Davangere: Corporation Serves Notice to Churches


The Hindu

BANGALORE, Sep 7: A fresh controversy has arisen with the Davangere City Corporation on Saturday issuing an interim directive-cum-notice terming three church buildings in its jurisdiction as unauthorised and asking the church authorities to vacate within three days.

In the directive, the corporation said permission had not been taken from it for the construction of church buildings. It asked the church authorities to furnish documents to it along with explanation if they failed to vacate the buildings in question within three days.

But the church authorities said they had “all the relevant documents”. Pastor Rajashekhar told The Hindu that even the khata for the land had been obtained.

Meanwhile, the priests of these three churches, which faced repeated attacks since mid-August from two Hindu organisations, took up the issue with the State Human Rights Commission by lodging a complaint on Saturday.

The complaint was lodged in the wake of the alleged threats issued by the Hindu Jagarana Vedike that it would “force the churches to be vacated” on Sunday if the district authorities did not act against what it alleged were “unauthorised” churches.

Pastors Rajashekhar and Dencil said the commission assured them of looking into the issue.

On Friday, they had appealed to the Karnataka State Minorities’ Commission and the State police to provide protection.

 

  

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Comment on this article

  • Willie, USA

    Mon, Sep 08 2008

    How many small and big non-christian temples have mushroomed in small and big towns and cities, sometime even blocking some public conveniences such as roads and passages obsturcitng smooth traffic flow? Who cares for all that?

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  • Peter Pais, Mangalore/Dubai

    Mon, Sep 08 2008

    Since the new state goverment started ruling these things are happening regularly on minorities is this a sign of next Gujarat or orrisa

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  • Adrian, Mangalore/Dubai

    Mon, Sep 08 2008

    This is just the beginning with BJP in power in the state organisations like VHP, bajaranga dal are just doing what they want to. What about all those road side idols so called (katte) built all across the state in various places. ARE THEY AUTHORISED ???

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  • Roshan Pais, Mangalore

    Sun, Sep 07 2008

    I request all the concerned officials not to do anything in haste and with time solve this issue of prayer- church issue. In a democracy having faith of your choice in a fundamental right . So when addressing the issue of church buildings - this should be taken into consideration.

    When there is adversity be it to a country ( war) or to a faith , both nationalism and religious faith faith becomes very strong!! Harassing minorities will do no good instead concentrate on providing clean drinking water welfare of farmers etc!

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  • DONY LOBO, KELARAI,MILAGRES, MANGALOORU, DOHA, QATAR

    Sun, Sep 07 2008

    a) Who controls the Davangere Corporation? b) Do they have authorisation (or sanction ) from the state government to issue notices to the churches. c) The three churches in question...to which denomination do they belong to... d) Have the current corporation members or officials have consulted their predecessors? e) May be its better if the churches approach the state's High Court and issue a restraint order to the corporation

    Looks like the Archbishop of Karnataka should constitute a Legal Think Tank of the community to consult and guide the general public (individuals and organisations) from such developments which they may have to face in future.

    The Archbishop should also insist to have a hotline with the Chief Minister and should make use of it from time to time to discuss, update and even question at times the Chief Minister on sensistive developments., with massive publicity given to such conversations. Besides I would also reckomend that the Archbishop himself should regularly send a brief report to the US,UK, European Countries etc. on any development that causes deep concern to the community.

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  • K.Raghava Mayya, Padil, M'lore

    Sun, Sep 07 2008

    Every city has a Governmenal Body or Quasi-g.body called Development Authority. The only job this body has is extract money and issue construction permission. If no money, all construction or so rules emanate.

    Construction Contractors look after the staff of the said Body and get construction permission. May be the same case was in Davangere. In Mangalore, once there was City Improvement Trust and now it is M'lore Urban Dev.Authority.

    Although the Body was meant to plan the town,the present state of affairs is all headache to the Traffic control Dept. with narrow roads and skyhigh buildings on either sides of almost all artery or residence area roads and ever increasing traffic.

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  • Dhruv, m

    Sun, Sep 07 2008

    Still the people and the government are going deaf ears and blind eyes there is an open challenge against law and police rape of democracy.The people has to appeal to police and minority commission for protection against such type of gondaism.Mr.P.M. and C.M. what should it be called heroism or terrorism.

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