SIBA Urges Political Representation for Christians
Leaders of the South India Baptists Association (SIBA) have urged political parties across the country to ensure fair representation for the Christian community in legislative bodies. Speaking at the association’s national conclave held in Vizianagaram on Tuesday, they expressed concern that Christians continue to remain underrepresented in politics despite their significant contributions to society.
The speakers recalled that the 104th Amendment to the Indian Constitution, enacted in 2019, had withdrawn the provision for nominating Anglo-Indians to two seats in Parliament and one seat in each State Assembly. They described this move as a setback for minority representation and called upon political parties to correct the imbalance through seat allocations.
More than 150 delegates attended the tenth annual SIBA conference, held at the SIMMS Memorial Baptist Church on GT Road. SIBA founder-president of Vizianagaram district R.S.J. John underscored the urgent need for adequate Christian representation in Parliament and State Assemblies to safeguard the community’s rights and interests.
SIBA leaders D.J. Niranjan Babu (Hanumakonda), Joseph Jermia (Hyderabad), Bontha Samuel Sajjan (Hyderabad), M. Ramayya (Bengaluru), and S. Prakash Raj (Chennai) emphasized that legislative representation is vital to address issues such as reservation for Dalit Christians, protection of missionary institutions, and the need for stronger mechanisms to prevent attacks on Christians.
Earlier, Mr. John J. John highlighted SIBA’s commitment to supporting Christians living below the poverty line and urged regional representatives to undertake a socioeconomic survey to understand community challenges better. He also appealed to the government to appoint sufficient teachers in missionary schools to improve educational services.
Church president Talada Ananda Rao and vice-president Ch. Prakasha Rao encouraged the Christian community to actively participate in the month-long Christmas celebrations being held at the church, which will continue till December 25.