The Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today assured the Christian community of complete religious freedom to them to propagate their religious activities in the state. Presiding over a high level meeting with the delegation of the Christian Community led by the Chairman of the Punjab State Minorities Commission Mr. Munawar Masih here at Punjab Bhawan this evening, the Chief Minister reiterated his commitment to give due respect to all the religions in the state on one hand and maintain peace, communal harmony and universal brotherhood on the other.
Responding to a issue raised by the Christian community regarding the illegal possession of their property across the state, the Chief Minister asked the DGP to chalk out a time bound action program to get these religious places, churches and educational institutions of Christians community vacated from the illegal occupation and the possession forthwith and should be handed over the rightful and legal owners of Christian community. The Chief Minister also asked the DGP to look into the incident of the damage cause to the Church at Amritsar and asked the Deputy Commissioner Amritsar to get the damaged portion of Church repair at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the DGP assured the Chief Minister that he would get the entire matter examined in a fair and transparent manner and ensure that the possession of the properties and religious institutions including Churches was restored to the lawful owners at Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ajnala, Gurdaspur, Batala, Jalandhar, Moga and Zira.Mr. Badal also asked the Christian community to arrange suitable land on their own for the construction of ‘Masih Bhawan’ at Jalandhar and the state government would provide the requisite funds for its construction. Mr. Badal also directed the Chief Administrator GMADA to immediately complete the modalities for the construction of burial ground at Mohali over the land of 2.75 acre and further instructed him to pide the plot equally between Christian and Muslim communities for the burial ground by erecting separate boundary walls.
Badal also asked the Principal Secretary Home for the formulation of rules and regulations for the functioning of the members of the Minorities Commission at the earliest and he promised to draft rules within a month.Expressing gratitude to the Chief Minister, Mr. Masih urged the Chief Minister to ask all the Deputy Commissioner in the state for the formation of ‘Mohalla Peace Committees’ with the representatives of all the communities especially the minorities as its members to ensure peaceful and congenial atmosphere in the state. Such committees should be formed at district as well as block level, which would not only ensure communal harmony, peace and brotherhood but also instill a sense of religious tolerance and sense of belongingness amongst the communities of different religions and faith on the other.Prominent among the others who attended the meeting, former Minister Mr. Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Principal Secretary Home Mr. DS Bains, DGP Punjab Mr. Sumedh Singh Saini, Financial Commissioner Rural Development & Panchayats Mr. Mandeep Singh Sandhu and Director Rural Development & Panchayats Mr. Kamal Chaudary.