Shillong, Jan 4: Thma U Rangli-Juki (TUR) took objection to the statement of Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma that Meghalaya’s first government established Capt. Williamson Sangma University will be consecrated by an exclusive massive Christian prayer service and gathering because Meghalaya is a Christian state.
In a statement issued on Saturday, TUR leader Angela Rangad said first, Meghalaya may be a state where majority of its population practises various forms of Christian religion but that in itself does not make it a Christian state. Second, the state and its institutions in India as per the Constitution are secular bodies that keep equidistance from various religious groups. “Mr. Rakkam’s statement goes against the constitutional values of secularism enshrined in the Indian constitution”, she said.
“Third, the publicly funded state university should be free from religious influence of any kind to be able to prosper and provide free, fair and quality education for all. Meghalaya is home to people of various faiths, including followers of indigenous faith like Songsarek, Niamtre and Niam Khasi. Mr. Rakkam Sangma’s ignorant statement as the Education minister blatantly creates discriminatory conditions for Meghalaya’s other religions. It is true that at the Union level , the Government led by Mr. Narendra Modi of the BJP has been actively seeking to blur the distinction between Hindu faith and state institutions. We remember the entry of Hindu religious leaders and rituals carried out by them for the inauguration of the new Parliament building. But political morality means that one should not encourage competing religious fundamentalism as Mr. Sangma seems to be doing. TUR wants to remind Mr. Rakkam Sangma that he has taken an oath to protect the Indian Constitution and its values and his toxic fundamentalist statement goes against his constitutional oath. The planned service should be immediately stopped and the Minister should retract his discriminatory statement”, Angela added.
TUR called upon all people’s groups and political parties to condemn Mr. Sangma’s fundamentalist statement and work together to protect and defend India’s constitutional values.
