Dimapur, June 14 (MExN): Organizations representing India’s Christian communities today submitted statements on the 12th Five Year Plan to the Minorities Working Group of the Planning Commission and on the proposed “Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparations) Bill, 2011” to the National Advisory Group.
A group of leaders from India’s Christian community met in a consultation in Delhi Saturday June 11, to assess the state of the community and make recommendations to the government on a number of issues. The meeting was held at the India International Center, organized by the All India Christian Council.
Secretary of the Ministry of Minority Affairs Vivek Mehrotra, IAS, highlighted initiatives to assist the Christian community in education, economic, area, and institutional development. The chief guest, Wajahat Habibullah, chairperson of the National Commission of Minorities, also addressed the gathering.
He explained the NCM’s dual role as an advocate for minorities before the government and in closing the communication gap with minorities about what the government is currently doing.
He said the NCM was investigating if it had powers to prosecute perpetrators of violence against minorities in a similar way to the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“If five minorities are notified by the government, then how can some minorities be excluded from the Presidential Order of 1950? And a change of faith has nothing to do with if you deserve benefits,” he said.
Leaders from the Christian community represented Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals. Other notable leaders included AC Michael, Member, Delhi Minorities Commission, Rev. Thomas Sebastian, Chairman of NUCF, N. Mukta Toppo, President of CCWAD, and Lansinglu Rongmei, AICC National Legal Secretary.
A group of leaders from India’s Christian community met in a consultation in Delhi Saturday June 11, to assess the state of the community and make recommendations to the government on a number of issues. The meeting was held at the India International Center, organized by the All India Christian Council.
Secretary of the Ministry of Minority Affairs Vivek Mehrotra, IAS, highlighted initiatives to assist the Christian community in education, economic, area, and institutional development. The chief guest, Wajahat Habibullah, chairperson of the National Commission of Minorities, also addressed the gathering.
He explained the NCM’s dual role as an advocate for minorities before the government and in closing the communication gap with minorities about what the government is currently doing.
He said the NCM was investigating if it had powers to prosecute perpetrators of violence against minorities in a similar way to the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.
“If five minorities are notified by the government, then how can some minorities be excluded from the Presidential Order of 1950? And a change of faith has nothing to do with if you deserve benefits,” he said.
Leaders from the Christian community represented Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals. Other notable leaders included AC Michael, Member, Delhi Minorities Commission, Rev. Thomas Sebastian, Chairman of NUCF, N. Mukta Toppo, President of CCWAD, and Lansinglu Rongmei, AICC National Legal Secretary.
