ICC Note: Christians in the Annanagar District of Tamil Nadu, located in southern India, resisted the demolition of a 50-year-old church last Thursday, August 2. The church was selected for demolition so that a road could be widened. Christians viewed this as another attack on their community and resisted the demolition which is still to be decided in court.
08/06/2018 India (Asia News) – The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) “strongly condemns the demolition of the wing of a church in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, to widen the road surface.” This was stated to Asia News by GCIC President Sajan K George, who denounces yet another episode of discrimination against the Christian minority in India.
The incident occurred on August 2 in the Thangam colony of Anna Nagar district. The buildings involved in the demolition are part of the Emmanuel Church of the Church of South India, the largest Protestant community in the country, and some adjacent houses.
The demolition was carried out by the Department of Public Works of Tamil Nadu, who arrived on board the bulldozers and accompanied by policemen. During the demolition work, a fight broke out between the city administration officials and the residents and Christian faithful.
The Rev. Sam Raj Kumar, pastor of the church, complains that, “The church has been here for 50 years. The High Court of Madras [ancient name of Chennai] still has to announce the verdict on the demolition and instead the demolition has been carried out all the same.”
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