Over 200 Christian leaders from across India, among them philosophers, theologians, former officials, academics and lawyers, have condemned the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, and the State violence unleashed on youth and civil society activists protesting the legislation’s targeting of a single community.
The signatories include Fr George Pattery SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia, eminent philosopher TK John, human rights activist John Dayal, Evangelical Fellowship of India General Secretary Rev Vijayesh Lal, academicians Michael Williams, Annie Koshi, Sunny Jacob, Denzil Fernandez, former member of Delhi Minorities Commission AC Michael, theologians John Chathanatt, CB Samuel, Rajah Chellamani and lawyers Jose Chiramel, PI Jose and Pramod Singh.
The statement condemned the brutal repression by the police and para-military forces of peaceful democratic protests by youth and students of various cities and universities in India, especially Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University.
“We express our solidarity with the students and others who have been grievously injured and pray for their speedy recovery,” the statement said.
The statement continued, “Ever since the new Government was elected in May 2019, there have been several controversial legislations passed by the Parliament that have led to the collapse of the democratic institutions of India, which have been carefully and painstakingly built by enlightened leaders over the last seven decades.”
It said “the CAA 2019 militates against the very Preamble of the Constitution of India. The President, Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, members of Parliament and the Council of Ministers are sworn to defend the Constitution. The new law is deeply divisive, discriminatory and violative of human rights. In particular, this legislation discriminates against Muslim communities in India, who constitute over 14 per cent of the population of India, and therefore, it is totally unacceptable in a secular democratic republic of India.
“The letter and spirit the Constitution, framed by men and women who had participated in the freedom struggle, cannot be thrown out at the whims of a particular ideology. We are deeply saddened at the haste in which the President of India gave his assent,” the statement added.
Read the full statement below:
Concerned Christian Citizens’ Statement on Citizen’s Amendment Act 2019
We, the citizens of India belonging to various Christian denominations, express our solidarity with the enlightened youth and people of India in their struggle to preserve the rich heritage of the values of the Constitution of India by peacefully expressing their dissent and protest against the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019.
We condemn the brutal repression by the police and para-military forces on peaceful democratic protests by youth and students of various cities and Universities in India, especially Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University. Innocent lives have been lost, and many young persons injured. We express our solidarity with the students and others who have been grievously injured and pray for their speedy recovery.
We note that ever since the new Government was elected in May 2019, there have been several controversial legislations passed by the Parliament that have led to the collapse of the democratic institutions of India which have been carefully and painstakingly built by enlightened leaders over the last seven decades.
We are also concerned that the misplaced priorities of the Government are leading to a serious economic crisis causing a lot of suffering for the poor and marginalised sections of society.
The CAA 2019 militates against the very Preamble of the Constitution of India. The President, Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India, members of Parliament and the Council of Ministers are sworn to defend the Constitution. The new law is deeply divisive, discriminatory and violative of human rights. In particular, this legislation discriminates against Muslim communities in India, who constitute over 14 per cent of the population of India, and therefore, it is totally unacceptable in a secular democratic republic of India.
We are appalled that a majority of members in both Houses of Parliament rushed through in voting the highly contentious CAA 2019 without paying sufficient attention to the concerns of the people of India. We are even more appalled that several political parties have had no qualms about passing a law that goes against the spirit of the Constitution of India and the good of the people who elected them just over six months ago.
The letter and spirit of the Constitution, framed by men and women who had participated in the freedom struggle, cannot be thrown out at the whims of a particular ideology. We are deeply saddened at the haste in which the President of India gave his assent to the controversial piece of legislation. The people at large have been denied an opportunity for citizens to convey him their serious concerns over the CAA 2019. At all stages, there patently has been a serious lack in application of mind to the ramifications of enacting such a law. A law can be just only when it preserves the common good. A law that discriminates against a particular section of people abdicates its moral legitimacy.
The CAA 2019 cannot be seen in isolation. It has to be seen in the light of the National Register of Citizenship (NRC), an attempt to target minority communities under the guise of identifying illegal immigrants. All these are aimed at polarising communities in the name of religion, excluding the minorities and making a majoritarian, theocratic hegemony.
The failed and futile exercise undertaken in Assam is being planned to be undertaken across the country at enormous cost. Rather than identifying illegal immigrants, the exercise has stripped genuine Indian citizens of their citizenship and torn families apart due to their inability to produce documents of ancestry or even due to spelling mistakes in their identity cards. It is extremely shameful for a patriotic citizen of India that even a brave decorated former Indian soldier and Kargil war hero, Mr Mohammad Sanaullah, has been declared an illegal immigrant by the flawed NRC process and incarcerated in detention camps.
We join the citizens of India, who are vehemently opposing, resisting and protesting against CAA 2019, NRC and the construction of detention camps. We humbly appeal to all political parties and members of Parliament to hear the cries of the citizens of India who have elected them and repeal the CAA 2019, scrap the pan India NRC and stop the construction of detention/concentration camps at the earliest.
Signed
- George Pattery, New Delhi
- John Dayal, New Delhi
- Denzil Fernandes, New Delhi
- A C Michael, New Delhi
- Sunny Jacob, New Delhi
- T K John, New Delhi
- John Chathanatt, New Delhi
- Michael Williams, New Delhi
- Dr Sunil Gokavi, New Delhi
- Pastor Benjamin David
- CB & Selina Samuel, Delhi
- Malathi Khawas Delhi
- Kavita Samuel Christian, Delhi
- Sanjiv & Susheela Ailawadi Delhi
- Daniel Titus, Delhi
- Dr Bonnie Miriam Jacob, Delhi
- Dr Joy Pachuua, Delhi
- Lozaanba Khumbah
- Samir Deokuliar
- Shovit Hansdha, Dehra Dun
- Prateek David Kashyap, Gurgaon
- Aaradhana Ram Kashyap, Gurgaon
- Ajitha Singh, Chennai
- Preeti Singh, Chennai’
- Dexter Sam, Chennai
- Anand Zachariah, Christian medical college Vellore
- Dr Santhosh Mathew Thomas, Raxaul
- Caleb Neopaney, Delhi
- Rachel Jeyaraj, Chennai
- Vivek Gordon, Bangalore
- Dr Pradeep Ninan, Goa
- Josiah Ralte, Bengaluru
- Susan Gordon, Bengaluru
- David Dayalan, Gurgaon
- Anita Dayalan, Gurgaon
- Jo Zach, Gurgaon
- Sheena Rani, Vishakapatnam
- Dr Sam David, Vellore
- Sarah David, Vellore
- Dr Grace Vikram, Ranchi
- Laji Paul, Delhi
- Ebenezer Augustine, MAI, Bangalore
- Paul Aswan, Chennai
- Silas Wungrampha (Graham), Delhi
- Jessie Lionel, Vellore
- Alfred Ling, Chennai
- Rachel Richard, Chennai
- Finney Chellakumar, Hyderabad
- Dr Abhijeet Sangma , Delhi
- Dr Moanarola Ao, Delhi
- Anuvinda Varkey, Delhi
- Dr Peppin, Bhubaneswar
- Billy, Salem
- K M Joy, Bengaluru
- Anoop James, Bengaluru
- Christina Pradhan, Delhi
- Benita Paul, Gurgaon
- Karan Dua, Delhi
- Deepak Deshmukh, Tezpur
- Ritesh Sarkar, Calcutta
- Abul Kalam Azad, Kolkata
- Mr Proshanto Baroi, Kolkata
- Anita Soans Nunes, Bombay
- Matthew Varughese, Delhi
- Satish Simon, Delhi
- Shantanu Dutta, Delhi
- Rachna Mehra Delhi
- Dr Sunita Abraham, Bangalore
- Lalruatliana, Delhi
- Dr Rozamliani, Delhi
- Temsubenla Lanu , Mumbai
- Ashwin Andrew, Mumbai
- Dr Monica Thomas Neurologist, New Delhi
- Daniel Ratna Khawas, Delhi
- Rajiv Choudhrie, Madhya Pradesh
- Dr John Oommen, Bissamcuttack, Odisha
- Christopher and Mary Peter, Delhi
- William, Visakhapatnam
- Andrew Clarance, Delhi
- Arun kadambavanam, Delhi
- Raja Chellamani, Delhi
- Dr Sharon Lionel, Vellore
- Vijay Alexander, Bengaluru
- Sasi Kumar, Delhi
- Sheena Ebenezer, Raxaul
- Paul Swarup
- Bency Vinitha Chhatria, Vellore
- Arpit Waghmare, Bengaluru
- Maria Jones, Chennai
- Rohit Jones, Chennai
- Shirley Dickens
- Bina Vijay
- Lakshmaiah Vempati Das, Tendukheda, Damoh Dist MP
- Anita Collins and Darryl Collins, Vishakapatnam AP
- James Arputharaj, South Asian Federalusts
- Manav, Delhi
- Shobana Vetrivel, New Delhi
- Benita Sharon, Chennai
- Dr Ajit, Mathura
- Godwin Nickelson, Tamilnadu
- Ashish Chrispal, Bengaluru
- Andrew John, Chennai
- Beulah Jayakumar, New Delhi
- Mercy John, Bissamcuttack, Odisha
- Rabindran David Shelley, Delhi
- Rimawii, Delhi
- Lalrinmawii, Delhi
- Luni, Delhi
- Elizabeth Lalnunmawii, Delhi
- Biakteii, Delhi
- Sam Thomas, Delhi
- Royce Abraham, Gajapathi Dist
- Lydia Royce, Gajapathi Dist
- Dr Deena Sangeetha, Chennai
- Manoj Lakhanpal, Delhi
- Nikhil Jha, Bengaluru
- Kenei, Nagaland
- Raaj Mondol
- Sam Rao, Goa
- Akshay and Shruti Rajkumar
- Umesh Banerjee, NOIDA
- Daniel Kumar, Delhi
- Jacob, Verghese, Delhi
- Herald, Erode
- Tharyan Koshi, Vellore
- Dr Priya John, Delhi
- George Koshi, Delhi
- E K Koshi, Delhi
- Shirin Koshi, Delhi
- Annie Koshi, Delhi
- Vinee Koshi, Delhi
- Tasha Koshi, Delhi
- Nitin Koshi, Delhi
- Tania Koshi, Delhi
- Nishant Abraham, Delhi
- Aleesha Koshi, Delhi
- Viji Venkatesan, Vellore
- Mr. Mohit Bagh, Jagdalpur
- Vikram Kumar Tirkey, Ranchi
- Neeraj Minz, Ranchi
- Aruna Khalkho, Ranchi
- KR Moses- Gurgaon
- Stuti Das – Gurgaon
- Michael & Grace, Delhi
- Seth Vedantham, Chennai
- Katty Vedantham, Chennai
- Dr P Zechariah, Vellore
- Vidhya Christian, Chennai
- Glenn Carr, Chennai
- Pramod Singh
- Harry Pereira
- Dr Rajesh Malaki, FGC, Jaipur
- T Hubertson
- A L Mary
- Stephen Ronojit Sen
- Stephen George Zachariah
- Blessy Sudarsan
- Jose Chiramnel
- Walter J Maben
- B Balakrishnan
- Timothy Moses
- A Chinnappan
- Joy Christina
- Zelhou Keyho
- N Paphino
- Atungo Shitri
- 170 Reni Jacob, Chennai
- Renuka Samson, Chennai
- Drusilla Dhanraj, Chennai
- Lalrinmwaii Fanai, Mizoram
- James Massey Baptist Church
- Daryl Jude Dick of Gurgaon
- Deenanath Jaiswar, Varanasi
- Sunder Frederick, Chennai
- Bishop Dr C S R Gier
- Rev Vijayesh Lal, New Delhi
- Samresh Nayak
- Petevizo Terhuja
- Sharmila Damle
- Koki Desai
- Sharon Joseph
- Stephen Victor
- Deepak Mukerji, New Delhi
- P I Jose, New Delhi
- Vasu Vittal, Mumbai
- Rahul George, Bangalore
- Dr Rohit Ninan Benjamin, Vellore
- Ashish Ailawadi, Delhi
- KA Jayakumar, New Delhi
- Augustin Devasahayam
- Deepak S Singh
- Dr Jeremiah Veino Dumai, Delhi
- Geeta Paul, Chhattisgarh
- Vidya Paul, Chhattisgarh
- Sarita, Patro
- 200. Dr Pjilip Aexander, Manali
- Nitisha Mohapatra, Delhi
- Sainyam, Delhi
- Neha Grace Angel Kisku
- Dr Tony Abraham, Kotagiri
- Linu Oommen Varghese
- Ravindra Raj, Kolkata