The collector Mr. Ankit Anand called a meeting of various Christian
leaders on July 23, 2014 on the recent issue of resolutions being taken by Gram
Sabhas in Bastar and Jagdalpur districts outlawing non-Hindu religions from
villages in these districts.
While the media reports that more than 50 villages have passed these
resolutions, Anand admitted to only three gram panchayats passing these
resolutions while speaking to Times of India earlier. The resolutions have been
backed by VHP and Mr. Suresh Yadav the local VHP leader has openly acknowledged
this.
Mr. Anand reportedly told the Christians that while he cannot
challenge the resolutions he is initiating peace committees in which Christians
will be included to resolve the issue in an amicable manner. He had earlier
told the media, "any resolution by village council banning people from any
particular religion or community from the village is legally null and
void." But now Mr. Anand seems to be following the well-designed VHP
strategy of creating a conflict and then thriving on it.
Peace committees are needed when there are two or more opposing
parties of equal or comparable strengthen and when both have worked towards
creation of a conflict. The issue in this case is not this.
Christians and other non-Hindu religions have been banned using an
existing provision of legislature which has been misinterpreted and the tribal
identity has been reduced to that of a Hindu according to the narrow definition
of the Hindutva brigade, ignoring the rich religious and cultural history of
Tribals. This has been achieved thanks to the nefarious designs of the VHP
supported ably by the BJP and others. Christians mainly are the one non-Hindu
group that have suffered exclusion and violence as a result of VHP works
intensifying in the area.
It is a classic case of aggression by one party and then making the
situation to look like both parties have been aggressive on similar scale.
Christians are victims; they do not need peace committees but protection. They
are not aggressors quite unlike the VHP that need pacifying via peace
committees. Christians are already committed to peace in an area where peace if
threatened by the VHP and the official machinery propelled by the BJP.
