Christian votes in mind, Cong eyes overhaul

India, May 11, 2017: After BJP’s electoral success in some of the northeast states, the Congress is now mulling an organizational overhaul to ensure that religious minorities in the region do not move away with the rise of the saffron party. Targeting to preserve religious minorities’ support, the AICC’s minority department has compiled a report suggesting several measures to strengthen state-level minority cells in the region.

The report, authored by former Assam Congress spokesperson, Rejaul Karim Laskar, has suggested formation of a ‘vigilance committee’ in the minority department of each Pradesh Congress Committee of the region to keep a watch on whether the right to freedom is being violated by right-wing groups in non-Congress-ruled states. The report also suggested that the vigilance committees will also keep watch on whether the governments in non-Congress states are discriminating on religious grounds in their policies or implementation of policies.

The northeast was a veritable citadel for the Congress, but with BJP coming to power in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, the grand old party of the country is in serious introspection mode to check the saffron party’s inroads. Tripura, and the Christian-dominated states Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram go to polls next year.

The report also suggested Christians from the region should be given more representation in the minority department. A senior Congress leader said minority departments in these states have comparatively less Christian representation than non-Christian religious minorities at present.

“In particular, Christians from Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland may be given greater representation in the department than what they have now. Persons belonging to Christian community may be also appointed as chairperson of the minority departments of Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram Pradesh Congress Committees,” the report said.

– times of india