With the protest against the CAA, NPR and NRC spreading across the country, taking violent turn in Delhi and other places, the Christians have joined the movement opposing the new citizenship rules and the proposed 2021 census.
The Federation of Telugu Churches, represented by the heads of Christian groups across the two Telugu States, including the Pope-led Roman Catholic Mission, condemned the Central government’s decision to collect peoples’ data as part of the 2021 census.
The federation had strongly condemned the initiative of the Central government and the new questions included in the data collection process to determine the citizens of India.
The federation executive director Dr Anthoniraj Thumma and former IAS officer B Danam, in a joint statement, said that the federation had strongly condemned the modified norms of the CAA, NPR and NRC, and had rejected its implementation in the two Telugu States.
The federation also appealed to the chief ministers of the two Telugu states to reject these new citizenship census.
The federation blamed the Central government for dividing the citizens in the name of faith, which was against the basic principle of Constitution giving equal rights to the people.
The federation felt that it was the responsibility of the government to prevent infiltration and migration of people to the country. However, the government, while escaping from its duty, is trying to discriminate people in the name of new citizenship laws.
The federation took strong exception to the move as it deprives the people of the constitutional rights including reservations and other benefits.
The new rule also victimizes the poor who migrate to various places in search of livelihood and who live in thatched houses which often are washed out in floods and fire accidents.
The federation of churches also made an appeal to the Central government and the state governments to withdraw the new citizenship laws while taking up the 2021 census.
