The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has appealed Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai to provide protection to villagers of Bishrampur, Ganeshpur and Jhanakpur following a hate speech reportedly delivered by one Aadesh Soni at a “religious parliament” targeting the villages.
In an open letter to the chief minister, NBCC general secretary Rev Dr Zelhou Keyho conveyed his deep concern over the prevailing situation in Chhattisgarh, and appealed Sai to act fast to save the situation created by the hate speech.
Expressing ignorance over the location of these villages, nor knowing the people dwelling there, he said he was however pained after hearing in detail how meticulously the hate speech was constructed.
He mentioned that the speech was made worse when mention was made of how mothers and children should be treated and dealt with. Wondering if there was any human emotion and sense in the heart of the speaker, he felt that such speech should not have been uttered. But, hatred and animosity towards humankind, especially mothers and children, had overtaken him to even have the courage to utter such words.
Keyho emphasised that people need not know each other to be human, but need to know people who were oppressed in order to stand for them. He elaborated, “We also do not need to know people to speak for them on their behalf when they are threatened with the intention to annihilate them because they are not of their kind.”
As they were mothers, children, sisters and brothers, he said it was unthinkable that any human being would have the audacity to choose to hate fellow brethren in the name of religion. He mentioned that one need not assume the religion Soni adhered to, claiming that Christianity taught to love one another and live at peace with everyone.
He pointed out that India was a big nation with multiple religions, diverse culture, and people, besides being also known as the world’s largest democracy. He said it was due to this diversity that the world looked at India as a strong nation, noting how leaders often proclaimed in pride that India respected human rights and accommodated diversities, be it caste, creed, or religion.
But, he lamented that India had had once again failed in the eyes of the watching world, emphasising that it was time to show to the world that the people lived by showing respect and honouring each individual’s rights to profess and practice any religion of their choice without threat or intimidation.
Alleging suppression and oppression of religious minorities in the nation of late, the NBCC general secretary claimed that terror against religious minorities, especially the Christians, had reached its height with the recent speech of Soni. He mentioned that the choice before the nation now was to redeem itself by coming out tough on those who speak and act otherwise, giving hope for the world to conclude.
Pointing out that Soni had listed Sai and the authority functioning under him as his collaborators, Keyho said the chief minister must have seen the picture that had gone viral. If such a claim was true, he mentioned that Sai was on the wrong side as a leader of the beautiful state of Chhattisgarh.
Keyho reminded Sai that he was a leader today because people had trusted him, since they believed he could defend them when threat and fear befall upon them, reminding him that they were all citizens though he might not know all of them by face or name.
Also reminding Sai that the eyes of the world were on him because the message had gone viral, he stressed that the world was expecting that he would act with precision to stop this to happen. In such a time as this, he exhorted the chief minister to act with courage and become the people’s chief minister.
“It is time for you to become the leader of your sisters and children. It is time that you become the leader of the three villages and give them the confidence that as long as you are there, the Christians, the Hindus, the Muslims, the Jains, the Buddhists and others are safe under your leadership,” he exhorted.
In the name of God Almighty and in the spirit of brotherhood, regardless of the distance, Keyho implored Sai on behalf of the Christians of Nagaland to become guardian of the people and grant safety and security by exercising and upholding the values of secularism and equal protection to all, regardless of the religious affiliations, caste, and creed.
Asserting that he stood with the people of Chhattisgarh, especially the mothers and children who now live in fear counting the days that March 1 would never come, Keyho implored the chief minister to calm the situation since he had the power in his hand to stop.