Christian leaders criticise PM remarks

CHANDIGARH, AUG. 19. Catholic leaders today criticised the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, for his remarks on Christian missionaries, saying this would only encourage extremist elements.

``The Prime Minister's remarks will only encourage communal and extremist elements such as the Sangh Parivar. Our anxiety is more because the statement was made at a function lauding the RSS,'' the chairman of the Northern Region Catholic Council (NRCC), Mr. Vincent M. Concessao, told presspersons here.

At a function in New Delhi on Saturday, Mr. Vajpayee said there was a ``conversion motive'' behind the welfare activities being carried out by some Christian missionaries in the country's backward areas and it was ``not proper'', though conversion was permissible under law.

``Mr. Vajpayee's remarks cast aspersions on the long history of social service by Christians and has brought in a cloud of insecurity for the minorities, in general, and Christian missionaries, in particular,'' Mr. Concessao said in the presence of other bishops attending a regional conference here.

The All-India Christian Council secretary, Mr. John Dayal, said Christians could approach the President, Mr. K.R. Narayanan, to discuss the matter threadbare. ``We can go to the President as time and again he has ventilated his anguish and concern on violence perpetrated on Christians in almost all BJP-ruled States.'' Christians no longer had faith in constitutional bodies such as the National Commission for Minorities.

``Such remarks from none less than the Prime Minister will be seen as condoning the hate campaign and canards, lies and half- truths being spread by the RSS and other units of the Sangh Parivar,'' Mr. Concessao said. ``The Prime Minister's remarks come when the country is facing a renewed violence against Christian priests, nuns and religious workers.''

Mr. Dayal said, ``The Prime Minister should disown his statement immediately. He should behave as the Prime Minister and not as a partisan leader addressing a select group of people.'' Stating that the Christian doctrine always ``denounced fraudulent and forcible conversions'', the Catholic leaders urged Mr. Vajpayee to ``reassure'' the country that his Government was committed to the rule of law and the letter and spirit of the Constitution, which guaranteed religious freedom.

They welcomed the recent decision of the Vajpayee Government to clear the Bill on Christian marriages. At the two-day conference, the Catholic leaders are deliberating on various issues, including what they termed as the ``hate campaign being pursued against Christians by the Sangh Parivar''.

- PTI

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