The leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Mr Rahul Gandhi has raised the issue regarding illegal detention of two catholic nuns in Durg district of Chhattisgarh, through a tweet. He has called it targeting minorities for their religious beliefs and not acceptable under our secular constitution. The day saw further attacks on minority Christians in the state when despite Supreme Court rulings, allowing burial in persons personal lands, bajrang dal members created a ruckus against the burial of a deceased Christian person in tribal district of Kanker. The BJP government of Chhattisgarh has since exhumed the body and brought it to Raipur for autopsy on flimsy grounds and would in all probability, then arrange for its burial in a Christian cemetery in the capital. This is reflective of abject surrender by state Infront of violent and bigoted mobs affiliated to the BJP. Such break down of law and order in disregard of court orders, are disastrous for the constitutional order and the Supreme Court should take immediate cognizance of the matter. Furthermore the state government has refused to renew a 100 year old lease of land, to the church of north India and taken over its possession, the land includes decades old schools and a church. This is against the spirit of article 29 and 30 of the constitution and violative of secular principles. Done under pressure from the Hindu swabhiman sangathan, it seems to be aimed at religious dominance and an attempt to grab prime land in the heart of the city. The common thread in all these incidents is majority appeasement, especially to those affiliated to the hindutva ideology of the sangh parivar, and the subversion of state institutions in face of mob violence and intimidation. The state has abdicated its raison d’etre of protecting the minorities and the marginalized. This will delegitimize the state and the constitution both. The union government also needs to wake up. Such incidents destroy the secular credentials of the nation in the international arena. We have recently witnessed the state of our global goodwill, in the wake of operation sindoor and its aftermath. The opposition should not rely on token protests by kerala MPs in the parliament and put its cadres on the streets locally and hold the government accountable. Lastly it is above all the duty of the civil society to preserve the social fabric of the country, especially with a dysfunctional , bigoted and subservient media.
An assault on the constitution from Chhattisgarh
