5 Point Attention Letter submitted to the Home Minister:

Kathmandu, January 7-

An attention letter to the Home Minister has been submitted, calling for immediate redress of the unjust arrest of pastors, attacks on churches, hate speeches on social media, arrest and deportation of tourists and foreigners, easing up church registration as religious trust, and amending the constitution and laws true to a non-partisan state, among others.

The delegation has been well-received both by the Home Minister, as well as by the faith community, for the timely and relevant points and approach. Yet, the underlying discontent by the Minister and his advising the community to be self-contained and not be involved in evangelism is contrary to the spirit of their faith, and the Great Commission and Commandment of the Lord, one of the delegates clarified.

A team of eights delegates consisting of Nepal Christian Society’s Religious Liberty Commission, Advocates, Civic Concern Nepal representative, coordinated by MP Shanti BK, and accompanied by NCS staff Shobit saw the Home Minister Hon’ble Ramesh Lekhak on January 6, Monday at his office at Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, concerning the arrests of pastors and evangelists and attacks on churches.

Minister Lekhak received the letter, and asked for a point-wise briefing, which Bidur Adhikari a member of the delegate provided, touching on the core grave issues. Receiving the Letter and listening to the briefing, the Home Minister acknowledged that the Christian community is a peaceful and a gentle one; yet he questioned if their zeal for evangelism and mass conversion was not resulting in lured conversion. In a fun way, he advised the community to exercise their faith, and not to make mass conversion efforts.

The last weeks have been tumultuous in terms of sudden rise in attacks and persecution on the minority faith, even as Christians were attacked during the Christmas season.

What are the points covered in the Letter?

• Serious attention has been drawn to the framed arrest and custody of pastor Janmejaya Bhattarai for distributing Christmas gifts to school children and briefly explaining the Christmas message. Full coverage here:
  

  Pastor Bhattarai arrested and court case filed for alleged evangelism at school-

• Similarly, justice is demanded for the Siraha Believers Eastern Church .
• Hateful and incendiary social media postings have created threats to the Christian community as a whole, therefore monitoring and curbing such activities is called for.
• Tourists from the West are dissuaded as they fear being arrested when they join regular weekly church services when they are here in Nepal; it has earned Nepal a bad name internationally.
• The rumor of amendment in the Constitution is concerning; criminalizing provisions of the constitution and the Civil/Criminal Codes should be amended to reflect the inclusive and secular nature of the state.
• Registration of churches as religious trust should be made practical; fees and taxes made nominal.

Receiving the letter of attention, the Home Minister said that since Nepali Congress is a democratic party, he is always in favor of democracy as a minister of that party. Since secularism is an important part of democracy, the state should treat all religious communities equally and expressed its commitment to the same. Himself a senior Advocate, seasoned politician and constitutional theorist, Home Minister Lekhak acknowledged the non-partisan nature of the State, the Christians as the most gentle and peaceful people; yet he jibed at the alleged “evangelistic zeal” of the Christian community, and advised them to be restrained. He said he would look into the matter closely, and do whatever can be done to redress the grievances.

The delegation has been well-received both by the Home Minister, as well as by the faith community, for the timely and relevant points and approach. Yet, the underlying discontent by the Minister and his advising the community to be self-contained and not be involved in evangelism is contrary to the spirit of their faith, and the Great Commission and Commandment of the Lord, one of the delegates clarified.