Police ‘barging into churches’ to collect info: Christian group writes to DC in Assam district

A Christian group in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district Tuesday alleged that police personnel were entering churches and collecting information, prompting the Assam police to clarify that this is part of an effort to ensure security of Christian institutions following a slew of threats in February.

On Tuesday, the United Christian Forum of Diphu in Karbi Anglong wrote to the District Commissioner, alleging “unprecedented random collection of data of churches and its adherents” by police over the past week.They alleged that police personnel have been “barging into the Church premises” in Diphu town, taking photos and asking questions about the churches “without prior intimation and official instruction”. This, they said, has caused “panic and fear psychosis to the public”.

Writing that “unwarranted obtrusion without proper official order” has affected the sentiments of people, the group requested that the exercise be called off.Later on Tuesday, the Superintendent of Karbi Anglong said that police have been compiling a list of all Christian institutions in the district in line with the directions from the Assam Police headquarters to ensure safety and security of the institutions.
In a statement, the SP said that these instructions were issued to all Superintendents of Police after the Assam Catholic Educational Trust wrote to the Director General of Police expressing concern over the safety of Christian institutions and personnel in February.

The Indian Express had earlier reported that a radical Hindu group in Assam had issued a public threat to missionary schools across the state to remove religious iconography and chapels from their premises, leading to concern among principals and church bodies in the state.The bodies had raised concerns with authorities at different levels, and principals of missionary schools across the state had written to their local police asking for protection and intervention against untoward incidents.

This article is originally published on https://indianexpress.com/article/india/police-barging-into-churches-to-collect-info-christian-group-writes-to-dc-in-assam-district-9329185/