Gurugram Tension: 18 Villages Unite, Mahapanchayat Demands Halt to Church Construction

Gurugram: There was a massive protest on Friday against the construction of a church in Tikli village of Gurugram. The sarpanch, panch and social workers of the local villages called a mahapanchayat against the church and unanimously decided that they would not allow the church to be constructed in the village. Representatives of about 18 villages participated in this Mahapanchayat, in which many senior people of the society and officials of religious organizations were also present. Everyone together expressed their concern on this issue and a 51-member committee was formed to take further action. 

Why was there a protest?

Local people say that the church is being constructed in an area with a non-Christian population, while there is no large group of Christian community nearby. The villagers feel that there is no concrete reason to build such a huge religious structure and it may affect the communal balance. Opponents say the move could affect the social structure in the area. The villagers also expressed that they were not given adequate information before the construction of the church. Many people claimed that when they learned that a church was being built on that land, protests had already started. In such a situation, he called it an “attack on the culture and fabric” of the village. 

What will happen next?

The 51-member committee selected in the Mahapanchayat will meet the District Deputy Commissioner of Gurugram on Monday. The committee will submit a formal memorandum to the administration and demand to stop the construction. The villagers say that the officials should listen to them and take immediate action on this matter. Meanwhile, the police said that the situation is being constantly monitored and any kind of dispute will not be allowed to escalate. The administration says that legal approval is already in place for the construction of the church and no rule violation has been detected so far. 

What is the current situation?

This controversy has come to light at a time when there is increased sensitivity and tension over religious issues in many parts of the country. Recently, attacks on churches and disruption of prayer services were reported from some states during the Christmas season, which has deepened the atmosphere of insecurity and anxiety among communities.