[Reader-list] Fwd: Very important: signature campaign against attacks on Christians in Karnataka

[ponni arasu]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ponni arasu <mailponni at gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Subject: Very important: signature campaign against attacks on Christians in
Karnataka
To: Ponni Arasu <ponni at altlawforum.org>


Sorry for cross-posting


Read the letter below. Please feel free to send your own letter to
whomsoever you see as the appropriate authorities. To sign this petition
please revert back to me by *replying to this email* with your *name,
organisation (if any) and place* *by Tuesday 23rd September. *


To,
The Honourable Prime Minister of India
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India ,
Prime Minister's Office, South Block,
Raisina Hill, New Delhi , 110011, India
Fax : (+) 91 -11- 2301 9545/23016857
Email : manmohan at alpha.nic.in/pmosb at pmo.nic.in



CC: National Human Rights Commission

*Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg, *

*New Delhi**, 110001 *

*Tel.No. 23384012 *

*Fax No. 23384863 *

*E-Mail:** covdnhrc at nic.in, ionhrc at nic.in <ionhrc at nic.in>*



CC: State Human Rights Commission, Karnataka

       4th floor, 5th phase,

       Multistoreyed building,

       Bangalore-560 001.

       Tel. no.  080-22392200

       Fax:080-22392206, 22392207

CC: National Commission for Minorities,
       5th Floor,
       Lok Nayak Bhavan,
       Khan Market,
       New Delhi 110 003
       Tel. 24618349
       Fax 24693302, 24642645, 24698410
       E-mail:ncm-mma at nic.in



*Appeal against the violence against Christians in Karnataka*



   - *October 1998*: Convent schools in Karnataka and some other States
   begin to receive threatening letters and in some cases visits by local
   leaders of Hindu fundamentalist groups demanding that they stop their
   alleged prosletysation activities.
   - *June 8th   and 9th  2000*:  Bomb blasts in Wadi district of Gulbarga
   near a church, at St.John's Lutheran church in Hubli- Gadag road, and in
   St.Peter's and Paul's church, Bangalore, right after the 3000 people who had
   come for the corpus Christi celebrations had begun to leave.
   - *August 21st, 2007*: A large group attacked six female and twelve male
   students from the Full Gospel Church, while they were at a picnic. Around 50
   goons arrived on bicycles, motorbikes and cars and began to hit and kick the
   students. They swore at them and insulted them, accusing them of 'forcible
   conversions'. They then dragged the students identified as Parasuram,
   Ramesh, Vani Jyothi, Pushpa, Vijay, Shilpa, Prasan, Nirmala and Chandra, to
   the Vidyanagara Police Station where they filed a complaint of 'forcible
   conversions' against them. Police claimed that they held the students 'for
   keeping peace', and released them on 27 August. The case against the
   students was officially closed and no known action was taken against the
   attackers.
   - *25th November, 2007*: In  Balupette village, Hassan district  three
   Christians severely beaten by Hindu fundamentalists. About twenty Hindu
   extremists stormed a worship service at Christ Vision Church in Balupette
   village. They threatened the congregants and chased them away. After burning
   the Bibles, the extremists then dragged out two pastors, C.J. Joemon and
   C.J. Jojo, and another congregant, G. Anil, to the junction half a kilometer
   away. They stripped them, tied them to a pole and beat them. When police
   arrived, they took the three victims to the police station and charged them
   with 'forcible conversions'. They were also initially refused medical aid.
   The two pastors were later released on bail. No action is known to have been
   taken against the attackers.
   - *14th September, 2008:* 14 churches attacked in one day in Dakshina
   Kannada, Udipi and Chikmangalur districts. Planned and almost simultaneous
   attacks resulting in injuries to pastors and believers as well as damage to
   church property include desecration of statues of Jesus.



The above is merely an assortment of incidents over the past few years  where
Christians in the state have been attacked brutally. The attack on 14
churches in three districts in Karnataka is symbolic of this ongoing
violence. The attacks are evidently well planned and are on the increase at
a rapid pace. Apart from these incidents a number of areas are witnessing
Christians living in fear of daily threats and violence. The violence has
already had a profound impact on the mobility of these individuals and
communities on a daily basis. The attack is as much on institutions such as
churches as well as educational institutions who while being supported by
Christianity are not those directed towards religious propagation. Various
individuals and their families have been attacked in their homes and in
public.



The explanation given for most of this violence is that of 'forcible
conversion'. The very concept is a fallacy and is not supported by
individual stories of believers or within the law. There is not a single
case of 'forcible conversion' that has been proved to have occurred in
Karnataka. The statistics of the state speak volumes. The percentage of
Christians in the state is 1.9% ,below the national average of 2.3%. Like in
many other states, Christians institutions have existed in Karnataka, like
in many other parts of the country for centuries. The question then is if
the alleged 'forcible conversions' are actually taking place, the population
of Christians in Karnataka and in India remaining abysmal is then absurd and
inexplicable.



Further, many Christians in Karnataka, like in other parts of the nation are
practicing rituals in multiple religions. Many so-called 'converts' still
visit Hindu temples and perform Hindu rituals at home and in public. The
joining of a church congregation is often inspired by a certain faith which
is often the basis for the practice of any religion.



Christian institutions have been an integral part of the social fabric of
Karnataka as in many other parts of India. They have played a substantive
role in setting up of the well acclaimed primary and higher educational
institutions. They have played a crucial role in provide access to social
mobility through education and employment for many persons from
underprivileged backgrounds.



The disturbing trend in Karnataka is the passive role that the police and
local administration has played in these incidents of violence. In some
other cases they have actively participated in the violence and have gone on
to abuse the provisions of law to file false cases against the victims.



All of these factors have created and atmosphere of fear for the community
in Karnataka  while Hindu fundamentalist forces are repeatedly going scot
free and thus their actions.



These incidents are a blatant violation of the right to life, liberty and
religious freedom enshrined in our constitution. It is important that
immediate action be taken in this regard so as to avoid planned violence
against any one community among the citizens of the nation, as has been
witnessed in India in the past.



We hope that the Central Government and the Human Rights Commissions will
reprimand the actions of Hindu fundamentalist forces as well as state actors
while urging the state government to ensure protection for these communities
throughout the state and pursue relevant action in all of these cases so as
to restore law and order and protect the rights enshrined in our
constitution. It is only by curbing this violence can India comply with the
law of the land and live up to its image of being the largest democracy that
ensures equality, freedom, respect and dignity to all its citizens.



Thank you,



Yours Sincerely,



Maitreyi Krishnan, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore

Ponni Arasu, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore

Clifton D' Rozario, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore

Manoranjini, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore

Sowmya Bhat, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore

Mythri Bhat, Bangalore

 Jiti Nichani, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
Mamtha Nichani, Bangalore
Manu Nichani, Bangalore
Amith Makhija, Bangalore
Naveen Nichani, Bangalore
Samtha gopal, Bangalore,
Gopal Mahadevan, Bangalore
Ramakrishna Bhat, Bangalore
Shashikala Bhat, Bangalore
Ananya Bhat, Bangalore

- -- 
Calvin: I wonder if you can refuse to inherit the world...
Hobbes: I think if your born its too late.



- -- 
Calvin: I wonder if you can refuse to inherit the world...
Hobbes: I think if your born its too late.