Various Church groups in Assam have demanded action against a rightwing Hindu leader who allegedly maligned Christians and tried to undermine religious harmony in the northeastern Indian state. On Oct. 27, Surendra Kumar Jain, the international joint general secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (world Hindu council), stirred a controversy by accusing Churches of drug trafficking. He reportedly asserted that Churches were linked to drug trafficking that contributed to the degradation of youth in the region. He made the remarks at a function to honour Joya Thaosen (1925-1944), a revered freedom fighter who died fighting the British, at KK Hojai Chatrinivas Building, Haflong, Dima Hasao District. The United Christian Forum of Dimahasou, the United Christian Forum of Karbi Anglong, and the Assam Christian Forum (ACF) on November 5 expressed “deep shock and dismay” over Jain’s “divisive remarks.” “We believe that [Jain’s] baseless accusations against the Church and the Christian community are not only harmful but seem to be a deliberate attempt to malign an entire faith community. His statements undermine the invaluable contributions of the Christian community to this region,” stated the Assam Christian Forum, an ecumenical group. The Christian groups regretted that the Hindu leader used a significant event as a platform to condemn and divide communities on religious grounds. “Jain’s comments are perceived as a dishonour to the rich legacy of Thaosen, who stood for unity and secular values,” they added. They said all communities of Dima Hasao and the country at large cherished Thao-sen’s legacy. They noted that Christians have played “a transformative role” in northeastern India from the pre-Indepen-dence era. The community has worked in areas such as education, healthcare, social welfare, literature, media, relief, rehabi-litation, and sustainable development, they claimed.