Christian Council

Christian Council may refer to:

India

India, officially the Republic of India (Bhārat Gaṇarājya), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the south-west, and the Bay of Bengal on the south-east, it shares land borders with Pakistan to the west;China, Nepal, and Bhutan to the north-east; and Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh to the east. In the Indian Ocean, India is in the vicinity of Sri Lanka and the Maldives; in addition, India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands share a maritime border with Thailand and Indonesia.

Home to the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long history. Four religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism—originated here, whereas Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam arrived in the 1st millennium CE and also shaped the region's diverse culture. Gradually annexed by and brought under the administration of the British East India Company from the early 18th century and administered directly by the United Kingdom after the Indian Rebellion of 1857, India became an independent nation in 1947 after a struggle for independence that was marked by non-violent resistance led by Mahatma Gandhi.

All India Christian Council

The All India Christian Council (AICC) is a nationwide alliance of Christian denominations, mission agencies, institutions, federations and Christian lay leaders.

AICC was formed in 1998. The declared purpose of the organization is to give a united voice to protect and serve the interests of Christians primarily and the Dalit Bahujans. The AICC claims to cut across denominational barriers to act against the alleged growing violence and blatant violations of Religious freedom in India amongst the Christian community, minorities and other oppressed castes in India.

The Council monitors, documents, advocates and intervenes with the government of India, the national justice system, civil society organizations, and human rights groups. It has a vibrant relationship with global human rights organizations involved with international advocacy for Dalit human rights and freedom of faith in South Asia. The Council’s national and international network has conducted disaster relief during several natural calamities like in the Orissa Super Cyclone, Gujarat Earthquake which were profusely appreciated by the Government of Orissa and the Government of Gujarat respectively.

Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh (born 10 July 1951) is an Indian politician belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) who currently serves as the Home Minister of India. He previously served as the Chief Minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh and as a Cabinet Minister in the Vajpayee Government. He has also served as the President of the BJP twice, 2005–2009 and 2013–2014. He began his career as a physics lecturer and used his long-term connections with the hindutva organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to become involved with the Janata Party.

Early life

Singh was born in the small village of Bhabhaura in Chandauli district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in a Rajput family. His father was Ram Badan Singh and his mother was Gujarati Devi. He was born into a family of farmers and went on to secure a master's degree in physics, acquiring first division results from the Gorakhpur University. Rajnath Singh had been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 1964, at the age of 13 and remained connected with the organisation even during his employment as a physics lecturer in Mirzapur. In 1974, he was appointed secretary for the Mirzapur unit of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh, predecessor of Bhartiya Janta Party.

Christianity in India

Christianity is India's third-largest religion according to the census of 2011, with approximately 27.8 million followers, constituting 2.3 percent of India's population. The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings state that Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who visited Muziris in Kerala in AD 52 to spread the gospel amongst Kerala's Jewish settlements. Although the origins of Christianity in India remain unclear, there is a general scholarly consensus that Christianity was established in India by the 6th century AD, including some communities who used Syriac liturgically, and it is possible that the religion's existence there extends to as far back as the 1st century. Christianity was as such established in India even before some nations of Europe had been Christianised. Christians are found all across India and in all walks of life, with major populations in parts of South India, the Konkan Coast, North-East. Indian Christians have contributed significantly to and are well represented in various spheres of national life. They include former and current chief ministers, governors and chief election commissioners. Indian Christians have the highest ratio of women to men among the various religious communities in India.