Archbishop Appeals Guv, CM Against BJP MLA's Anti-christian Remarks
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Aug 19: Taking strong objection to the anti-Christian remarks made by ruling BJP MLA from Khanapur in Belgaum district Prahlad Remane while addressing the Independence Day Rally after unfurling the national tricolor, Archbishop of Bangalore Most Rev Dr Bernard Moras has urged Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to ensure that a directive was given to all Ministers and legislators to avoid making inflammatory and derogatory statements against different religions.
The Archbishop, who is also the President of the Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops’ Council (KRCBC) which is the highest religious representative body of the entire Catholic community all over the State, has in his appeal demanded that a specific directive should be given to all persons holding responsible public offices like Ministers, MLAs and MLCs to desist from inciting the people by making provocative and inflammatory statements against different religions, thereby causing unnecessary communal tensions and disharmony.
"We are deeply sad to state that the Khanapur MLA Prahlad Remane has made false allegations about the Christian Community converting people by unlawful means when the people of the area irrespective of caste, creed and colour had gathered for paying their respect to the National Flag during the Independence day Celebration,” the Archbishop said.
He appealed Governor to immediately intervene in this matter and instruct such persons holding responsible positions to have restraint and not to indulge in such activities which pain the Christian community or others and disturbs the peace in the society.
These unjustified and unwarranted remarks exhibited the mindset of some of the elected representatives and added fuel to the sentiments of religious intolerance sought to be spread in the state despite assurances to the contrary from the Chief Minister or Home Minister and other leaders, the Archbishop told Daijiworld.
Archbishop Moras has also forwarded copies of his appeal to the Chairman of National Commission for Minorities Mohamed Shafi Qureshi, whose vice chairman is Dr H T Sangliana, the former BJP Lok Sabha member from Bangalore South, and to the Chairman of National Commission of Human Rights Justice K G Balakrishnan, who is also the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
The Khanapur BJP MLA’s anti-Christian remarks during his Independence Day speech at the official function held in front of the local Tahsildar’s office, which have been recorded by the local people, enraged the local Catholics and Christian community to such an extent that they observed a protest meeting in front of the Tahshildar’s office on August 16, Monday. They also lodged a complaint with the local police, copies of which were submitted to Belgaum SP Sonia Narang.
Meanwhile, the local BJP leaders have disowned the controversial remarks of their party MLA and have made it clear that the party does not subscribe to such remarks. The Belgaum BJP MP, Suresh Angardi, and local MLA, Sanjay Patil, and other BJP leaders have also dissociated themselves from the remarks.
The ruling BJP MLA’s remarks against the Christian community on a solemn occasion like the Independence Day celebrations have come at the most inopportune moment for the Chief Minister, who had sought to derive political mileage by driving down straight from the Bangalore Airport upon returning from New Delhi on August 10 to wish the Archbishop to extend him special wishes and greetings on the latter’s 69th birthday.
The Chief Minister, who had to face country-wide criticism and adverse publicity over the series of attacks against churches in Mangalore, Bangalore, Chikmaglur and other places in the state in September 2008 and had been facing pinpricks from the Governor on several occasions in the past, had warmly appreciated the services of Rev Dr Moras in the fields of social service, education and care for the poor. The Chief Minister had taken pains to give a personal assurance that the Government was committed to providing security to all citizens, especially the minorities. He had also urged the minorities to join the mainstream and take full advantage of the developmental programmes and welfare schemes of the Government.
The Archbishop, who had in a righteous outburst against the church attacks virtually upbraided the Chief Minister when the latter had called on him soon after the ugly incidents in 2008, said the Khanapur BJP MLA’s insensitive and totally unjustified attacks against the Christian community were baffling.
“There are two things the British left in India after they left, the first one is the partition of the nation and the second one is the seeds of Christianity that are being spread systematically by the Christians through there institutions. People must remain aware and watchful about the spread of these seeds of Christianity and followers of any religion including Hindus and others must weed out Christianity,” the Archbishop said quoting reports personally submitted to him by the Belgaum Bishop Most Rev Peter Machado.
The BJP MLA had also avowed that he would not stay quiet unless these seeds of Christianity were weeded out. ``If these seeds spread, then our nation will be under danger,” the MLA had said and subsequently confirmed his statements when asked by local media representatives when he said that he stood by his remarks and had reaffirmed his commitment to ``weed out Christians will continue by the way of a campaign against Christians. Christians under the guise of social service are luring villagers in Khanapur taluk and are engaged in conversions.”
"It is a well known and a much celebrated fact that India is a land of multi races, cultures, languages and religions. Undoubtedly the values of plurality, secularity and tolerance have been held high in esteem and people are living in mutual respect, harmony and tolerance for centuries. The proponents of different religions have propagated the value of communal harmony time and again,” the Archbishop said pointing out that ``unity in diversity’’ is the beauty of India, our Motherland.
As a result, the Constitution has upheld the value of protecting the great diversity as one of the supreme duties of the citizens, he said pointing out that all citizens were duty-bound to respect the others in his/her context and avoids activities or behaviours that harm the existence and peaceful living of the other person.
"The people’s representatives (MPs, MLAs, MLCs; the district, Taluk and Grama Panchayat members) are, therefore, the custodian of this secular fabric of the Nation. Once elected, they are the representatives of the people of the constituency which elected from. They are required to protect the Constitutional Rights of the people of the entire constituency without having prejudice to caste, creed or colour,” he said.
"We are deeply sad to state that Prahlad Remane, has made false allegations about the Christian Community of converting people by unlawful means when the people of the area irrespective of caste, creed and colour have gathered for paying their respect to the National Flag during the Independence day Celebration,” he said pointing out that such inflammatory remarks by a responsible person like an Member of the Legislative Assembly, who has the constitutional responsibility to protect and promote the rights of every citizen, is not only harming the sentiments of the Christian Community terribly, but also is inciting the peace-loving people of the society to violence.