CHANDIGARH SEPTEMBER 23:Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today appealed the members of the Christian community to exercise maximum restraint in such testing circumstances to give a befitting reply to anti-social elements.
Addressing the representatives of different Christian organizations across the state that converged here at Punjab Bhawan to meet him, Mr. Badal assured them that the state government was committed to ensure religious freedom to every section of the society in order to profess its religion or faith without any sense of fear, insecurity or subjugation. He called upon the people belonging to different communities to strengthen the social fabric of our country by displaying the age-old ethos of understanding and good-will as preached by our great gurus, saints and seers. Mr. Badal also underscored the need for religious tolerance, magnanimity and unity in the larger interest of our society. He urged them to maintain peace, amity, and communal harmony at all costs in the society.
The Chief Minister said that there had been unfortunate incidents as an attempt to disturb peace and communal harmony in various parts of the country. He however, said that all out social efforts for safeguarding peace and amity in the country was all the more important and relevant at this critical juncture when the nation was already facing threats to its secular and sovereign character.
Earlier, Munwar Mashi, President of the Punjab Christian Front and Member State Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs apprised the Chief Minister about the grievances of the Christian community. He urged Mr. Badal to give due representation to the representatives of different Christian organizations in the administrative and political set up to instill a feeling of security and belongingness amongst the Christian community. He said that this community was a peace loving and would ever propagate the message of universal brotherhood and communal harmony to strengthen the bonds of national integration and secularism.
Prominent amongst others who were present on the occasion included Advisor to Chief Minister Dr.Daljit Singh Cheema, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister DS Guru besides President Punjab Christian Movement (PCM) Lal Chand, Vice president PCM Jagir Mashi, President PCM and Member State Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs Hamid Masih and Manga Masih, Bishop Charan Masih Ropar, Bishop Emanuel Masih, Amritsar, Bishop Joginder Masih, Batala and Mr.Freddi Joseph, Advisor PCM.