Bangiya Christiya Parisheba (BCP), a church body in Kolkata, had alleged that a mob of over 50, claiming affiliation with Bajrang Dal, attacked Dekhali Church and Mission under Khejuri PS last month
Prayer services have allegedly been disrupted and churches vandalised in West Midnapore, North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Bolpur, Nadia and Kolkata’s Haridevpur. Therefore, I told church bodies to maintain daily parishioner records and update them regularly so that, if needed, they can present updated documentation.
Speaking at the first-anniversary celebrations of his tenure as the 16th moderator of the Church of North India (CNI) at St Paul’s Cathedral Church, the bishop said church bodies should maintain records to address allegations if the need arose. Talking to TOI later, he said, “We received reports of a few incidents, but the situation was brought under control by the local administration in each case. Calling for unity among Christians, Canning said, “We need to stay united. However, if the govt issues an order, there is little to say,” he said. “Every church body has to be self-reliant and create its own funds,” he said. Reflecting on his first year as moderator, Canning said criticism and daily challenges had not deterred him from his goal of serving society better. Please set a target, otherwise, you cannot grow,” he said.
There was some confusion regarding conversion, but we have been trying to clarify that we never conduct conversions, as it is not an easy task. I urge everyone to maintain peace. Bangiya Christiya Pariseba has also sought chief minister Suvendu Adhikari’s intervention to stop the attacks. They may not bother about Christians, but we need to come together and raise our voice for peace in the country. “As citizens of this country, we are bound by law. The Supreme Court also did not direct us to sing the religious stanzas of the song. The bishop also called on church missions to become financially self-reliant rather than depend on foreign aid. “People may cheat you or blame you, but that should never stop you from achieving your targets.
Earlier, Canning felicitated Bengal higher education minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay and Cossipore-Belgachia MLA Ritesh Tiwari, who briefly attended the celebrations.