AICS press release

January 30, 2006
                                                    
                                                                                                                                
The formation of the Ministry in charge of Minority Welfare and the appointment yesterday of Barrister Abdul Rehman Antulay as the Union Minister in charge is highly welcomed and appreciated by the entire fraternity of the minorities, says All India Christian Council general secretary Dr Abrahma Mathai in a press release.

During the five years of the NDA regime, the minorities suffered attacks like never before because of certain communal right-wing militant organizations taking advantage of their vulnerability.  This is a historic moment for the nation unequalled by any other administration that it is during the term of the UPA in office that a separate Ministry for the minorities has been formed.
 
This positive step by the UPA government will ensure that the indelible memories of the Gujarat genocide will never be repeated and the rights of minorities safeguarded through state apparatus.
 
This historic decision of the UPA is also a public acknowledgement endorsing the fact that the actual progress of the nation lies at the development of the minorities and the weaker sections of society which is the index for measuring progress.
 
On behalf of the All India Christian Council which is the largest apex body of Christians in India, we the minorities continue to salute the UPA’s gallant action.
 

Atrocities in Madhya Pradesh Condemned

• Madhya Pradesh - Another Hindutva Laboratory in the making
• Sangh Parivar seeks to repeat Gujarat experiment in MP
• 3 attacks on Christian in 4 days in M.P. - Jhabua, Jabalpur and Bhopal

It began last week with seven policemen from the Kalidevi police station in Jhabua entering the house of Rev Ray Singh, who was praying with Rev Hateh Singh, and started abusing & physically assaulted them. In Jabalpur, 20 Christian leaders were travelling to Nagpur, from Dindori and stopped at the lodge, where they were brutally assaulted by Bajrang Dal activists. Thereafter, some of these were compelled to sign afidavits, saying that they were being forcibly taken to Nagpur, against their will and the pastors arrested. However, in Bhopal there was a mass attack on the 25 pastors, who had gathered for a day of prayer & fasting by Bajrang Dal activists.
 
Dr Joseph D'Souza - the President of the All India Chrisitian Council - the apex organisation representing the commuinty's interest has taken serious note and despatched a delegation to Madhya Pradesh, headed by the general secretary, Dr Abraham Mathai to study the situations there. Presented below are some of the delegation's findings
 
BHOPAL - January 28, 2006

At around 9:30 am a prayer meeting was being held at L-210, Bharti Niketan, Govindpura Bhopal. Suddenly, a mob began pelting of stones, breaking the glass windows and breaking open the doors. About 30 young men with saffron colored scarfs around their neck armed with hockey sticks and rods attacked the pastors.
Among those seriously injured were Pastor Kishore Sadhwani, Pas. S.B. Francis, Pas. Irwin Pereira, Bro. Sandeep Kumar Minj, Pas. David Sudarshan, Bro. Johan Kumar, Bro. Anand Kumar, Bro. Vyas Narayan, etc. They snatched the mobile and camera, purse and watches  of some of those present there.
*       Pas. Kishore Sadhwani was very brutally hit all over his body.  He has a very bad head injury. He is hospitalized in Kasturba Hospital, BHEL.
*       Pas. S. B. Francis was brutally hit on his eyes and his legs.  He has multiple fractures on his legs.
*       Bro. Sandeep Kumar Minj was also suffering from head injury; he is also hospitalized in Kasturba Hospital, BHEL.
*       Pas. Irwin Pereira also has multiple fractures in his right and left arm.
*       Pas. David Sudarshan was also badly hit.  He has injury in his left leg; he has got swelling in the legs, shoulders and minor head injury.
*       Bro. Johan Kumar has also multiple wounds in his arms.
They left after the attack, threatening the Christians to desist from worshiping, failing which they would return with a more vicious attack. The Police are yet to arrest the perpetrators of this heinous crime till date.
 
JABALPUR - January 26, 2006

Christian delegates from Dindori were traveling to Nagpur to attend a Christian leaders' conference and stopped-over at Jabalpur for the night. They were attacked brutally by Bajrang Dal activists, who compelled them them to sign afidavits threatening they would be burnt to death, if they did not do so. On the basis of these false afidavits, pastor Pravin Pawar, Bro Sanil Pawar, Rev Maclain Masih and Ms Shashi Prabha have been arrested for attempting forceful conversion. Thereafter these Christian activists remain untraced, leading the community to fear their wrongfull confinement to protect the misdeeds of the Bajrang Dal, in connivance with the police. The situation in Jabalpur continues to be volatile and the Christians are fearful that this wave of anti-Christian violence against them may increase in the days to come.
 
JHABUA - January 26, 2006

At the residence of Rev Ray Singh, who was spending a time of prayer with Rev Hateh Singh, 7 policemen from the near-by Kalidevi Police Station, barged in and started mercilessly beating them with their fists & batons. These policemen warned that if the prayer did not stop, they would face serious consequences & be forced to leave the village.

The severely injured pastors then approched the police station for registering a complaint, which the police refused to do, for obvious reason, the culprits being one of their own. For this reason, even when they went to the local government hospital, but was refused treatment, as the hospital authorities would not help unless a police case was registered. To date, these two pastors have not been able to avail of even basic treatment & managing with the first-aid given to them.
 
In a memorandum to the newly appointed Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Shri AR Antulay, apprising of the alarming communal situation in BJP ruled states, the Council sees the above actions as a growing trend in recent times of targeting a hapless minority community in violation of their right to worship, their freedom of faith & infringement of their fundamental rights as inshrined in the Constitution. Further, it is the mindless terrorizing of the Christian community without regard to its developmental contribution in the field of social work, health & education.

This recurring violence and attacks on the places of worship and religious leaders is no less a kind of terrorism, than that exported to India, which is tearing away at the secular fabric of our country & dividing it on lines of religion and caste. This is a more heinous from of terrorism with long-term effects. If the strict POTA laws are meant to counter terrorism, then there is perhaps no better way to counter this unabated spate of terror on religion, than by applying these same laws to the proponents of religious terrorism & hatred, if we are serious on the issue of peace. The Christian Council demands the application of stringent laws to discourage such wanton acts of terror.