APFC SUBMITS MEMORANDUM TO POLITICAL PARTIES
Andhra Pradesh Federation of Churches (APFC) urges your Party to uphold the national values of secularism, pluralism and communal harmony, to strive for social justice and equality of the marginalized groups, to ensure basic human rights of food, shelter, health, education and employment, and to promote the Minority Rights. Kindly include following demands of Christian Minority in your Manifesto and strive to implement them earnestly:
1. Extend SC status to the Dalit Christians by deleting the unconstitutional and discriminatory Para 3 of Constitution (Presidential) Order 19 of 1950.
2. Continue the grant-in-aid to the Church-run Educational Institutions and fill up vacant aided posts pending from 2004 without further delay.
3. Remove the ban on propagation and practice of Faiths by withdrawing G.Os Ms. No: 746 and 747 both dated 02-06-2007.
4. Enact “Prevention of Communal Violence Act” and “Prevention of Minorities Atrocities Act” in line with the “Prevention of SC ST Atrocities Act”.
5. Constitute the State Christian (Minority) Finance Corporation fully and allocate at least 15% of the funds and schemes under the Prime Minister’s 15 Point Programme and Minority Welfare budget.
6. Representations to Christians must be given in the legislative and civil bodies, administrative panels and in various commissions / boards. At least one Assembly seat in each district and two Lok Sabha seats in the State must be assigned to Christian Minority.
7. Allocate government lands for the construction of churches, community halls, education institutions and burial grounds.
Fr Dr Anthoniraj Thumma,
Executive Secretary of APFC