Monday, June 19, 2006

Minorities under attack in Chattisgarh

Minorities under attack in Chhattisgarh: panel
Raipur June 18, 2006 1:15:08 AM IST

Chhattisgarh's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government should take effective steps to stop atrocities against minorities, who are increasingly being targeted in recent months, the National Commission for Minorities said Saturday.

"Minorities are under attack in Chhattisgarh as well as in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Atrocities against them have increased sharply in recent months," H.S. Josh, a member of the Commission, told reporters here.

Josh held daylong meetings with various religious organisations here in the wake of reports that Christians were facing serious threats in tribal areas in rural and forested parts of the state.

Official sources said a Christian body told the commission member that minorities were facing harassment in Jashpur district as BJP cadres and sometimes even the district administration targeted them on charges of forceful religious conversion of local tribals.

The commission assured the Christian body that it would submit a report to central government soon about the condition of the minorities in the state and would also take up the issue with the state government. (IANS)