Posted by: "guite james" tguitejames@yahoo.com tguitejames
Wed Jun 13, 2007 5:09 pm (PST)
An Open LetterJune 12, 2007Dr K.Thanzava Abulukhus Baptist Church of Mizoram P.O. Box 60 Serkawn HebronZotlang – 79661 New LamkaMizoram. 795128 Manipur.Re : Kind Immediate intervention to bring amicable and lasting solution of the incident of Christian persecution inflicted against our Baptist Christian brothers and sister who are members of Evangelical Baptist Convention Church at Nausel, Mizoram.- Prayer Regarding.Dear Dr. K. Thanzava:Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ.It has painfully been brought to our attention that member of our Evangelical Baptist Convention Church at Nausel were severely persecuted, socially boycotted and prohibited to hold public worship at their own church by our Christian brothers and sisters of the same faith particularly who are in Nausel village and generally Christians who are in their surrounding area. The chronology of their persecution and social boycotting activities by accusing them that they belong to Paite tribe and NOT Mizo tribe is as follows.* 1994 – April 16, 2006 : Nausel Evangelical Baptist Convention Church began ChristianWorship and fellowship in Paite language.* April 23, 2006 : Church services commenced.* June 30, 2006 : EBC church members at Nausel are disowned by Nausel YMA, Nausel, Branch.* Nov 5, 2006 : Sakawrhmuituai YMA group conference makes known its disapproval of the establishment of Evangelical Baptist Baptist Convention Church at Nausel, Mizoram.* May 6, 2007 : Sihphir vengthar village council issues quit notice to EBC church Members with May 10 as deadline.* May 10, 2007 : Nausel villagers and EBC Church members to come to an Agreement to live in peace and harmony.* May 20, 2007 : Sihphir Vengthar Village Council says it did not recognize the Agreement.* May 23, 2007 : Police got involved urging that respect be shown to respective Churches, Khamkhanmawi EBC Church leader forcibly evicted from village at night by the Village Council but brought back by the police at night.* May 24, 2007 : Khamkhanmawi beaten up and evicted from village once again by Village Council along with female church leader Ningzaniang in the morning. Victims filed FIR withBawngkawn Police at night.The case is still pending and Evangelical Baptist Convention Church at Nausel is not allowed to meet in Church for public worship, except house devotional family alter.We, the members of Evangelical Baptist Convention are deeply pained at heart to know that members of Evangelical Baptist Convention Church at Nausel are facing a great persecution,ostracization and social boycotting action inflicted by our Christian brothers and sisters of Nausel Village and surrounding areas in Mizoram where we have the highest percentage of Christian population for a simple reason that they belong to Paite Tribe and NOT to the Mizo tribe. In fact Paite is one of the tribes of Mizo tribe called Zonahthlak. It is a very shameful incident for Zo tribe Christians because this kind of brutal and merciless behavior of Christians against their own brothers and sisters of the same faith having rarely took place even among the non Christian areas under the secular and independent free state of India. And more alarming for those members of Evangelical Baptist Convention Church in Mizoram is that for a simple reason that they do not named as Mizo tribe BUT Paite tribe, though they are one of the Zonahthlaks, a descendent of Zo father, they will be persecuted, ostracized and socially boycotted in Mizoram state and they will not even beallowed to profess their faith and worship their living and true God as Christians in the midst of the highly percentage of Christian population and under the able Christian leaders of both Presbyterian Church and Mizoram Baptist Church.Therefore, my primary concern and greatest desire is that the minority Baptist Christians at Nausel village be protected and given the privilege to exercise their right of freedom to religion and profession of faith as guaranteed by the constitution of the secular , independent and free state of India.Therefore, Dear Dr. Thansauva, as a leader of Baptist Church of Mizoram and Baptist World Alliance, I would like to request you to kindly take steps immediately to bring peace and harmony in the village, who are in the midst of the highest percentage of Christian population in the state of Mizoram for a permanent solution of the kind problem in Mizoram in and for the sake of the saving name and blood of Jesus Christ, Our Lord.Bless be the tie that binds…. Our hearts in Christian love………..With Much Prayers and yours in the bonds of Christ,Rev Dr KamkhanthangCommission Member onBaptist World Aid andFreedom and Justice CommissionBaptist World AllianceCopy to : The Rev . L . KhamkholunGeneral Secretary, Evangelical Baptist ConventionP.O . Box 6, Dorcas’ Hall, New Lamka,Manipur –m795128 (INDIA)James Thang guite186 Caribou RoadNorth York, ONwww.thangguite. multiply. com
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