The Federation of Churches in Tiruchirappalli, south India, organized a protest meeting with more than 2000 participants to condemn the continuous attacks on Christians in Manipur.
The meeting was held at Puthur Road, Tiruchirappalli, India, on July 2.
The summit was organized by the federation of churches in Tiruchirappalli district, Tamil Nadu, including the Church of South India (CSI), the Tamil Nadu Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC), and the Catholic Diocese of Tiruchirappalli, organized the meeting.
Bishop Savarimuthu Arockiaraj of Tiruchirappalli Diocese, said, "We need to be meek and merciful to the suffering people of Manipur and it is our responsibility."
"The Tamil Nadu Bishops' Council has ordered meetings, rallies, and candlelight processions all over the state in support of the people of Manipur," he said.
Father Ambrose, the director of the Pastoral Center of the Catholic Diocese of Tiruchirappalli, said, "We hope the Indian government will hear our voices. We are here to show sympathy and solidarity for the people of Manipur. At the same time, demand justice and rights for Manipur's people."
According to Bishop Christian Samraj, the Tamil Nadu Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC) said, "Love for one another is the love of the Cross, and Jesus taught us to give that love to others. Our mission is to love the people of Manipur, pray for them, and condemn violent acts against them."
"We have gathered here with anxiety, anguish, and moral anger. Manipur is a small state populated by 350,000 people. The situation continues with more than 50,000 people displaced, persecuted, homeless, deprived of food, and stranded in the forest," said Father Charles K., secretary to the Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue for the Trichy Catholic Diocese.
According to him, afflicted people in Manipur are orphaned and lack medical care, and they have no one to turn to for help. Neither the government nor social workers have access to help the afflicted.
He said, "Besides being Christians, we are Tamils committed to justice and equality, and we care deeply about the well-being of our fellow states in the Indian Union. Social justice is an integral part of our identity as Tamils. We need to fight back against those against justice and people."
According to Bishop Chandrasekaran, Bishop of Trichy-TTanjauvr CSI Diocese, "My country is India, and I am proud to be an Indian. We must all raise our voices for humanity, and the army was unable to come out today because the roads were closed to them. People have become refugees."
Cruz Durai, professor at Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary (TTS), "India is a secular nation, and we need equality. It is essential that we fight fundamental forces and transcend our religious identity to be united as people who love social change."
According to Sister Pauline Mary, a Mother of Sorrows Servants of Mary Congregation member, "The tribal people are being violated, so we need to stand in solidarity and help them."
Our country has a fundamental problem in that it imprisons minorities while releasing criminals from a majoritarian community, and we all speak here to break the silence of one man," said poet Nandalla, the office bearer of the Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers & Artists Association.
He added, "The Christian community in India has contributed greatly to its development and dignity, and Muslims, Hindus, and Christians have always worked together, but they are now spreading hate politics to divide people."
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
