They said while
they were not against separate statehood for Telangana, they would
like their concerns to be addressed and given assurances about their
role and rights in the new state.
G. David Shant Raj,
chairman of the Global Alliance Christian Leaders, said Union Home
Minister P. Chidambaram, who has convened a meeting of all political
parties Jan 5, should also invite Christian leaders for talks.
“We want to share
our views. We want to know what will be the share of Christians in
the power, what will be done for their safety and security?” he
said.
In view of the
attacks on Christians during the ongoing agitation for Telangana,
the Christian leaders apprehend that communal forces could
strengthen in the new state.
“There have been at
least 32 incidents of attacks on churches, pastors and Christians
during the last one month,” he said, blaming the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP) and its students’s wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi
Parishad (ABVP) for the attacks.
He referred to the
attack on the house of M.D. Christopher, secretary of the Andhra
Pradesh state council for higher education, on the Osmania
University campus and transfer of Deputy Commissioner of Police
Stephen Ravindra for alleged use of excessive force on university
students.
Another leader John
Ravinder said Christians were warned against conducting midnight
prayers on Dec 31.
Christians
constitute about two percent of the total population in the
Telangana region, which comprises 10 districts, including Hyderabad.