AICC Calls for Judial Probe into the wide-Spread Violence against Christians by Religious Fundamentalist

CHANDIGARH, Feb. 24, 2010, 10.00 Hrs (AICC):

Nearly three thousand Christians from Tri cities of Panchkula, Chandigarh and Mohali gathered in protest against the wide spread violence against Christians in Punjab by Religious Fundamentalist Elements of Sangh Parivar and their associates.

The Christian delegation submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Sardar Prakash Singh Badal and to Punjab Governor Shri Sivaraj Patil, demanding judicial prove to wide-spread violence by religious fundamentalist. Civil Society team from New Delhi led by Dr. John Dayal – Member of National Integration Council, Madhu Chandra – Public Relation Officer of All India Christian Council and Advocate Mr Tariq Adeeb from Human Rights Law Network, New Delhi led the Christian delegation. Thereafter the public gathering a national level civil society fact-finding team constituted and visiting the violence affected areas:

Following is memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Sardar Prakash Singh Badal and to Punjab Governor Shri Sivaraj Patil

23 February 2010

To
Sardar Prakash Singh Badal
Chief Minister of Punjab
Chandigarh

MEMORANDUM FROM THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF INDIA

Call for Judicial Probe into the wide-spread violence against Christians in the State of Punjab by religious fundamentalist elements of the Sangh Parivar and their associates

Respected Chief Minister

Greetings from the Christian Community of India

We thank you for your immediate orders to the Gurdaspur district Commissioner and senior police officers of Batala to repair the historic Church of North India building and the Salvation Army church that were burnt by religious fundamentalists on 20th February 2010. The local church leadership has accepted this assurance by the officers. We also appreciate the release of Christians who were arrested on charges of rioting.

In a way that brings peace to Batala. Peace is very important and we on our part assure of all cooperation in maintaining communal harmony and peace in the State of Punjab which has been shaken by the shameful incidents of 19 to 22 February 2010.

Local Christian leaders have also conveyed their assurances to the Punjab officers.

However, the Christian community in the country is very worried that such an incident has at all taken place in Punjab. You would recall that the All India Christian Council in its meetings in Amritsar and other cities in the past few years had repeatedly sent you memorandum and letters cautioning the state government that religious fundamentalist groups, especially those belong to the Sangh Parivar had increased their harassment of Christians in rural areas of the State. There have been several sporadic incidents in various blocks in the past years.

As far as the Sangh Parivar is concerned, this is part of their nation wide strategy to mount pressure and coerce religious minorities. We have seen the end results in Kandhamal in Orissa and in Karnataka where the Sangh has an upper hand because its political wing, the Bharatiya Janata party, is or was in collation governments. Whenever there is an opportunity, the Sangh strikes in open violence. We know that the BJP is also a coalition partner in the Punjab Government.

Despite the accord in Batala, there is palpable tension in the rural areas of Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts; according to the messages we have received from villagers and pastors across the districts where there is a significant number of Christians. We also remind you that most of these rural Christians are Dalits and have a history of subjugation at the hands of the upper castes and the powerful groups.

In the current situation, there are three main issues: the conspiracy to print the blasphemous photograph of our Lord, Jesus Christ, with ulterior motives the conspiracy to burn down the Churches, and the clash between Christian groups and the crowd which consisted of shopkeepers and other elements.

The peace accord between Church leaders and the Government on the repair or rebuilding of the two Churches still leaves the other two issues open. We fear that unless the conspiracies are unraveled and the conspirators caught and punished, peace will be transient.

We therefore demand a Judicial Enquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court to go into all circumstances of the violence that covered the following areas : Jalandhar, Majitha, Batala, Dera Baba Nanak, village Tibar, and areas which witnessed tension and confrontation but no violence such as Dhariwal, Fatehgarh Churian, Gurdaspur, and parts of Kapurthala.

We once again thank you for ordering the posting of police and commandos to guard Church institutions across the state to contain further violence.

Yours faithfully

Dr John Dayal, Member National Integration Council (Government of India, New Delhi)

Rev. Mudhu Chandran, PRO. AICC, Mr Tariq Adeeb, Advocate, Human rights Law Network, Father Thomas Anchanical, President, AICC- NW, Rev. Anoop S Gill, Vice- President AIC-NW, Mr Lawrence Malik Secretary, AIC-NW, Father Prema nand, Director, Ecumenical Studies. Catholic Church
Mr Benny Thomas, Advocate (Legal Cell, AICC-NW) Rev, A V Vineoy, Regional Secreatary AICC-NW, Mr. Youns Peter, PRO, AICC-NW