Assam, Hindu nationalists' latest accusation: The Church traffics drugs

Surendra Jain, local Vhp leader, speaks of ‘involvement’ of church institutions in the ‘business’ of drug trafficking. In addition to ‘destroying our culture, insulting traditions, beliefs’. Three Christian organisations file a complaint with the authorities against the defamatory campaign. Words ‘contemptuous and hateful’.

Delhi (AsiaNews) - Three Christian organisations have presented a joint note to the administrative district of Dima Hasao, in the State of Assam, denouncing the defamatory campaign of Surendra Jain, local leader of the extreme right-wing movement Vishva Hindu Parishad (Vhp).

He is alleged to have made accusations - without any foundation whatsoever - of an unspecified ‘involvement’ of the local Church in the ‘drug business’, just to discredit the local community.

Drug trafficking and consumption are an unresolved problem in several areas in the northeast. State governments together with central agencies have stepped up operations in recent years to curb the menace. In the 28 October note, the organisations expressed their ‘deep shock, grief and disappointment’ at the attempt to ‘slander’ the Christian community during the launch of the Joya Thaosen Computer Learning Centre in Haflong the previous day.

In the video of Jain's speech, delivered in Hindi, he is reported to have said: ‘I have come to know that the girls here are progressing in every field of life, while the boys are lagging behind. This is becoming a reason to fall into drug addiction'.

‘Today I realised,’ he continued, ’that the drug business is also run on a large scale by the Church. In a way, the Church is destroying our culture, insulting traditions, beliefs and also ruining the lives of people here.’

‘Keep going to church, Christians here should follow their faith, we have no objection. But if you disturb public order, damage beliefs, the fate of the drug trade, this,' Jain concluded, “will not be accepted,” referring to the church's alleged contribution to the “drug business” in the district.

In their complaint to the deputy commissioner of Dima Hasao, the three Christian organisations - United Christian Forum of Dima Hasao, United Christian Forum of Karbi Anglong and Assam Christian Forum - attack the radical Hindu leader. He allegedly used the ‘beautiful occasion’ promoted to honour the memory of Joya Thaosen, a revered freedom fighter ‘respected’ by all communities, as a platform ‘to smear and spit venom against the Christian community’.

They go on to say that Jain's ‘baseless accusations’ ‘are not only damaging, but appear to be deliberate’ to denigrate a reality that has made great contributions in ‘education, health, social welfare, literature, media, research, relief and sustainable development’.

Jain's insinuations about the Church's involvement in ‘illegal activities’ are ‘unfounded, unacceptable’ and ‘threaten to create mistrust, undermine unity and damage inclusiveness that is crucial for peaceful coexistence and progress’ in India and Assam.

The organisations concluded the note by urging the authorities to ‘take action against Jain under the national law and the provisions of the Constitution for his demeaning remarks, which have the religious sentiments of the entire Christian community’.

On 29 October, the United Christian Forum of Dima Hasao (Ucfd) had issued a statement to the media condemning the ‘prominent’ Vhp leader for his ‘derogatory and hateful comments’. Branding Jain's statement as an ‘abuse of freedom of speech and expression’, the forum recalls that the Church has always ‘fought for a drug-free society through the Bible's teachings on sobriety, self-control and the harmful effect of intoxicant abuse. The Church,' the note concludes, ’in no way condones the use and sale of drugs or any intoxicating substance by its members.'