Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC) has expressed dismay over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a nationwide cleanliness drive on October 1 (Sunday)– a day of rest and worship for the Christians, asserting that there should be “no work on Sunday”.
In a statement, CBCC said it lauds the Government of India for any good initiatives, but “abhor the communal attitude at the Centre for constant intentional target against Christian faith and other minority communities.” CBCC said citizens must learn to live together as fellow-human beings with mutual respect for one another by keeping the fabric of secularism in the country.
Stating that cleanliness is an ideal that everyone must advocate regardless of religions, CBCC, however, said that “Cleanliness is not above godliness!”
CBCC, therefore, called upon the Church associations and local churches in Nagaland to boycott the proposed social work on October 1, by instructing their respective members to abstain from the drive as a sign of resentment against the Government of India for “repeated attempt to disrupt Christian faith and practices in the country.”
Further, CBCC appealed to the frontal organizations under its jurisdiction and Christian leaders in general to stand together as Christians in defence of their faith. “We cannot violate the decree of the living God to keep the Sabbath day/Sunday holy (Exodus 20:8). We must obey God rather than human beings (Acts 5:29),” CBCC said and hoped that good sense and peace would prevail among all in the country.