Addressing a press conference here on Friday, at the end of the two-day national executive committee meeting at Christian Council Lodge, Dr Rajaratnam, president of the NCCI, said Christians ``have always been and would be loyal and patriotic towards the country'' and that there is ``no need'' for them to prove this point to anybody, ``certainly not to those hellbent on creating communal tension in the country''.

Expressing concern at the growing fundamentalism in the country, Rajaratnam said Christians stand for peace, harmony and brotherhood in the country. All bids by fundamentalist forces to change this image would be firmly opposed, he said.

The challenging national scenario facing the church in India has emerged inconcrete terms as religious fundamentalism has acquired political and governmental clout, Rajaratnam added.

Making a scathing attack on the people indulging in fundamentalism, he said the determination of religious fundamentalists of the majority religion to realise the dream of replacing the Babri Masjid with a Ram temple at the same spot is already in operation.

The Ram temple, estimated to cost several crores of rupees, is under construction in many parts of the country and the pre-fabricated temple will be assembled at a time convenient for them, he said.

Cautioning people against such activities, Rajaratnam said this same group of people has had over a long period of time during its evolution as a strong political power, plans and programmes for its agenda against Christianity and the Christian Church in India.

Regretting the recent happenings against the Christian community, he said Bibles were burnt, Christian priests were murdered and exemptions from filing Income Tax returns in relation toeducational and medical institutions were withdrawn by the Finance Act 1998. The Christian Church is the most affected by these measures as it was camouflaged by the Income Tax officials, he added.

These institutions represent the instruments of service to the people irrespective of caste and religion, reflecting the love of Christ, which they want to restrict, he said, adding on this particular issue the NCCI lost no time in joining hands with the Roman Catholic Bishop church leaders, in particularly with the NCCI counterpart, the Catholic Bishops conference of India and engaged in some representational activity.

Rajaratnam said the representation did reach the Finance Minister but his response was ``very limited''. The Delhi government then denotified the Christian Church as a holy place because of the use of sacramental wine. Besides, he pointed out, several influential newspapers, MPs and Opposition parties had highlighted the obstructionist activities of the reactionary groups in the country againstminorities.

Secularism, that has been the bedrock of the Indian nation, is now shaken to its very foundation, he charged.

Rajaratnam stressed that their concern was not limited to safeguarding the rights and privileges of the Church or Christianity. Christians would join hands with the entire nation to protect and ensure firmness of the secular foundation of the country, he asserted.