jain concluded, “will not be accepted,” referring to the alleged contribution of the Church to the “drug business” in the district.
In their complaint to the deputy commissioner of Dima Hasao, the three Christian organizations – Dima Hasao United Christian Forum, Karbi Anglong United Christian Forum and Assam Christian Forum – attack the radical Hindu leader. He allegedly used the “beautiful occasion” promoted to honor the memory of Joya Thaosen, a revered freedom fighter “respected” by all communities, as a platform “to defame and spit venom against the Christian community.” They go on to say that Jain’s “baseless accusations” are “not only harmful, but appear deliberate” to denigrate a reality that has made great contributions in “education, health, social welfare, literature, media, research, aid and development.” sustainable”.
Jain’s insinuations about the Church’s involvement in “illegal activities” are “baseless, unacceptable” and “threaten to create mistrust, undermine unity and damage the inclusivity that is crucial for peaceful coexistence and progress” in India and Assam . The organizations concluded the note by urging the authorities to “take action against Jain under national legislation and the provisions of the Constitution for his denigrating comments, which affected the religious sentiments of the entire Christian community.”
On October 29, Dima Hasao’s United Christian Forum (Ucfd) had issued a statement to the media condemning the “prominent” Vhp leader for his “derogatory and hate-filled comments.” Calling Jain’s statement an “abuse of freedom of speech and expression,” the forum recalls that the Church has always “fought for a drug-free society through the Bible’s teachings on sobriety, self-control and harmful effect of intoxicant abuse. The Church,” the note concludes, “does not in any way approve of the consumption and sale of drugs or any toxic substance by its members.”
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