By Matters India Reporter
Vijayawada, Nov 20, 2018: Christians in twin Telugu states have demanded laws to check increasing attacks on the community.
Leaders of the Federation of Telugu Churches (FTC), an apex body of the mainline Churches in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, made this demand in a memorandum submitted to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
The Andhra Pradesh government on November 17 organized an interaction between Naidu and Church representatives at Praja Vedika, the chief minister’s residence, an FTC press release said on November 20.
The Church leaders, led by FTC president Bishop F. Paradeshi Babu, applauded Naidu’s commitment in championing the cause of secularism, democracy, and for protecting the rights of religious minorities especially Christians.
They also thanked him for various welfare and development projects Naidu implemented through the A.P. State Christian (Minority) Finance Corporation and other government agencies.
The Christian leaders pointed out that their minority community contributes more than 25 percent charitable services to society.
They urged the chief minister to take immediate steps to address the Christians urgent concerns so that they could continue to serve society in a more effective manner.
They want Naidu to pressure the federal government to extent Scheduled Caste status to Christians and Muslims of Dalit origin to enable them avail statutory benefits.
“Kindly write a letter to this effect to Honourable Prime Minister urging him to delete the unconstitutional and discriminatory Para 3 of Constitution (Presidential) Order 19 of 1950,” they pleaded.
The Church leaders also the Andhra chief minister to get “Prevention of Communal Violence Act” and “Prevention of Minorities Atrocities Act” enacted to prevent attacks on Christians, pastors and their institutions.
Another demand was to strengthen the state Christian (Minority) Finance Corporation allocating 50 percent funds and schemes under the Minority Welfare budget to the Christian Minority.
The memorandum also pleaded for distribution of land and construction of houses for Dalit Christians. It urged the government to resume the grant-in-aid to the Church-run educational Institutions and fill-up the vacant aided teachers’ posts.