Goons Destroyed Church Site in National Capital

Christian gathering threatened and Church Vehicle Stolen in Bihar

New Delhi , December 7, 2007 (All India Christian Council)

A church site was destroyed by local goons in Pitampura of West District of National Capital. Police is not able to trace the culprits.

The incident happened on December 5 between 7 – 7:30 in morning when a group of 200 people claiming to be the local residents of the church site and destroyed the church property. The machines, generator and materials were destroyed according to the press release by Rev. Dr. Dominic Emmanuel, spokes person of Delhi Catholic Archdiocese.

Fr. Alphonse D'cruz, Parish Priest of Pitampura told All India Christian Council, "They ruffled up the site foreman and threatened him that if the laborers were seen on the land for more than two hours they would all be beaten up and their bones broken. They threatened to come again for a repeat performance if their threats were not heeded to."

First Information Report (FIR) was lodged in local police station but police could not arrest any as culprits could not be identified.

Fr. D'cruz said that police has provided security personnel on church site and instructed the construction to continue. Local MLA has been informed about the situation.

In another incident, Pastor Joy Abraham reported to All India Christian Council that a group of fanatics threatened Christian gathering at Siwan district of Bihar and Bolero vehicle belonging to Pastor Joy was reported stolen in the same night.

A FIR of vehicle theft is lodged in local police station. Until the filing of the report, police has not able to trace the stolen vehicle.

Source: All India Christian Council, for Dalits

A Pastor Beaten by Hindu Fundamentalists in Rajasthan

Police Refused the Complaint

New Delhi , December 1, 2007 (All India Christian Council) 

A pastor age about 35 was beaten by Hindu Fundamentalists in Rohanwadi village in Banswara district of Rajasthan. The police refused to take the complaint.

Sources reaching to All India Christian Council, the incident happened on November 30 at 3 PM , when Pastor Ramlal Gracia was standing near by a shop. Three young men believed to be Hindu fundamentalists came in motor cycle and started abusing Mr. Ramlal for becoming a Christian.

“When Mr. Ramlal defended of his rights to choose his faith, he was beaten by three persons believed to be the Hindu fundamentalists. After beating him, the accused run away from the spot,” a senior Pastor Rakesh informed All India Christian Council.

The matter was reported to Sallow Part police station but the police duty officer refused to register First Information Report (FIR), says Mr. Rakesh.

Speaking to the Station House Officer (SHO) of Police station in Sallow Part, Mr Harsh Handa, and Christian Council was told that the investigation is on without the registration of FIR.

The All India Christian Council informed Additional Deputy Superintendent Police Mr. Gangra Meena that Sallow Part Police has failed to fulfill the duty to register the complaint. He has assured Christian Council to take the complaint lodged by victim and action will be taken accordingly

Mr. Ramlal pastors a church in his village with 40 members. He and majority of his church members belong to tribal community of Rajasthan.

The attacks on Christian minorities rose after Bharatiya Janata Party Government led by Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje came to the power in 2003. The Christian minorities in the state still suffer trauma and live in fear.

The nation was shocked by televised attack on Pastor Walter Massey at Jaipur, Rajasthan on April 29 this year. Nation had to condemn the raise of fundamentalists in the state of Rajasthan.

The Rajasthan Freedom of Religion Bill 2006 which is anti religion in its nature was passed by Vasundhara Raje government but refused by then the state governor Smt. Prativa Patil to sign into a law.

Latter it was forwarded to the Indian President to seek the opinion on validation of newly passed bill before Smt. Prativa Patil was elected as President of India.

Source: All India Christian Council, for Dalits

The Constitution's Punishment of Dalit Christians 1950 continues

Supreme Court Adjourns Dalit Christian Hearing as Government of India delays its submissions

New Delhi , November 28, 2007 (All India Christian Council)

The Supreme Court of India today adjourned the hearing on the Dalit Christians' demand for full Constitutional rights as the government once again failed to disclose its response, saying it had not yet from the National Scheduled Caste Commission.

The Supreme Court will now take up after Christmas the Writ appeals challenging Article 341 Para 3 of the Constitution to get affirmative action benefits to Dalits converted to Christianity.

The adjournment came after Gopal Subramanium the additional solicitor general for the Indian government told the court that the United Progressive Alliance Government led by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had still not got a report from the National Scheduled caste commission. The commission in turn is considering an earlier report by former Chief Justice Ranganath Misra who had accepted the appeal of the Dalits and recommended that Christian and Muslim coverts from the former untouchable castes be given the same privileges accorded those of their community who had become Sikhs, Buddhists or had said they were Hindus.

When the Indian Constitution became law on 26th January 1950 , all Dalits, irrespective of religious identity, were given legal protection and benefits, including job and education reservations, to help them rise from 3,000 years of slavery to the upper castes.

However, majority of the elements within the government contrived to bring a Presidential order, of 1950, restricting such rights only for those who identified themselves as Hindus. This also published anyone who became a Christian or a Muslim by snatching all their rights from them, unless they again converted to Hinduism.

The lawyers led by advocate Prashant Bhushan,  senior advocate Ram Jethmalani and Dr M P Raju, along with Christian lawyers, social workers and  human rights activists argued that Dalit Christians be listed in the Scheduled  Caste Presidential Order.

National Integration Council member Dr. John Dayal said, “This seems part of a planned dilatory tactics. This entire process of referring the issue to various commissions has taken more a year. If the government wants it and has the political will, it can change the law and restore full rights to Dalit Christians.”

“Dalits converted to Sikhism and Buddhism has been given these rights, but those to Islam and Christianity continue to be punished by being deprived of affirmative action. Article 341 Para 3, which was amended in 1956 and 1990, to benefit Sikhs and neo Buddhists, must now be changed to also include Christians, and the government can don it if. Indian secularism will be strengthened by not brining in religion in matters of affirmative action,” says Dr. Dayal.

Dr. Joseph D'souza, President of All India Christian Council said, “The demand for scheduled caste status for Dalit Christians is the fundamental and birth rights. The Dalit status before 1950 Presidential Order must be restored back to all Dalits unconditionally and irrespective of religion.”

Disappointed Christians caused by the delay of the judgment, held a protest rally at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi .

Source: All India Christian Council, for Dalits

A Pastor Killed and Church Set on flame by Hindu Fundamentalists in Chhattisgarh

Christians Appealed to Prime Minister, National Minorities Commission.

New Delhi , November 22, (All India Christian Council)

The Hindu fundamentalists murdered a pastor and burnt a church at Mandwa village under Kodenar Police Station of Jagdalpur district in Chhattisgarh on November 20 th night. The village has 60 Christian families who are members of a Pentecostal church.

The information reaching to the All India Christian Council, on the night of November 20th, Bajrang Dal activists came in a jeep and surrounded the church with the help of some of the villagers. Pastor Sudroo, Ramlal, Sonadhar Kashyap and Jugal Kashyap were tied with ropes and severely beaten and pastor was reported murdered by the fanatics.

The General Secretary of Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, Mr. Arun Pannalal informed to Christian Council that one pastor has been murdered by the Hindu fundamentalists.

"The Christians, who witnessed the incident, rushed to local police station to lodge First Information Report (FIR) against those culprits. They were detained in police station for 24 hours without food and water and later released without registering the complaint," says Mr. Pannalal.

The attack on Christians in Mandwa was informed to the concerned Superintendent of Police and the District Collector by Kodenar police station but no action against the Hindu fundamentalists was taken till the filing of this report according to the sources reaching to Christian Council.

The Christian minorities in the state are facing grievances as the state and district authority do not take action against the Hindu fundamentalists, who have tortured innocent Christians in the state, says Mr. Pannalal.

The legal system in the state has failed to render justice to Christian minorities, now only possible way left is to approach the Office of Prime Minister and National Minorities Commission, says Mr. Pannalal.

The religious persecution in Chhattisgarh has mounted up ever since Bharatiya Janata Party has come to the power in April 2001. Christian workers and missionaries suffer false allegation of forced and fraudulent conversion charges under Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religious Act 1968, which is actually an anti religious freedom in its nature.

Mr. Pannalal says, "None of the allegations against pastors and Christian workers by the Hindu fundamentalists have been given verdicts so far, which mean the charges are baseless."

National Commission for Minorities has termed the Anti Conversion bills passed in eight Indian states violets the fundamental rights provided in Indian Constitution and the Commission said that India has enough laws to handle the fraud and forced conversions, therefore there is no need of such laws.

The Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religious Bill 1968 was amended in 2006 by BJP Government, but Governor Narasimhan refused to sign it into the law and forward to the Attorney General of India Milon Banerjee for legal opinion.

The Christian persecution in India has risen to four attacks per week, already 192 in 2007 (from 1 January to 22 November) while there were 178 in 2006 and 165 in 2005. These figures represent only the reported incidents while many other unreported attacks take place.

Source: All India Christian Council, for Dalits

Fact Finding Report on Bhiwani Christian Attack by Hindu Fundamentalists

Two Christians were severely beaten by Hindu fundamentalists and later charged with false allegation of fraudulent and forced conversions. Christian persecution in India has risen to four attacks per week.

New Delhi , November 19, 2007 (All India Christian Council)

Two Christians were beaten mercilessly by activists of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Bhiwani, 100 km away from India 's national capital in broad daylight on November 14. Later the attackers filed false charges against them accusing them of fraudulent and forced conversions.

As soon as the news of attacks reached us, a fact finding team of All India Christian Council (aicc) rushed to Bhiwani to take stock of the incident.

The attack while 40 year old Mr. Jai Vir and 25 year old Mathew from Believers Church of India were distributing Christian literature near the Baptist Church in Bhiwani. Mr. Rajkumar, a local shop owner who claims to be a leader of RSS, noticed Christian literature being distributed and called his fellow RSS activists and then attacked the two Christians.

Media personnel with camera were called and the news reports mislead the public into believing that Christians were involved in fraudulent and forced conversion activities.

The Christians were beaten continuously for two hours. Literature were snatched from their hands and burnt. Mr. Jai Vir told the fact finding team, “In spite of beating us for two hours, God protected us. They tried to throw me and my friend into the burning fire.”

“The fanatic groups invaded the church compound and attempted to break down the church building. A member of local church informed the local police station after hearing the slogan to break and burn down the church,” said a member of the fact finding team.

Police took the two Christian victims from the mob to the police station. Later Hindu fundamentalists lodged a false complaint of fraudulent and forced conversion charges against Mr. Jai Vir and Mr. Matthew.

“Advocate Rajkumar Jindal, whom Hindu fundamentalist brought to file against us, started beating both of us in police station,” says Mr. Jai Vir.

The next day, Jan Sanskriti Manch led by Rajnath Gagar had a rally in front of the Baptist Church in Bhiwani appealing to the public to maintain peace and harmony among all people and religions. Jan Sanskriti Manch condemned the Hindu fundamentalists for attacking innocent Christians.

A counter First Information Report (FIR) was filed by Mr. Jai Vir and Mr. Matthew against eight accused. Their names are Rajkumar the shop owner, Mukesh Gaur, Advocate Rajkumar Jindal, Rishi Parmar and Ram Avatar Sharma.

The RSS leaders gathered more Hindu fundamentalists in a protest rally nearby the Baptist Church at Bhiwani on November 16 and demanded that Christian activities halt and the church in Bhiwani should be closed.

“Security to Hindu Religion is the Security to the Nation” was reportedly a repeated slogan in the protest rally.

Five out of eight of the accused surrendered in the police station toward the end of the rally and they were bailed out within short time. Three of the accused, including advocate Rajkumar Jindal, were not arrested until the filing of this report.

Dr. John Dayal, Secretary General of the All India Christian Council, said that four incidents of attacks on Christian minorities per week have occurred in the current year, and this is a great concern for minority communities in the country.

The Christian attack record has increased; already 190 in 2007 (from 1 January to 16 November) while there were 178 in 2006 and 165 in 2005. These figures represent only the reported incidents while many other unreported attacks take place.