GUWAHATI:
The Assam Police continued its survey on various churches and their activities in different parts of the state despite Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assuring the Christian community that the state government did not want any survey on the church activities in the state.
Such police surveys on churches, their activities and harassment in Golaghat district have prompted United Christian Forum (UCF) to move the chief minister seeking his intervention in the matter.
However, the police has denied conducting such surveys on churches and Christians in the district. “No survey was conducted on churches,” said Dipak Tamuly, deputy superintendent of police, Golaghat district.
In a memorandum to the chief minister, UCF president Jiden Aind and secretary Leader Toppo wrote, “We bring to your kind notice the grievances of the Christian community of Golaghat district.”
“Since January 2, some police personnel under the superintendent of police of Golaghat district have been coming to a collection of information about various churches, their activities, and the leaders involved in at various times of the day or night or through mobile phones or WhatsApp messages urgently. Such collection of filtered information about various churches and Christian community has disturbed and harassed mentally the peaceful existence of the community.
“Therefore, we humbly request you to kindly intervene and address our grievances. As a peace-loving and swerving community we assure you to abide by the constitutional guarantees,” the memorandum stated.
Golaghat superintendent of police Ramandeep Kaur was not available for comment.
Notably, a letter was issued by the superintendent of police of the Special Branch of Assam Police on December 16 asking all SPs to furnish information on the allotment of land to these churches, key persons associated with these churches, instances of conversion in the last six years, community and other patterns of religious conversion and the prime factors for such conversions.
The SPs have been asked to submit their report along with suggestions on “countermeasures” on religious conversion by December 22.
However, on December 24, the Assam chief minister had said that he “completely disassociated” himself from the letter.
“I think we should not ask for information like there are how many churches in Assam. This might hurt the sentiments of a particular community. We should avoid all such things. I do not know in what context the SP had issued the letter. I have already asked DGP to inquire and take corrective measures because in Assam we want to live in peace and harmony,” Sarma had said.
“We do not want to offend the religious sentiments of any community. In short, I completely disassociate from the letter. It was never discussed in the government forum. The letter is wholly unwarranted,” the chief minister had said.
He had said there is a distinction between forceful conversion and otherwise. He said Assam does not have a law to regulate conversion.
“Normally such letters go from the home department or the DGP if at all the government wants to issue such letters. But this letter has gone from the table of an SP of the Special Branch,” the CM had said.
“Let me check as to why it was issued. I want to clarify the position of the state government that we don’t want any survey on any religious institutions,” he added.
There are more than 3 lakh Christians in Golaghat district with 300 churches of various denominations.
“Police officers came to various churches and asked for information. Most of the churches of Morongi revenue circle have witnessed such an experience. We are simple and peace-loving people. We have nothing to so with such a police survey,” Jiden Aind, president UCF, Golaghat District Committee, said.
Earlier, there were reports of police personnel harassing church leaders in Majuli seeking information on church formation and “religious conversion”.