Religious Questionnaire In India's Gujarat State Raises Suspicions

A controversial decision to make primary students in rural areas complete a religion-based questionnaire has raised suspicions about a "hidden agenda" by the government of western India's Gujarat state.

The Opposition Congress has dubbed the census in rural areas as an "attempt to disturb communal harmony" by India's radical Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Education Minister Anandiben Patel denied any "religion-based" survey in village schools. However, she admitted that students were being asked to participate in a survey to make them better aware of their social and cultural surroundings and to sharpen their writing skills.

The four-page questionnaire seeks to find out how many people belong to which religion in a village, the festivals that are celebrated, the number of religious places, and their historical importance. The survey is being conducted as part of the government's district primary education project's documentation exercise in each of the state's 18,000 villages.

Believers are concerned that the information will be used to create a religion- based databank in rural areas. A similar exercise was secretly undertaken by Gujarat police in the Dangs district shortly before the anti-Christian attacks in 1998.

(WorldWide Religious News/The Telegraph)

Christians old age home attacked

By: PTI January 24, 2005

The cross erected on the gate of a Home for the Aged, run by a group of Christian nuns, at Ambernath in Mumbai suburb, was damaged by some miscreants, police said here today.

Some handwritten pamphlets, asking the nuns to leave the convent, were also left behind during the incident late last night, according to Sister Diana, in-charge of Teresian Carmelites Convent.

"The inmates heard some noise of motor bikes and things being broken at 2 AM on Sunday. But in the darkness the miscreants could not be identified", she told PTI.

"They broke the cross and left behind pamphlets, carrying handwritten messages `Run away, we will come back... Go away, this country is ours... Now it is the cross, next time it will be your heads'", she said.

"The Home was set up three years ago and we have never had any problem before. We received a lot of cooperation since we moved in here. There had been no opposition from any quarter so far, hence we are surprised by the attack", said Sister Diana, who was away at the time of the attack.

The convent houses 17 inmates, including 12 elderly women, who are taken care of by the nuns. Ambernath police said the matter was being investigated. "We have also provided police protection to the Home", police said.

Meanwhile, the All India Catholic Union (AICU) and the Bombay Catholic Sabha today condemned the attack. "We urge the police and government to provide police protection and apprehend culprits immediately", Dolphy D'Souza, National Vice President of AICU said.

http://ww1.mid-day.com/news/city/2005/january/102202.htm

Ongoing Attacks on India Christians Continue to Draw Concern

Attacks on Christians in India from those linked to extremist groups have continued over the Christmas period

Attacks on Christians in India from those linked to extremist groups have continued over the Christmas period, according to the director of a UK-based human rights charity group.“We are deeply concerned about these unprovoked incidents of violence and call on the authorities to do more to curb the violence of extremist Hindu groups against Christians," stated Stuart Windsor, National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide.

In the most recent incident, an Indian priest was attacked at the altar of his church on Christmas Eve as he was preparing to conduct a service.According to CSW, the Reverend Father Saji Abraham of the St. Thomas Orthodox Church in Banswara, Rajasthan was going to the sacristy to put aside the holy bread for use during the worship, when he noticed three men were following him. When Abraham asked them to remain outside, the men attacked him with metal rods. Under the force of the blows, the priest fell down, suffering heavy bleeding from his head injuries. When he regained consciousness, he rang church members for help on his mobile phone and was taken to hospital where he was last reported to be in a critical condition.

In another reported incident, which occurred on the same day, a Christian driver in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, was attacked when he asked for a salary advance to celebrate Christmas. According to CSW, the driver had gasoline poured over him and was set on fire. He suffered about 26 percent burns and was admitted to hospital.

Over the last few weeks there have also been a number of other incidents in India where Christians have been threatened or attacked. In Gujarat, anti-Christian pamphlets and books accused Christians of forcibly converting Hindus from poor backgrounds in the south of the state. On Dec. 18, the police arrested a man allegedly working for an organization linked to the militant Hindu Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) after he was found distributing such leaflets.

In Rajasthan, a group reportedly belonging to the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) attacked two Christian pastors on Dec. 10, accusing them of converting others. The police protected the men from the attackers.Also in Rajasthan, a Christian orphanage in Baran reported in early December that it might have to relocate because of anti-Christian threats. Despite police protection, tensions in the region have forced the orphanage to relocate the children.

Gujarat Christians to appeal against verdict

Piprol is a tiny village, situated 20 kms away from Dharampur taluka of Valsad district in Gujarat. Here 22 Varli tribal Christians live. A kaccha Church also exists here. Christians here often face religious persecution because of their faith and mode of worship. ‘Friends Missionary Prayer Band,’ an organization doing missionary work at the national level, is trying to help them.

Recently the Christians here had to face a serious incident simply because of their religion. Way back on 26 April 2001 Adivasi Christian Ramanbhai K. Gavit’s wife Kalguben R. Gavit had died due to snake bite. Same night some communally biased elements put off the street lights of Piprol village and attacked Ramanbhai’s house, saying "If your Christianity is true religion then ask your Lord Jesus Christ to bring your wife back to life at once. And if your wife doesn’t come back to life, you will have to accept Hindu religion." Ramanbhai K. Gavit protested against this, so the mob attacked him, beating him up severely. An injured Ramanbhai had to be admitted in local Dharampur Civil hospital. Next day (27 April 2001) family members of victim Ramanbhai K. Gavit were on their way to Piprol village to take part in the burial ceremony of Kalguben Gavit (wife of Ramanbhai). They were attacked and seriously beaten up near the village bus stand by communal elements. Due to these ongoing incidents, Christians lodged a police complaint in the local Dharampur police station but the police authorities did not listen and failed to take any action in the matter.

Meanwhile, communal elements in Piprol village kept troubling Christians and continuously tried to stop them from worship. After these series of incidents, again in the morning of 28 May 2001 communal elements attacked Ramanbhai Gavit with sharp weapons near the village bus stand while he was awaiting for the bus. Ramanbhai Gavit cried for help. In response Christians of the village, Ramesh Chandubhai Varli, Harjee Chandubhai Varli, Ishwar Chandubhai Varli, Chandubhai Dharmabhai Varli to name a few, rushed at the site and tried to save Ramanbhai Gavit. Due to their intervention members of both groups were injured and were admitted to the civil hospital of Dharampur. During the treatment a member from the communally biased group, called Gopjibhai Ramabhai Varli, expired on 29 May 2001.

Now the police of the Dharampur police station lodged a complaint against five tribal Christians in connection with incident. Communal elements claimed that that the murder was caused due to some financial transaction. Local communal outfits became active to teach a “lesson” to local Christians with the help of the local public prosecutor and police department which placed this criminal case in the fast track Sessions Court. Communal elements presented false witnesses before the police authorities. Therefore the police arrested five Christians: Ramesh Chandubhai Varli, Ishwar Chandubhai Varli, Dhakliabhai Kalubhai Varli, Chandubhai Dharmabhai Varli and Harjeebhai Chandubhai Varli, in connection with the murder case of Gopjibhai Varli. In this case the communally biased organizations with the help of government machinery, panchayat members, statements of false witnesses and biased police investigations, gained advantage over the victims. The case was admitted in Gujarat state’s Valsad district’s Session Judge’s fast track court. The court passed its judgment on 19 June 2004 sentencing to life imprisonment all the accused Christian.

Due to this serious occurrence of such black incident for the first time in the history of Gujarat state, the All India Christian Council - Gujarat unit has pledged to help the Friends Missionary Prayer Band and challenge the Session Court Judgment in the Gujarat High Court.

By Samson C. Christian

samson_chri@sify.com

Indian priest attacked in church on Christmas Eve

January 10, 2005

An Indian priest needed 17 stitches after being attacked at the altar of his church on Christmas Eve.

The Reverend Father Saji Abraham was preparing to conduct a service at St. Thomas Orthodox Church, Banswara, Rajasthan. When he went to the sacristy to put aside the holy bread for use during the worship, he was followed by three men.

He asked them to remain outside, but was attacked with metal rods. The priest fell down under the force of the blows, suffering heavy bleeding from his head injuries. When he regained consciousness, he rang church members for help on his mobile phone. He was taken to hospital where he was last reported to be in a critical condition.

On the same day, a Christian driver in Ahmedabad, Gujarat , was reportedly attacked when he asked for a salary advance to celebrate Christmas. Robinson Joseph had petrol poured over him and was set on fire. He suffered about 26 percent burns and was admitted to hospital. The All India Christian Council (AICC) took up his case with the local police, but was told the accused had fled.

There have been a number of other incidents in India over the last few weeks where Christians have been threatened or attacked. Again in Gujarat, anti-Christian pamphlets and books accused Christians of forcibly converting Hindus from poor backgrounds in the south of the state. On December 18, the police arrested a man allegedly working for an organization linked to the militant Hindu Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) after he was found distributing such leaflets.

In Rajasthan, two Christian pastors were attacked on December 10 on their way to a prayer service by a group which accused them of converting others. The police protected the men from the attackers who reportedly belonged to the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) group.

Also in Rajasthan, a Christian orphanage in Baran reported in early December that it may have to relocate because of anti-Christian threats. Despite police protection, tensions in the region have forced the orphanage to relocate the children.

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Christian Pastors Beaten Up Near Balasore

by Bibhuti Mishra

A pastor in a Baptist Church and other missionaries were beaten up by some youth, who accused them of conversion attempts.

The incident ocurred at a meeting at Baidhar Singh's house in Gopinathpur Nuasahi village, Balasore district, on Sunday evening. More than a hundred tribals and Dalits were present.

Sanjay Pal and Dubai Tudu, priests at the Baptist Church of Kuruda, had come to the meeting along with two other missionaries. Word spread that the missionaries were trying to convert the tribals and Dalits.

Kishore Sarangi, a worker having links with the VHP and the BJP allegedly led a group of youths and came to the meeting place. The priests and the misionaries were chased and bashed up in public.

Two FIRs have been filed and the district administration has deployed police as the situation is tense. The FIR lodged by the priests allege hooliganism and physical assault by the youths while the counter FIR allege forcible conversion attempts by the missionaries.

The FIR says Chand Mallick, Dhanuram Hansda and four others were trying to convert Geda Singh of Nilgiri by giving him Rs 10,000. Hundreds of VHP and BJP workers gave a memorandum to the subcollector alleging such conversion attempts. No arrest has been made so far.

(courtesy persecution.org)

Missionaries Face Persecution In Yamuna Nagar.

Christian missionaries have become the target of harassment and persecution at the hands of Hindutva nazis at Yamunanagar. The servants of the Lord belonging to the Missions India have bore the brunt of these religious fundamentalists. The attacks are well orchestrated.

Recently when two female missionaries were visiting the house of a believer, anti-Christians confronted them alleging 'forced conversion'. The members of the household strongly refuted this charge and spoke in favour of the missionaries.

However,the following day the hindutva fanatics planted false stories in the leading newspapers. The Yamunanagar Kesri reported the news in a very negative manner saying that missionaries were gheraoed.

This is not the first attempt whereby hindutva fanatics have tried to harm the Christian missionaries. They regularly mislead the police with false complaints in order to harass the missionaries. Many a time,they tried to get the missionaries arrested and sent to jail. The servants of the Lord continually face problems due to the hindutva menace.