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Varanasi's citizens demand action against church attackers

CJP 05 Oct 2018

A United front of Varanasi’s social groups has approached top officials in the administration to take strict action against members of the Hindu Yuva Shakti Sangathan who attacked the St. Thomas church in Godaulia on October 2.


Varanasi
 
Varanasi: A United front of Varanasi’s social groups has approached top officials in the administration to take strict action against members of the Hindu Yuva Shakti Sangathan who attacked the St. Thomas church in Godaulia on October 2.
 
Led by Sajha Sanskriti Manch, members met top officials who assured a fair investigation and strict action against the anti-social elements.
 
On October 3, social and citizen groups of Benaras shared a memorandum with district officials against the people who attacked the church. Many demands were made in the memorandum. The first demand of the group was that a thorough and procedural investigation on the basis of the FIR should be conducted. They also said that by arresting the accused, the administration should send a strong message to elements that try to hurt the social fabric of the city.  
 
Along with the memorandum given to the Mandal Nayak, District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police, a copy of a video shared on social media was also attached. The video showed people trying to instigate violence against the church. The group demanded that concerned officials should flag and block the people and communities that share such hate mongering content and the cyber cell should take necessary action against them by filing an appropriate case under cyber laws.
 
The Mandal Nayak agreed that it was necessary to send a message to people planning such mischief. He also assured that the district officials will make a forum to address the issues raised by the group and ensure strict action as soon as possible.
 
It is said that the church is 200 years old and many people from various religious backgrounds visit it to pay respects. The group said that the communal unity and collective faith define the place and the historical place was marred by violence on world non-violence day/Gandhi Jayanti. An FIR was filed but the group alleges that no action has been taken so far. Under the leadership of Sajha Sanskriti Manch, Kashi Kaumi Ekta Manch, Nagrik Prayas Manch, Insaf Manch and Rashtriya Inquilabi Dalit Adivasi Manch (RIDAM) presented the memorandum to the district officials. The group included people like SP Rai, Jagriti Rahi, Sanjeev Singh, Satish Singh, Advocate Surendra Charan, Anoop Shramik, Premnath, Father Dayakar, Ravi Shekhar, Om Prakash, Aminuddin and more.
 
Full text of the memorandum:
 
प्रेस विज्ञप्ति                            04 अक्टूबर 2018
 
गोदौलिया गिरजाघर पर उपद्रवी तत्वों के हमले के विरोध में शहर के सामाजिक संगठन एकजुट.
 
साझा संस्कृति मंच के नेतृत्व में आला अधिकारियों से मुलाक़ात, कड़ी कार्यवाही की मांग.
 
मंडलायुक्त ने दिया कड़ी कार्यवाही का भरोसा, उपद्रवी तत्वों को जल्द पकडे जाने का आश्वासन.
आज दिनांक 3 अक्टूबर 2018 को बनारस के तमाम सामाजिक संगठनों ने एकजुटता दिखाते हुए गोदौलिया गिरजाघर पर हुए उपद्रवी तत्वों के हमले के खिलाफ जिले के आला अधिकारियों से मिलाकात की और सभी की तरफ से उन्हें ज्ञापन भी सौंपा गया. ज्ञापन में मुख्य रूप से मांग की गयी कि उक्त हमले में जो ऍफ़ आई आर दर्ज की गयी हैं, उसके अंतर्गत त्वरित कार्यवाही की जाए, और आरोपितों की गिरफ्तारी के माध्यम से जिला प्रशासन उपद्रवी तत्वों के विरूद्ध कड़े से कडा सन्देश प्रसारित करे.
 
मंडलायुक्त महोदय, जिलाधिकारी महोदय व वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक महोदय को दिए गए ज्ञापन के साथ साथ उपद्रवी तत्वों द्वारा सोशल मीडिया पर उकसाने वाले सन्देश और वीडियो की कॉपी भी संलग्न कर दी गयी. उपरोक्त अधिकारिओं से यह मांग भी स्पष्टता के साथ रखी गयी कि ऐसे साम्प्रदायिक सन्देश सोशल मीडिया पर प्रसारित करने वालों को साइबर सेल के द्वारा जल्द से जल्द चिन्हित कराया जाए और सम्बंधित धाराओं में निरुद्ध कर मुकदमा पंजिबद्ध किया जाए.   
इस सन्दर्भ में मंडलायुक्त महोदय ने यह स्वीकार किया कि ऐसे उपद्रवियों के खिलाफ कडा सन्देश देना जरुरी है. उन्होंने जल्द ही आला पुलिस अधिकारियों से इस बारे में एक बैठक करने का भी आश्वासन दिया, जिससे जल्द से जल्द कड़ी कार्यवाही सुनिश्चित हो सके.
 
ज्ञात हो कि उपरोक्त गिरजाघर लगभग 200 साल पुराना है, जहां इसाई समुदाय के आलावा अन्य सभी धर्मों से जुड़े लोग भी जाते हैं. आपसी सौहार्द, सामूहिक आस्था साम्प्रदायिक एकता के प्रतीक इस ऐतिहासिक गिरजाघर पर विश्व अहिंसा दिवस / गांधी जयंती पर कुछ उपद्रवी तत्वों ने धर्मांतरण का आत्रोप लगा कर हमला किया था, जिसके बाद पुलिस ने एफआई आर तो दर्ज किया पर अब तक कोई कार्यवाही नहीं की गयी, जिसके आलोक में आज साझा संस्कृति मंच के नेतृत्व में काशी कौमी एकता मंच, नागरिक प्रयास मंच, इंसाफ मंच, राष्ट्रीय इन्किलाबी दलित आदिवासी मंच (रिदम) आदि के प्रतिनिधियों ने आज यह ज्ञापन दिया. इनमे मुख्य रूप से एस पी राय, जागृति राही, संजीव सिंह, सतीश सिंह, एडवोकेट सुरेन्द्र चरण, अनूप श्रमिक, प्रेमनाथ, फादर दयाकर, रवि शेखर, ओम प्रकाश, अमीनुद्दीन,   आदि मौजूद रहे.
 
द्वारा जारी,
सतीश सिंह, साझा संस्कृति मंच, वाराणसी.
9415870286.
 

Varanasi's citizens demand action against church attackers

A United front of Varanasi’s social groups has approached top officials in the administration to take strict action against members of the Hindu Yuva Shakti Sangathan who attacked the St. Thomas church in Godaulia on October 2.


Varanasi
 
Varanasi: A United front of Varanasi’s social groups has approached top officials in the administration to take strict action against members of the Hindu Yuva Shakti Sangathan who attacked the St. Thomas church in Godaulia on October 2.
 
Led by Sajha Sanskriti Manch, members met top officials who assured a fair investigation and strict action against the anti-social elements.
 
On October 3, social and citizen groups of Benaras shared a memorandum with district officials against the people who attacked the church. Many demands were made in the memorandum. The first demand of the group was that a thorough and procedural investigation on the basis of the FIR should be conducted. They also said that by arresting the accused, the administration should send a strong message to elements that try to hurt the social fabric of the city.  
 
Along with the memorandum given to the Mandal Nayak, District Magistrate and the Senior Superintendent of Police, a copy of a video shared on social media was also attached. The video showed people trying to instigate violence against the church. The group demanded that concerned officials should flag and block the people and communities that share such hate mongering content and the cyber cell should take necessary action against them by filing an appropriate case under cyber laws.
 
The Mandal Nayak agreed that it was necessary to send a message to people planning such mischief. He also assured that the district officials will make a forum to address the issues raised by the group and ensure strict action as soon as possible.
 
It is said that the church is 200 years old and many people from various religious backgrounds visit it to pay respects. The group said that the communal unity and collective faith define the place and the historical place was marred by violence on world non-violence day/Gandhi Jayanti. An FIR was filed but the group alleges that no action has been taken so far. Under the leadership of Sajha Sanskriti Manch, Kashi Kaumi Ekta Manch, Nagrik Prayas Manch, Insaf Manch and Rashtriya Inquilabi Dalit Adivasi Manch (RIDAM) presented the memorandum to the district officials. The group included people like SP Rai, Jagriti Rahi, Sanjeev Singh, Satish Singh, Advocate Surendra Charan, Anoop Shramik, Premnath, Father Dayakar, Ravi Shekhar, Om Prakash, Aminuddin and more.
 
Full text of the memorandum:
 
प्रेस विज्ञप्ति                            04 अक्टूबर 2018
 
गोदौलिया गिरजाघर पर उपद्रवी तत्वों के हमले के विरोध में शहर के सामाजिक संगठन एकजुट.
 
साझा संस्कृति मंच के नेतृत्व में आला अधिकारियों से मुलाक़ात, कड़ी कार्यवाही की मांग.
 
मंडलायुक्त ने दिया कड़ी कार्यवाही का भरोसा, उपद्रवी तत्वों को जल्द पकडे जाने का आश्वासन.
आज दिनांक 3 अक्टूबर 2018 को बनारस के तमाम सामाजिक संगठनों ने एकजुटता दिखाते हुए गोदौलिया गिरजाघर पर हुए उपद्रवी तत्वों के हमले के खिलाफ जिले के आला अधिकारियों से मिलाकात की और सभी की तरफ से उन्हें ज्ञापन भी सौंपा गया. ज्ञापन में मुख्य रूप से मांग की गयी कि उक्त हमले में जो ऍफ़ आई आर दर्ज की गयी हैं, उसके अंतर्गत त्वरित कार्यवाही की जाए, और आरोपितों की गिरफ्तारी के माध्यम से जिला प्रशासन उपद्रवी तत्वों के विरूद्ध कड़े से कडा सन्देश प्रसारित करे.
 
मंडलायुक्त महोदय, जिलाधिकारी महोदय व वरिष्ठ पुलिस अधीक्षक महोदय को दिए गए ज्ञापन के साथ साथ उपद्रवी तत्वों द्वारा सोशल मीडिया पर उकसाने वाले सन्देश और वीडियो की कॉपी भी संलग्न कर दी गयी. उपरोक्त अधिकारिओं से यह मांग भी स्पष्टता के साथ रखी गयी कि ऐसे साम्प्रदायिक सन्देश सोशल मीडिया पर प्रसारित करने वालों को साइबर सेल के द्वारा जल्द से जल्द चिन्हित कराया जाए और सम्बंधित धाराओं में निरुद्ध कर मुकदमा पंजिबद्ध किया जाए.   
इस सन्दर्भ में मंडलायुक्त महोदय ने यह स्वीकार किया कि ऐसे उपद्रवियों के खिलाफ कडा सन्देश देना जरुरी है. उन्होंने जल्द ही आला पुलिस अधिकारियों से इस बारे में एक बैठक करने का भी आश्वासन दिया, जिससे जल्द से जल्द कड़ी कार्यवाही सुनिश्चित हो सके.
 
ज्ञात हो कि उपरोक्त गिरजाघर लगभग 200 साल पुराना है, जहां इसाई समुदाय के आलावा अन्य सभी धर्मों से जुड़े लोग भी जाते हैं. आपसी सौहार्द, सामूहिक आस्था साम्प्रदायिक एकता के प्रतीक इस ऐतिहासिक गिरजाघर पर विश्व अहिंसा दिवस / गांधी जयंती पर कुछ उपद्रवी तत्वों ने धर्मांतरण का आत्रोप लगा कर हमला किया था, जिसके बाद पुलिस ने एफआई आर तो दर्ज किया पर अब तक कोई कार्यवाही नहीं की गयी, जिसके आलोक में आज साझा संस्कृति मंच के नेतृत्व में काशी कौमी एकता मंच, नागरिक प्रयास मंच, इंसाफ मंच, राष्ट्रीय इन्किलाबी दलित आदिवासी मंच (रिदम) आदि के प्रतिनिधियों ने आज यह ज्ञापन दिया. इनमे मुख्य रूप से एस पी राय, जागृति राही, संजीव सिंह, सतीश सिंह, एडवोकेट सुरेन्द्र चरण, अनूप श्रमिक, प्रेमनाथ, फादर दयाकर, रवि शेखर, ओम प्रकाश, अमीनुद्दीन,   आदि मौजूद रहे.
 
द्वारा जारी,
सतीश सिंह, साझा संस्कृति मंच, वाराणसी.
9415870286.
 

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