Shillong, April 13: The Meghalaya Peoples Human Rights Council (MPHRC) has strongly criticised the controversial move by the Government of India (GOI) to hold Digital India Day observances on Good Friday.
“Holding programmes to promote Digital India Day is good, but such a celebration should be avoided on Good Friday. It is an unwanted ruckus,” said Dino D.G. Dympep, Chairman MPHRC.
“There might be a strategy behind it and observing Digital India Day on Good Friday is an attempt to undermine the Christian celebration in a nation where Christians account for 2.3 percent of India’s 1.26 billion people, four-fifths of whom are Hindu” said Dino D. G. Dympep.
While endorsing the stand taken by the State Government in Meghalaya, “the Centre has fail to demonstrate their commitment to ensure the full enjoyment of their rights to non-discrimination and equality in all aspects of society which is also a clear suppression to the christian religious minorities, their culture and icons at different levels” said MPHRC
“The negative portrayal of Good Friday as a National Digital Day in the official or political discourse has a significant influence on how they may be perceived by the population in general, where such discourse amounts to incitement of religious hatred and its total disregard to respect the human rights of persons belonging to religious minorities” said MPHRC. Said the Chairman of the MPHRC Mr Dino D.G Dympep.
