ITANAGAR, 16 Sep: A controversy erupted on Thursday over a comment and a photograph which was posted on social networking site ‘Twitter’ on 15 September, by one user ‘Legal Rights Observatory-LRO @ LegalLro’ alleging few professors of the Dera Natung Government College, Itanagar of using their office of power to coerce indigenous tribal students to convert into Christianity.
The DNGC, Itanagar has strongly condemned the defamatory tweet and criticized the twitter user for circulating fake news and hate propaganda.
A release from the DNGC principal’s office stated, “The said tweet with pictures circulated fake news by claiming that few professors of the college are coercing indigenous tribal students to convert them. The user has, in this malicious tweet also tagged National Commission for ST, Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Pema Khandu. The statement and the pictures are utterly fake and it gives the wrong impression that professors are engaged in converting students forcibly in the campus of DNGC, Itanagar.”
“The pictures used in the tweet are not from the DNGC campus. They are rather are from the Deepak Nabam Living Home (A charity organization) located at Senki Park, where a faculty member, Assistant Professor Botem Moyong had taken Baptism on 31 August 2021 along with 15 other individuals who were unknown to him.”
“It has also been found that none of them are DNGC students as falsely claimed by the tweet. No professor at DNGC, at any point, has ever preached a religion, let alone conversion. DNGC, Itanagar is a prestigious institution and it has nothing to do with the personal matters of the professors outside the campus after working hours.”
“In the glorious existence of the college over the last 42 years, DNGC has produced distinguished alumni who are serving the nation in diverse fields. This could only happen because DNGC has remained committed to the ideas of secularism and national integration, thus providing a conducive academic atmosphere for the students and college fraternity. They remain testimonials to our commitment to nation-building.’
“DNGC as a premium educational institute does not allow any kind of religious and political activities, campaigns, recruitment, preaching, convention or any such akin activities. There have been several attempts by various political and religious groups/ organizations, but we have stood firm to our conviction,” the statement from the DNGC principal read.
Further, the DNGC authorities have lodged an FIR against the said Twitter account and appealed to the general public to not believe in such fake news.
