Pastor arrested from home in Madhya Pradesh

Barwani, Madhya Pradesh: 28/06/2008: 10 PM

Madhya Pradesh police accompanied by a crowd of Hindutva zealots disrupted a peaceful prayer assembly today around 10 PM at Barwani and arrested the Pastor and detained the congregation at the police station.

Pastor Hate Singh Rawat who has earlier also been targeted by the Hindutva Fundamentalists of the area, was leading a peaceful prayer meeting at his own home when the local police accompanied by a huge mob of Hindutva activists barged into his home and carried him off forcefully to the police station. The congregation which numbered around 200 was made to follow him as well. 

Reports are still coming in and the last that we heard from the police was that they are investigating and that there is too much commotion in the police station premises. Mr. V K Sisodiya, the police inspector of Barwani Police Station first refused to come on the phone and after many attempts to contact him when he did respond, his reply was a curt, "we are investigating!"

According to local pastors who do not wish to be named, the situation is getting out of hand. The believers, numbering almost 200 have been made to sit in front of the police station, while the Hindutva mob is increasing as they are calling local people to "gherao" the police station. The pastors said that in all probability the Christian leaders will be charged with false cases because the pressure on the police is increasing.

We solicit your prayers for them.

You can also call the Barwani police station at +91-7290-222044. You can send emails to the Superintendent of Police, Barwani, Mr. P K Mathur at sp_badwani@mppolice.gov.in and call him up at +91-7290-222561.

City police entry into church angers pastors

TNN
HYDERABAD: The presence of police at the 40-year-old Hebron Church in Golconda crossroads on June 8 has angered the congregation.

With two groups trying to gain control over the church, police reportedly entered the premises and detained three pastors.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, senior pastor John Stuart said the Chikkadpally police interrupted the pastors' prayer on June 8 and manhandled elders and pastor G T Benjamin (75) apart from detaining three others.
"Police entered the church with shoes on and terrified the pastors," John Stuart alleged. He said police should not interfere in the matters of church.
On June 8, the pastors of the church alleged, police took charge of the entire service proceedings and ensured that F C S Peter, retired Chikkadpally assistant commissioner of police (ACP) K Lakshmi Naik, however, denied the allegations that police had entered the church.

He said police personnel had been posted near two gates of the church to prevent any clashes.engineer-in-chief, roads and buildings department, and presently director-general, National Academy of Construction, preached from the pulpit.
Peter is said to be a relative of chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

The Times of India, 15 June 2008

Pastor attacked in Chhattisgarh

Masihi Mandir, an Independent Church, pastored by Rev. Nelson Daniel was vandalized by a group of about 20-25 Hindu extremists on Sunday June 1st 2008, in Oriya Para, Raipur Naka, Durg, Chhattisgarh.
The incident took place at around 11 am during the worship service. The miscreants shouting Jai Sri Ram (Praise Lord Rama) slogans barged inside the church and disrupted the service and destroyed church furniture. They threatened the worshippers of dire consequences if they continue to worship Christ and falsely accused them of converting Hindus to Christianity.
Rev. S. Das of the Mennonite Church, Bhilai informed the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) that again in the evening around 40 extremists gathered near the Church premises shouting anti Christian’s slogans. The mob claimed they will organize more attacks on the churches in the area.
An FIR has been lodged against the unknown persons under Section 295, 147, 323 of Indian Penal Code.
A group of concerned Christians led by Rev. Arpan Tarun, met the Collector Shri. Subrat on June 2, 2008 and submitted a memorandum. They also spoke to the Superintendent of Police (Rural) Shri. Thakur requesting appropriate action to be taken against the culprits. The delegation was assured of the support of the administration.

Source: EFI

Pastor attacked by Bajrang Dal members near Rewa, Madhya Pradesh

Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, 26th May 2008 - Pastor Rampal Kori (30) who works for Eternal Life Ministries and is a resident of village Maoganj, 65 kilometers from Rewa district, MP was attacked by Bajrang Dal leaders while he was on his way back from Dadar village. The attackers have been identified as Chintaman Kol and Bihari Kol and are said to be block level leaders of Bajrang Dal. According to reports Chintaman Kol hit Pastor Rampal with an iron rod, which knocked him unconscious and left him bleeding heavily.

Pastor Rampal also reports that the attacker duo robbed him of 3000 rupees, which a local Church member gave him for some Church purpose. According to reports last recieved Pastor Rampal had been admitted to the Government run Samudayik Swastha Kendra Maoganj and was recovering from his injuries. An FIR has been filed in the local police station but no arrests have been made. Pastor Rampal and his wife Rajkali (28) have 2 girls 10 and 8 and a boy who is 6 years old.

30 Christian preachers attacked by Hindu radicals at Andhra Pradesh, India

By James Varghese

ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) -- In yet another savage attack on Christians in India, news has just come out that some thirty Christian preachers were beaten by Hindu activists belonging to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Bainsa town in the Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh.

According to a story issued by the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) on their website www.persecution.in, the group of preachers belonging to the Brethren Church went to Bainsa to preach the Gospel on May 23, 2008.

On learning of their presence, the RSS activists first attacked their vehicles and then beat them up, resulting in serious injuries to many of them. Incredibly, the preachers were later taken by the attackers to the police station at Bainsa so they could file a complaint against them and for the police to inquire into their allegations.

As if this wasn’t enough, three truckloads of Hindu fanatics, numbering about 200, then surrounded the police station wanting to attack the preachers again. The Christians had to remain inside the police station as the attackers lay outside waiting for them. Meantime another preacher came to Bainsa town without knowing anything about the attack and was also thrashed severely.

The All India Christian Council has condemned the attack on the preachers and sought protection and safety for them.

Editor’s note: Christians around the world are wondering when the Indian authorities will finally step in and stop what seem to be never-ending attacks on believers in India. One has to ask why Christians in India, the world’s largest democracy, are not allowed freedom of speech in their own country without having to face such violence.

Click here for source

HRD Ministry Asks NMC's Views on Quota for Dalit Christians, Muslims

CITHARA PAUL
Posted online: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 2212 hrs

New Delhi, May 27: Though already neck-deep in quota quagmire, the HRD Ministry has now asked the National Minorities Commission (NMC) to present its assessment on the controversial issue of granting Scheduled Caste status to Dalit Christians and Muslims.

The NMC had recently commissioned a study which came up with strong recommendation for granting SC status for Dalit Muslims and Christians on the lines of Dalit Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.

The HRD Ministry has also asked the NMC to take up the case with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment which had earlier expressed some reservations on the issue, saying it would affect the 15% quota for Dalit Hindus.

Interestingly, "quota-friendly" HRD Minister Arjun Singh had made this move when the Government was resisting the pressure from coalition partners like the DMK, Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Jan Shakti Party and Lalu Prasad Yadav who had made similar demands. They had been asking the Government to place the report by the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM) Commission before the Parliament which had made similar recommendations on the issue of granting SC status for Dalit Christians and Muslims.

Paswan and Lalu had argued that it would help in taking on Mayawati as it would split her Dalit vote bank as the Hindu Dalits unwilling to share the reservation pie are against it. Both leaders had even taken up the issue with the Prime Minister, who is understood to be "hesitant" in creating yet another reservation controversy.

The study initiated by the NMC had looked into the contemporary status of Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians in terms of their material well-being and social status. It had categorically stated that there was a strong case for including Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians in the Scheduled Caste category.

"There are compelling arguments in favour of such an inclusion based on principles of natural justice and fairness. The balance of pragmatic considerations is also in favour of their inclusion. According due statutory recognition to Dalit Muslims and Dalit Christians would not only right a wrong, it would also remove an indefensible anomaly in our politico-legal system that can legitimately be construed as discriminatory," the study said. "In most social contexts, they are Dalits first and Muslims and Christians only second."

 

Source

1,793 Christians reconverted to Hinduism

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - Yesterday, 1,793 tribal Christians reconverted to Hinduism in a ceremony in Borivli (Mumbai), presided over by Hindu leader Swami Narendra Maharaj. Maharaj, who led the ritual of shuddikaran (purification), said that 42,200 people have been reconverted, above all in the tribal areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat.  He accused Christians of using "luring and misleading" methods to convert Hindus, and said that "an anti-conversion law is needed," because "nobody should be converted, whatsoever be his religion".  He criticised the political parties that "have refused to take a firm stand on the government’s conversion bill", and expressed his hopes for the creation of a "pressure group" that would protect Hindu "interests". He also blamed the Hindu fundamentalist parties Bharathiya Janata and Shiv Sena for not being decisive enough.

There are laws in various Indian states punishing the activity of proselytism.  In general, these are interpreted in the sense that it is not prohibited to convince someone to renounce other religions in order to return to Hinduism, which is considered the "natural" religion for Indians.

On April 14, in the city of Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu), over one thousand Christian Dalits reverted to Hinduism, and the organisers of the ceremony announced their intentions to reconvert another 20,000 Christians in Villupuram in upcoming months.

The auxiliary bishop of Mumbai, Percival Fernandez, told AsiaNews yesterday that "two points must be clarified: 1) no adult can receive or be given the sacrament of baptism without his or her free consent.  Baptism given by coercive methods is totally invalid, hence the person so baptised cannot be numbered among Catholics. 2) We have been asking persons who are shouting from the house-tops that we are converting people to Christianity by force or other coercive methods, that they should produce before us persons who have been thus baptised and received into the Catholic Church: so far not a single person has been produced.  If they feel shy to do so before us Catholics, let them produce such persons before the courts of law in our country".

On the state anti-conversion laws, Bishop Percival, who is also the chairman of the St. John's National Academy of Health Sciences, maintains that it is more important that "legislators spend their precious time in the legislatures to plan and execute  projects that get drinking water, decent housing, daily affordable bread and  primary education to the millions who are deprived of these basic requirements for which they have a right. Instead of wasting precious time in working out anti-conversion laws, it would be much more profitable if they appointed a high level commission consisting of excellent judges that we have in plenty in the country, identify the persons converted by the Catholics by force and allurements and identify the person who did such a condemnable deed, and punish both concerned with laws that are already available in the constitution of our beloved country".

Source: www.asianews.it

Bible school attacked in Karnataka

Hindu Jagarna Vedike & VHP- hinduvta extremists on 24th May assaulted staff and students of 'Timothy Theological School' in Sathanarayapettai, Bellary district of Karnataka.

Around 12.30 p.m. around 20 extremists led by Mr. Anil Naidu and Siddesh barged into house-church as lectures were going on and attacked Rev. Jayaprakash and the 15 students in the classroom. The radicals then physically assaulted Rev. Dr. Isaac Namadevu, chairperson of the theological school and also Pastor of "Assembly of God Ministry church.

The radicals have beaten up Rev. Isaac and Rev. Jayaprakash. Fifteen students were also injured in the attack. Rev. Jayaprakash has sustained head injury during the attack. The attackers were alleging forceful conversion. The radicals tore the bibles, broke the window glasses and destroyed all the furniture.

Dr. Rev. Isaac Namadevu has filed complaint against the radicals. Mr. Nayak is the Circle Inspector Gandhinagar Police Station apprehended anad detained eleven radicals for enquiry.

Click here for source

Nuns attacked in Bhopal, MP

By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,

Bhopal: A group of miscreants assaulted two inmates and ransacked Novitiate of the Presentation Sisters on Thursday evening on the outskirts of Bhopal here. The incident took place at Gondarmug village under the Gandhinagar Police Station area.

According to Fr. Anand Muttungal, PRO & Spokesperson Catholic Council of Bishops Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, the Sisters lodged a police complaint immediately after the incident against the unidentified persons at Gandhinagar police station following which nine persons have been arrested under Sections 147, 452, 426 and 502 of the Indian Penal Code, (IPC).

While narrating the incident, Superior of the convent Sr. Silvya Francis reportedly said: “the miscreants numbering 30 first forced their way into the convent campus. Then 12 of them barged into the convent through the main door and began to destroy the windowpanes, television set, lantern and other furniture.” The loss is estimated to be around one lakh.

The anti-socials were armed with hockey sticks, cricket bats and stones, she said adding they vandalized the convent for nearly 12 minutes. They also climbed up the first floor of the two storied building and dragged two of the novices down and manhandled them. Besides this, they tried to lock one of them into a room. However, both managed to escape from their clutches.

The marauders had also disconnected the telephone line before entering into the campus. The convent is the novitiate house of Sister of Presentation since last six years.

One of the novices reportedly said: “ they were shouting at sisters saying, “we are Hindus and we don’t want you here” They also asked them to leave the place, she added.

Reacting to the incident Fr. Anand Muttungal in a statement lamented that it is really sad to see the deteriorating religious harmony along with law and order. The Bharatiya Janata Party, (BJP), ruled Madhya Pradesh Government has failed to follow the High Court interim order to provide security to Christian community, he pointed out.

"We will approach the High Court again because after the court direction there have been around ten such incidents in Madhya Pradesh”, Fr. Anand claimed.

Meanwhile, a delegation comprising of office-bearers of Madhya Pradesh Isai Mahasangh, (MPIM), Roy John Thatta, Richard D’ Silva, senior journalist and Convener of Rashtriya Secular Manch L S Herdenia and Fr. Anand Muttungal, met the Bhopal Collector Manish Rasthyogi and Superintendent of Police Jaydeep Prasad. They have assured strict action on the accused. He also told that he will look into the damage happened to the building.”

Richard D’Silva, General Secretary of MPIM has asked the Government to provide security to the Christian community otherwise, he warned the community may have to take to the streets.

Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman J. P. Dhanopia while condemning the incident said since the BJP came to power four years back attacks on Christians and their places of worship has been going on at regular intervals. He said that up till now 82 cases of attack on Christians have occurred but still the state government has not woken up from deep slumber. The violence against Christians have taken places mostly in the districts of Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Ratlam and Jhabua, he pointed out.

Dhanopia has demanded from the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to order impartial inquiry into the attacks on Christian community and see to it no such attacks take place in future. If this is not done then Congress would have to launch a campaign for it, he threatened. (pervezbari@eth.net)

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Team to visit Kandhamal

Bhubaneswar, May 10: A four-member independent tribunal headed by two former high court judges is scheduled to visit Kandhamal district, which had been ravaged by communal strife last December.

They would oversee the relief, reconstruction and security situation. The team would comprise Justice Hospet Suresh and Justice Kolse Patil, former DGP of Gujarat R.B. Sreekumar and human rights activist Teesta Setalvad.

The members of the tribunal will visit Orissa from May 12 to 17.

After arriving at Bhubaneswar on Monday, they will travel to Brahmanigaon in Kandhamal, the place worst affected by the communal violence.

They will visit most of the areas affected by the communal strife and hold public hearings at Baliguda from May 13 to 15. During these hearings, a cross-section of the victims, including displaced villagers, will depose.

The tribunal is expected to return to Bhubaneswar via Phulbani, the headquarters of Kandhamal district, on May 16.

They would present the preliminary report before the media on May 17, said Pran Parichha, convener of the state unit of Indian Christian Council.

Kandhamal district had witnessed communal strife from December 24 to January 2.

Three persons were killed and hundreds of them lost their houses in the riot.

Places of worship also bore the brunt of the strife that threw the district completely out of gear and everything else in a state of disarray.

Source

Goondagiri by BJP in Uttarakhand

Dehradun, May 3 (ANI): Uttarakhand Police on Saturday registered a case against a legislator in Dehradun after BJP activists vandalized a Christian school on the day of a shutdown called by the party.

The youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ransacked the school on Friday when the BJP issued a call for a nationwide shutdown to protest against inflationary trends in the economy.

The school Principal alleged that the security guard of the school saw Ganesh Joshi, a legislator who was involved in the case standing outside the school gate.

The party cadres broke windowpanes of the Grace Academy School and engaged in a scuffle with the Principal Benjamin Newton.

Around 11.30 a.m. on Friday, a mob entered the school. I went outside to investigate the matter. They asked us whether the school was closed. I replied in the affirmative. But they said that they could see children from outside. They roughed me up, pushed me aside and went in. They came till the reception and saw that all the classes were shut. They enquired about the principal and they hailed me with blows when I admitted that I was the principal, said Benjamin Newton, principal.

Newton charged the police with negligent behaviour as they failed to respond and even delayed in registering the case against the miscreants.

Police lodged an FIR (First Information Report) when several educational institutions came out in support of Benjamin Newton.

Grace Academy has filed a complaint against MLA Ganesh Joshi (BJP) for causing damages and for engaging in a scuffle. They told us that some people came along with MLA to beat up the principal and also broke his glasses, Ashok Kumar, Inspector General of Police, Garhwal, told reporters on Saturday.

Newton also said that if the miscreants were not arrested, the school would remain shut for indefinite period.

However, Joshi played down the entire incident as a minor fracas and brushed aside all the allegations.

For the first time in my political career of 23 years I found that the shops were closed till evening. A few people deliberately created such a situation. So if members of our party displayed aggressive behavior then I don’t consider it wrong, said Ganesh Joshi, MLA, BJP.

Joshi in his defense said that he went to the school to stop his party members from ransacking the school. (ANI)

1700 convert to Hinduism

The muddy Gavdevi ground at Shimpoli in Borivli (West) was sprinkled with saffron and green on Sunday.

In the presence of Narendra Maharaj, chief of the Ramanandcharya Peeth of Nanij in the Konkan, hundreds of men and women, most of them tribals, converted to Hinduism.

This is the first such event in the city, and part of the peeth’s massive re-conversion movement started two years ago.

Women were clad in green and men wore white dhotis, while the volunteers donned saffron.

Those who converted included recently married couples and families from the tribal interiors of Thane and Nashik district.

Many men had their heads shaved for the ceremony. Items for the mass ceremony were placed on banana leaves. A four-hour long sacred ritual was carried out to “purify” them, after which they were accepted as Hindus.

The rituals included the panch gagan snan, bhasma snan and amrut snan. They then took an oath never to abandon Hinduism.

Narendra Maharaj alleged Christian missionaries ventured into rural areas and lured them with financial help and other benefits to convert them.

As the tribals were mostly illiterate, they got converted easily, he said. The Sadguru Narendra Maharaj Sansthan claims to have brought 42,220 people back into the Hindu fold till date, including Sunday’s 1,793 people.

According to Narendra Maharaj, Hindus are declining in number and sooner or later will be rendered a minority.

“There is no other nation that embraces Hinduism; we have no place to go, unlike Christians and Muslims,” he said. “Nepal was the only country that supported Hinduism, but now the Maoists have taken over and declared it a non-religious country.”

He said he opposed votebank politics and condemned the state’s move to take over temples.

He also alleged the state’s anti-superstition law adversely affected Hindus the most.

Asked how the Sansthan ensured a better life for poor tribals, he said: “We are not a rich institution but we do our best by providing them with domestic flour mills, LPG burners and cylinders, some utensils and even employment. We assist them in realising that Hinduism is the greatest religion and induce pride and self respect within them.”

Christian leader and vice-president of the state Minority Commission Abraham Mathai had earlier called the charges of forced conversion baseless and said there was not a single incident that proved any Christian missionary had converted anybody by force or inducement.

“If the Hindu fundamentalists are true in their claims how does the official Christian population of the country remain stagnant at 2.5 per cent — the figure registered in the 1947 census and thereafter,” Mathai said.

Click here for source

1,800 Christian tribals convert to Hinduism in Mumbai

Mumbai, April 27: Around 1,800 Christian tribals on Sunday re-converted to Hinduism in the presence of spiritual leader Swami Narendracharya at suburban Borivali.
Talking to the media on the occasion, Narendracharya, popularly known as Narendra Maharaj, claimed so far he had reconverted 42,220 people, mostly from tribal areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Maharashtra, into Hinduism. It includes 1793 people who underwent reconversion rituals today.
About his drive, Maharaj said it was deplorable that Hindus had to be reconverted to Hinduism. He said he was not opposed to anybody practising any other religion, but the missionaries were "luring and misleading" the ordinary Hindus to convert them.
"An anti-conversion law is needed.....Nobody should be converted, whatsoever be his religion."
He said Hindus were being "marginalised" because they don't have any patrons. "We need to build a pressure group so that our interests are guarded."
Maharaj was critical of the BJP and Shiv Sena. "BJP and Shiv Sena talk about Hindutva, but once they get votes they don't do anything."
He, however, hailed Sena chief Bal Thackeray and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for their pro-Hindu stance.
He criticised the saffron parties for not opposing the proposed anti-superstition bill (in Maharashtra) and the bill which contemplates government taking over the administration of Hindu temples, in the assembly.
Saying it had become fashionable to abuse Hinduism, he criticised the Sethusamudram Project. "Where is the need to demolish the Ram Setu? It is being done to take revenge for demolition of Babri Masjid," he said.
Bureau Report

Look Who's Talking: Advani Woos Christians

New Delhi, April 26: After trying to persuade Muslims to back Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), former deputy prime minister L. K. Advani today asked Indian Christian community to back his party. The BJP is trying desperately to persuade one and all before the forthcoming general elections to be held next year. Christians can play an important role in states like Kerala and north eastern states.

Christian community has been at the receiving end in states where BJP is in power including Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Orissa. Christian institutions have been constant targets of BJP’s sister concerns like Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and RSS.

Advani today said, “Those who call the BJP ‘communal’, ‘anti-minorities’ and ‘anti-Christian’ are spreading falsehood for their own ulterior motives. Let me make it very clear that we respect Christianity, we revere Jesus Christ for his message of universal peace, love and brotherhood, and we deeply value the contribution of our Christian brethren both to India’s freedom struggle and to India’s nation-building in the post-Independence era.”

Advani said this while speaking as the chief guest at a function in Kottayam (Kerala) today to celebrate the Navathy — 91st birthday — of Rt. Rev. Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostom, Valia Metropolitan of Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar. He said on the occasion: “I am indeed blessed that I have come to pay tributes to His Holiness who embodies faith, love, happiness, experience, compassion, wisdom and, above all, boundless enthusiasm.”

Advani recalled that when Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee formed the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (predecessor to the BJP) in 1951, he appointed Barrister V.K. John as the chief of the Jana Sangh in Madras province. Barrister John, incidentally, was a classmate of Dr. Mookerjee in Calcutta.

“The same propaganda was also heard at the time. Barrister John was asked: ‘How can you, a Christian, accept to be an office-bearer of a communal party?’ His answer was forthright: ‘I know Dr. S.P. Mookerjee very well. He cannot be the president of a communal party.’”

Giving the examples of how the BJP backed a Christian PC Alexander to be its presidential nominee in 2002, Advani said, “Dr. Alexander was never known for his proximity to the BJP. Rather, he had served as the Principal Secretary under two Congress Prime Ministers — Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.”

Advani also called for expanding inter-faith dialogue to promote the tradition of mutual tolerance and respect, peaceful coexistence, national solidarity and common endeavor for common good. “I believe that every faith has something valuable to offer and we should have an open mind to absorb the best in every faith.”

Conversion law violation is a criminal offense

GANDHINAGAR: From now on, anyone wishing to convert will have to tell the government why they were doing it and for how long they had been following the religion which they were renouncing, failing which, they will be declared offenders and prosecuted under criminal laws.

Forced conversion could land those responsible a three-year jail term. This clause is contained in the rules of the anti-conversion law which came into effect on April 1.

The new law is called Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act, 2003, and took five years to be implemented because of the failure of the state government to come up with rules on the kind of information to be provided when applying for permission to convert to any religion.

The Bill confirms that Jainism and Buddhism are not sub-sects of Hinduism. The rules have been published in the Gujarat government gazette.

The rules make it obligatory for a priest seeking to convert someone from one religion to another to take prior permission of the district magistrate in order to avoid police action.

The priest, in fact, will have to sign a detailed form providing personal information on the person whom she/he wishes to convert, whether the one sought to be converted is a minor, a member of Scheduled Caste
or Tribe, her/his marital status, occupation and monthly income.

Anyone willing to convert will have to apply to the district magistrate a month before the rituals and give details on the place of conversion, time and reason.

After getting converted, the person will have to obligatorily provide information within 10 days on the rites to the district magistrate, reason for conversion, the name of the priest who has carried out the ritual and full details of the persons who took part in the ceremony.

The district magistrate will have to send a quarterly report to the government listing the number of applications for prior permission, comparative statistics of the earlier quarter, reasons for granting or not granting permission, number of conversions, and number of actions against offenders.

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Christian arrested in Jabalpur

Pappu Tekchand Burman alias Vijay ( 40) was denounced by Bajrang Dal and Dharam Sena in February, but no action was taken by them at the time. On the night of 24th April 2008, thre was a knock on the door at 12:00 midnight and police took Vijay from his residence near Timber factory Bhonga Dwar Kajarwara Jabalpur to the police station accusing him of converting people.

He was let off at 1:00am and returned home.Again, on 25th April, the Police arrived at his home and and took Vijay to the Police station and laid charges on him under Section 3 (4)and 295. The former is for conversion and the latter 295 is that he "demoralise or criticize other god goddesses".

Vijay was taken from the Sadar Cant police station to the Civil Court were his bail plea was rejected. He was then lodged in Subhash Chandra Bose Jail. The pastor and believers and the GCIC representative Rajesh are all trying for his bail. Pray for his early release.

From GCIC Website

Sanction to prosecute VHP activists refused

JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Rajasthan has refused sanction to prosecute 14 Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists, accused of attacking a Christian priest here a year ago. It has ordered the closure of police investigation while asking the trial court to accept a previous charge sheet as valid.

A gang of 20 VHP activists, led by its Jaipur unit general secretary Virendra Singh Ravana, allegedly attacked Pastor Walter Masih in his prayer room – situated barely one km away from the Chief Minister’s official residence here – on April 29 last and ransacked his house. The priest was allegedly thrashed with lathis and rods and left profusely bleeding. Police arrested 14 accused and registered a case against them under six sections of the Indian Penal Code, relating to rioting, causing hurt, house trespass and causing damage.

The prosecution filed a charge sheet against the accused in the trial court in August 2007, but informed the court that the charge sheet was incomplete as the probe under some other charges was pending. Police added IPC Sections 153-A (hate speech), 295-A (insulting a religion or religious beliefs) and 505(3) (offensive statements made at a place of worship) to the charges against the accused during investigation and sought the State government’s sanction for prosecution as required by Section 196 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Meanwhile, the accused were released on bail by the Rajasthan High Court after its denial, first by the trial court and later by the Sessions Court, on the basis of prima facie evidence produced against them. The case in the court of Judicial Magistrate No. 16, Jaipur city, has since been pending for arguments on charges.

The in-charge of Sodala police station has now informed the trial court that the State government has refused sanction for prosecution of the accused under the new IPC sections and the investigation in the case has been closed in compliance with an order of the Superintendent of Police. Police have requested the court to treat the previous charge sheet as final and valid even though the government’s order has not specified any ground for denial of sanction. Interestingly, the District Magistrate is empowered to give sanction under Sec. 505(3) without referring it to the government, while the latter’s sanction is needed for prosecution under Sec. 153-A and 295-A.

Civil rights groups here on Sunday registered a strong protest against the government’s decision, saying it was “patently illegal” and aimed at protecting the criminal elements of the VHP by ensuring that they faced trial under mild sections of IPC. They accused the BJP-led government of pursuing a policy to intimidate religious minorities. People’s Union for Civil Liberties State president Prem Krishna Sharma told journalists that this “fascist approach” of the ruling BJP was dangerous in view of the Assembly elections due this year. “With the elections coming nearer, there are clear indications that the BJP will openly threaten the minorities and give a free hand to its rank and file to attack them.”

While Pastor Walter Masih demanded justice, the activist groups pointed out that the government had followed a “communal pattern” by giving prompt sanction in a case against Father Thomas of Emmanuel Mission in 2006 and withdrawing the case against VHP leader Praveen Togadia in 2007. The government also withdrew in 2004 more than 250 criminal cases, in which several Ministers were involved.

PUCL lawyer A.K. Jain said the activists would take recourse to the Right to Information Act to demand that the government spell out reasons for denying sanction to prosecute the VHP activists and lodge a complaint with the Governor S.K. Singh. The civil rights activists will also organise a rally on the issue before the case comes up in the court for the next hearing on April 25.

(The Hindu 21/4/08)

“We will burn you like Graham Staines”

by Gospel for Asia

Two young women from a Gospel for Asia Bible college were chased and threatened by 70 anti-Christian extremists after conducting a worship service in Orissa, India. Chunile Wyn and Preeja Sushan are student missionaries serving their internship in Orissa.

On Sunday, the extremists entered the building where the women were worshipping with 15 other believers. The radicals carried sticks and stones, but all the Christians escaped the church unharmed.

However, Chunile and Preeja were still in the building, and the anti-Christians surrounded them and shouted threats.

“We will burn you alive like Graham Staines and his children!” they shouted at the women. Graham Staines, an Austrailian missionary in Orissa, was burned to death in 1999. Religious extremists set fire to the vehicle Staines and his two young sons were sleeping in, killing them all.

The extremists eventually let the women out of the church, but then chased them through the streets until the girls found a phone booth. Chunile and Preeja called their Bible college, and a pastor came to protect them. By the time he arrived, the extremist crowd had dispersed, leaving only threats that the women must never come back to their village.

Chunile and Preeja request prayer that they can continue their internship without fear. They also ask for prayer that the anti-Christians will realize Christ’s love for them and stop hindering the Gospel. Also lift up the district pastor in this area, that he will be able to stand strong and encourage the local believers.

© Assist News Service

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The Church needs no lesson in Nationalism

T’PURAM: The Christian Church in Kerala need not be taught nationalism by anyone, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said on Sunday.
He was inaugurating an all-faith meeting convened to mark the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church’s St Mary Queen of Peace Pro- Cathedral at Palayam here.
There are few communities that have cultivated a sense of nationalism like the Christians in the state.
No one need to teach them nationalism, he said, referring to the recent attack on Christian educational institutions by Left students’ organisations.
There is no justification for the revengeful attacks on Christian organisations supported by the government.
The Left students’ organisations are competing with one other to launch attacks on Christian institutions. Such acts are unconstitutional and insulting, Vayalar Ravi said.
Catholicos Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, the head of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, presided over the function. Uthradam Thirunal Marthanda Varma delivered the keynote address.

Christians arrested in MP

News just came in about 4 pastors belonging to GFA who have been arrested in the Ratlam district of MP. On the 28th March 08, the pastors were with a crowd of Christians watching movies on the life of Jesus, when police arrested them.
According to reports they were presented to the local magistrate on the 29th but they case has been postponed till April 1st 2008. The police it seems purposely presented them to the magistrate late in the evening so that bail would not be granted.
They have been charged under sections 3 and 4 of the MP freedom of religion bill.
Local Christians say that more arrests of Christian pastors are being forecasted in the area, as the police have become pawns at the hands of the Hindutva elements sitting in Bhopal.