Indian Christians resist planned Church demolition

Christian religious and community leaders met with government officials in the western Indian city of Pune on April 20 to resist a move to demolish a Pentecostal Church after it was marked as an “unauthorized structure.”

Christians formed a massive human chain and stopped the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) from carrying out the demolition of the Shiloh Church of Christ on April 17.

Pastor Robin Mahadkar of Shiloh Church of Christ told UCA News on April 19 that a team of pastors, legal advisors, and local leaders was expected to meet the officials to urge the withdrawal of the demolition notice.
Founded in 1999, the Church has conducted religious services and community welfare programs for all faiths without any hassles, he said.

“The sudden demolition notice has come as a shock, but we are receiving strong support from all communities. We are in lawful possession of the property for three decades,” Mahadkar said.

The pastor said they have submitted an application to the PCB, urging it to allow the church to complete all legal formalities.

The application has also appealed to the PCB to reconsider and revise the demolition order issued for the church boundary points/structures and grant a stay on any demolition activity until the documents are verified and a joint survey is conducted, Mahadkar noted.

Rohan Gayakwad, a lay leader of the church, said the church premises, including the community hall, are part of a 19-acre (7.68 hectares) Poona Christian Cemetery Society, handed over to the community during the British colonial rule in the 18th century.

Suhas Patre, another leader of the church, said over 1,000 angry Christians and others spontaneously gathered at the site of the church on April 17 as the word spread about the impending demolition.

He said the church has been carrying out religious worship services, social services, and community support activities like de-addiction awareness and counselling programs for the youth.

Tosif Shaikh, a legal counsel for the Shiloh Church of Christ, said that though the PCB’s demolition notice was dated March 23, it was received only on April 13, leaving little time to respond by the church authorities.

He said the sudden move had created fear among the Christian community, and he questioned the real intent behind the action

PCB CEO Vidyadhar Pawar said when its demolition team went to the spot to demolish the ‘unauthorized structure,’ they found a large crowd gathered there.

“We decided to temporarily stop the demolition to prevent any law-and-order situation,” he said.

This article was originally published on https://www.ucanews.com/news/indian-christians-resist-planned-church-demolition/112905