Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: A day after Kummanam Rajasekharan took over as the Governor of Mizoram on Tuesday, a campaign has been launched to drive the “radical Hindu” out of the state.

Rajasekharan, who replaced Lt Gen (retired) Nirbhay Sharma, had earlier served the BJP’s Kerala unit as its chief and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a pracharak.

The anti-corruption organisation-turned-political party, People’s Representation for Identity and Status of Mizoram (PRISM), is spearheading the campaign. It appealed to all church organisations, political parties, NGOs and the people at large to join the campaign to oust the Governor.

“We all know that Mr. Kummanam Rajasekharan was newly sworn in as the Governor of our state. He is well-known for his anti-secularism that goes against the Indian Constitution. He has been a hardcore member of RSS, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Hindu Aikya Vedi; well known as being against Christian missionaries and Christians in general. He was the general convener of Nilakkal Action Council and was directly instrumental in the Nilakkal Hindu-Christian conflict of 1983,” PRISM said in a statement issued jointly by its president Vanlalruata and general secretary Lalrinzuala Chawngthu.

The statement added: “Rajasekharan was also one of the key accused when American Christian missionary, Joseph Cooper, was attacked and injured, and was actively involved in attempting to drive out about 50 Christian missionaries they had listed in 2003. He was the person who had asked the then Governor to take action against the then Chief Secretary when Kerala Chief Secretary delivered God’s word in the bicentenary celebration of Malankara Orthodox Church in 2015”.

Stating that the people of poll-bound Mizoram do not want a person like Rajasekharan as their Governor, PRISM requested church organisations, political parties and NGOs “to take steps to make him leave Mizoram early”.

Rajasekharan’s swearing-in was preceded by protests. At least two organisations – Global Council of Indian Christians and PRISM – voiced their anger over the appointment.

“Ours is a Christian state and he is an RSS activist who is actively involved in various Hindu organisations. Assembly election in Mizoram will be held later this year and we have no doubt his appointment is an election tactic of the BJP. If he is there, the BJP will surely use him in its favour,” Vanlalruata told The New Indian Express.