Yeddy Regime to Spend Rs 50 Cr for Development of Christians
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 26: Seeking to reach out to Christians, who are cut up with the BJP Government in Karnataka for the series of attacks against Churches and places of worship in Mangalore, Bangalore and several other places soon after coming to power in 2008, the B S Yeddyurappa regime on Thursday decided to spend Rs 50 crore for various schemes to benefit the development of the minority community.
As many as Rs 15 crore will be earmarked for the development of Churches, while another Rs 35 crore for construction of community halls and financial help to the poor students and skill building among Christians.
Karnataka had created history of sorts by making an allocation of Rs 50 crore in the 2011-12 budget for taking up development schemes related to the Christian community, which is the first of its kind initiative in the State.
Prof Mumtaz Ali Khan, who is serving as the Minority Welfare Minister, had held an interaction with prominent leaders of the community on development schemes to be taken up from out of the budget allocations.
It was on the suggestions received by the Government at this meeting that Rs 35 crore was proposed to be spent on building Christian community halls, grant of education loans to poor Christian students, extending micro-credit and skill-building schemes and distribution of merit scholarships. Another Rs 15 crore would be spent on renovation and restoration works of churches.
A committee comprising representatives of the Christian community all over the State has been set up under the Chairmanship of Khan, which woulddraw up plans on allocation to various activities.
The BJP government had come under attack after a spate of attacks on Churches in during September-October 2008 by Bajrang Dal and Sangh Parivar outfits over alleged attempts at forced conversions, land grabbing and distribution of inflammatory literature targeting Hindu gods.
However, a one-man Judicial Inquiry Commission headed by Justice Somashekara, in its report submitted to the Government on January 28 this year, gave clean chit to the Yeddyurappa regime and Sangh Parivar outfits over the church attacks.
The Somasekhara Commission had cited circulation of derogatory literature with "insulting attitude" against Hindus and issues of conversion as the main reasons for the attacks, which had caused a huge embarrassment to the first-ever BJP Government in the south.
The Christians had held state-wide protests against the Somashekara Commission and had demanded rejection of the one-sided and unsatisfactory report besides withdrawal of the ``false” criminal cases registered against Christian youth in Mangalore and other parts, and the Yeddyurappa regime had responded by promising to concede the demand. The BJP regime’s promise on withdrawal of the cases is yet to be implemented.