Christmas carol service performed, peace march held

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Amritsar, December 22

Diocese of Amritsar (DoA), Church of North India (CNI), hosted a candlelight carol service at St Paul’s Church, Amritsar. A candlelight peace march was also organised on the occasion. Members of the Churches of DoA, CNI, who participated in the candlelight peace march sang Christmas carols to spread the message of ‘Peace on Earth, Goodwill to men’ as they traversed the boulevards of the city.

Speaking on the occasion, Reverend Dr P K Samantaroy, Bishop, Diocese of Amritsar (DoA), Church of North India (CNI), said besides being synonymous with the message of Christmas, ‘hope, faith, joy, peace, and love’, the theme of the peace march was relevant in the present context as the Christian community was being increasingly targeted on charges of ‘forced’ conversions.

“Christians are being targeted on charges of ‘forced conversions’, irrespective of the fact that the community is involved in inter-faith and peacebuilding efforts in the country. Not only are such allegations completely baseless, but also hurtful and detrimental to the unity of the nation, and the peace and harmony in the region,” he said.

Daniel B Das, Director, Socio-Economic Development Programme (SEDP), and Property Manager, DoA, CNI, said, “People are well-aware of the role of the Christian institutions in imparting quality education to Indian citizens, yet they react in a very irresponsible manner. People must verify the facts before reacting,” he said.