Source:  www.assistnews.net

Date:  2007-12-28

Christians and Human Rights Watch appeal to the Indian Government to Stop Hindu-Christian Violence in Orissa

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

Hindu mob on rampage in Orissa, India

ORISSA, INDIA (ANS) -- The Indian government should act immediately to end communal violence in Orissa state, Human Rights Watch said today (December 28, 2007).

According to a story from Reuters and AlertNet, Human Rights Watch has called for an independent inquiry to identify those instigating the Orissa violence and the prosecution of those responsible.

"Violence first broke out on December 24 during an altercation between Hindus and Christians over Christmas celebrations in Orissa's Kandhamal district," said the story. "A group of Christians then attacked the vehicle of a local leader of a right-wing Hindu organization. In retaliation, Hindu mobs burned down at least 19 churches, and attacked church officials. Christians then began to attack Hindu properties.

"A number of villagers have fled their homes to escape the violence. The state government failed to act quickly, leaving vulnerable groups at risk, which enabled the violence to escalate over the last four days. The exact death toll in these clashes is still unknown, though the media have reported the deaths of at least eight people."

For several years, extremist Hindu groups in Orissa have been conducting an anti-Christian campaign that has grown violent at times, while government officials have looked the other way.

"The Orissa government should have addressed this problem before it became violent," said Meenakshi Ganguly, senior researcher for the Asia division of Human Rights Watch. "The authorities are still failing to react quickly enough, and now ordinary people are being attacked." Right-wing Hindu organizations such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal have been promoting anti-Christian propaganda in Orissa because they want the state's Christians, most of them members of tribal groups, to convert to Hinduism.

"These groups accuse Christian missionaries of forcing tribal people and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity. In January 1999, Hindu militants in Orissa trapped Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in their car and burned them alive."

The story said that Human Rights Watch has condemned the mob violence and urged both Hindu and Christian leaders to work toward peaceful reconciliation. Human Rights Watch also called on the Indian government to meet its constitutional and international obligations to ensure that all people may equally enjoy the right to freely profess, practice, propagate and adopt a religion. In particular, Indian officials should take steps to prevent further violence and end impunity for campaigns of violence and prosecute those responsible for the attacks.

"The Orissa government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the recent violence, but that is not enough," said Ganguly. "Unless there is a vigorous attempt by the national government to investigate such activities promoting religious hate, India's secular identity will be seriously jeopardized."

In the meantime, three Indian Christian leaders have issued a press statement on the violence in Orissa. They are Archbishop Raphael Cheenath SVD, Archbishop of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, Dr John Dayal, Member, National Integration Council, Govt. Of India, New Delhi and the Rev. P. R. Paricha, of the All India Christian Council, Cuttack.

Their statement said that Christian leaders met the Union Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj Patil in New Delhi, and Orissa Chief Minister Mr. Naveen Pattnaik in Bhubaneswar on December 27, 2007 as church groups and human rights activists held protest rallies in the National Capital and Mumbai condemning Christmas day violence on the community.

Christian nuns holding posters during a demonstration against Hindu hardliners in the eastern Indian city of Calcutta. Hundreds of federal police enforced a curfew in parts of eastern India on Thursday after clashes between Hindus and Christians in which one person was killed and 14 churches and 3 Hindu temples were damaged. (Photo: REUTERS/Jayanta Shaw)

"It is strange that both the Central and State governments are pleading that police forces cannot enter the deep forest areas because hoodlums have cut trees to block roads. Surely the police have the manpower and machinery to remove such roadblocks and restore the rule of law."

The Christian delegations have demanded:

1. An immediate unbiased enquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigations
2. Adequate and immediate deployment of Central paramilitary Forces
3. Immediate compensation to the inured and the survivors of the dead as paid top victims of violence in Gujarat and other states.
4. Fact finding team to assess the damage to property, and immediate announcement of comprehensive compensation.

A national delegation of Christian leaders, including Delhi Archbishop Vincent Concessao, National Integration Council member Dr John Dayal, Bishop Karam Masih and Dr Richard Howell, sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister and President and were requested to meet Mr. Shivraj Patil in the Union Home Ministry.

The statement went on to say: "Patil said he was in touch with the State authorities. He pleaded that the situation had been complicated because of simultaneous agitations on the tribal status for some groups, and the entry of militant groups. He said the government was determined to restore peace. CRPF rapid action force and other paramilitary troops could be airlifted if the state government felt so, he said. He also assured that there would be fill compensation paid to affected persons.

"The Union Home Minister however could give no assurance on punishing the guilty who continue to mount a hate campaign against the Christian community, openly announcing that 'Those who become Christians become enemies. We will not allow this.'"

In Bhubaneswar, a Christian delegation led by Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, Bishop Saratchandra Nayak, Bp Samson Das and Rev. P.R. Parichha were finally able to meet the Chief Minister after two days. Speaking for the delegation, Archbishop Cheenath told Mr. Naveen Pattnaik of the state of anarchy and asked him where was the rule of law and the Constitutional assurances of life and dignity. The Christians had been trapped between violent fanatical mobs, a partisan police and total government inaction. The Archbishop narrated the sequence of events since Christmas Eve, and list of affected parishes, churches and institutions to the extent we had been able to get. The following are excerpts of the memorandum submitted to the Home Minister of India and the Chief Minister of Orissa:

"It is with a heavy heart that we also bring to you our apprehension and fear that the current atrocities against Christians in the tribal area of Phoolbani in the State of Orissa is fast exploding into the type of violence we saw in the Dangs district of Gujarat during Christmas 1998. The official apathy, the police indifference and the freedom allowed to marauding bands of fanatics and armed thugs in Gujarat has been repeated in Orissa in what is a planned conspiracy against the Church and our faith.

"Spokesman of communal groups are coming on television and in the Print media to announce they will not tolerate the presence of Christians in the tribal areas of Orissa. The threat of continuing and escalating violence, the targeting of Church leaders and the concerted attack on institution prove that the conspiracy has been planned over a period of time, with meticulous mobilization. This would not have been possible without the complicity of the official machinery, and the backing of powerful political groups.

"Unless immediate and urgent action is taken, we fear that the situation in Orissa will deteriorate and will lead to much suffering for our people, as also for the common men, women and children of the tribal areas, the poorest of the poor."

The statement said that the main aggression is from the Kui Janakalyan Samiti. This organization had declared bandh on 25th and 26th December 2007 in order to press for their demands. But Christians feel that it was only ploy used against Christians in order to:
a) Disturb their Christmas celebration, the important feast of Christians; it is even a National holiday.
b) Instead of conducting bandh [civil disobedience] they have unleashed a reign of terror, destroying institutions, intimidating Christians and forcing them to go out of their homes.
c) Their entire attention is on driving away Christians from the region.

In addition, offices such as those of World Vision have also been destroyed.

The course of violence so far is:

December 24, 2007: Trouble began at Bamunigaon village when a Christmas pandal [temporary shelter] was attacked with guns, injuring three persons.

On December 25, 2007, a church building at Bamunigaon was attacked and damaged. The Catholic Church at Baliguda a sub-divisional headquarters town, was suddenly attacked by mob and vandalized, ransacked and damaged very badly. The Computer Institute was attacked and completely destroyed. An Ambulance Van was set on fire.

Also, on December 25, 2007, a CNI Church was attacked and damaged at Baliguda and the World Vision ADP Office at Daringbadi was attacked and vandalized. Two Jeeps and motor bikes set on fire. On the same day, a Police Station at Tikabali a Block headquarters was surrounded by the mob and two police jeeps set on fire. Two churches in Chakapadu area were also attacked while the church service was going on and people were chased outside and beaten up. Meals prepared for a Christmas feast were trampled.

No church services were allowed to conduct in Phulbani, the District headquarters of Kondhmal, despite the presence of the District Collector and Superintendent of Police. The district administration said they could go ahead to conduct church service at their own risk.

Chandballi Baptist Church in Balasore district was attacked while the Christmas Service was going on and people were chased out and beaten up. Towards evening heavy fighting between Christians and Hindu fundamentalist group erupted in Barakhama area, near Baliguda town.

"Our efforts to get the government of Orissa to expeditiously contain the violence, arrest the culprits and restore the confidence of the poor tribal and Dalit Christian community in the have met with a phlegmatic bureaucratic response," said the statement.

"While the Christian leadership has been appealing for peace and harmony, aggressive religious fundamentalist elements or local ashrams and political organizations have a run of field, and are openly threatening the Church.

"We appeal to the Central and State governments to ensure that there is ample police protection given to the Christian community, its personnel, and institutions in the state."