The BJP in Mizoram had, a few days ago, formed the cell to collect data on the community and connect with Mizos beyond the State.

A Christian organisation in the northeast, has questioned the motive behind the creation of a ‘Christian missionary cell’ at a time when the Centre is pushing an education policy to “homogenise Indian society.”

The BJP in Mizoram had, a few days ago, formed the cell to collect data on the community and connect with Mizos beyond the State. The church leaders felt that little respect was being shown to the autonomy of individual States.

“Those who work for the dominant party are formed into a Christian Missionary Cell, whose mission will be to collect data about Christian activities and pass it on to their opponents who wish to undermine the unity of the Christian service in the northeast,” the Assam Christian Forum said in a statement issued by its spokesperson Allen Brooks.

The forum had convened a meeting on July 26 to discuss the “haste with which the Centre is trying to press an unstudied and un-reflected education policy” on the people of the country.

Leaders from the Catholic Church, Church of North India, Council of Baptist Churches, Church of North East India, Presbyterian Church of India, Lutheran Church and other Christian organisations attended the meeting.

The church leaders felt that little respect was being shown to the autonomy of individual States and to their concern for preserving their identity and cultural heritage. They felt there was a planned strategy to homogenise Indian society, ignoring regional diversity and inherited ways of passing on the heirloom of centuries to the next generation.

They also felt that a carefully formulated strategy was in play to undermine the immense contribution in the field of education, and for weakening the efforts of minority groups and smaller communities to lift themselves up from their humbler positions. If implemented, the education policy in the works will ensure that no one from the lower ranks will ever be able to go beyond their assigned level, they added.

The gathering also took note of planned effort on the part of the ruling dispensation to divide the existing Christian communities.

“Dissent is being systematically sponsored, fragmentation is encouraged, irritant cells are being planted to as many Church groups are possible,” the forum said.