Betul, Madhya Pradesh

On the January 7, a Christian missionary school located in Betul district reportedly became the target of an assault. According to The Observer Post,, two people reportedly affiliated with the Bajrang Dal, including a woman, forcefully entered the premises in the midst of a prayer session, and obstructed the proceedings. They claimed that they were there on allegations that the Christian community was engaging in “forced religious conversions”, and stated that the  local residents were compelled to participate in prayer activities within the empty school on Sunday.  News reports have stated that there were a lot of arguments, and two people have been arrested including one woman. Bajrang Dal has reportedly stated to the media saying that people are constantly being forcibly converted here and the police is not taking any action.

Location: Betul, Madhya Pradesh
Date: January 7

Bajrang Dal member forced their entry into a school run by members of the Christian community and created a ruckus over allegations of religious conversion. pic.twitter.com/CftzhqAZ0r

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) January 8, 2024

Khargone, Madhya Pradesh 

On January 3, 2024, two people named, were arrested on charges of allegedly attempting forced religious conversions at an event held in Khargone district, Madhya Pradesh, according to a report by Scroll. There was news among the local population of a “large” gathering in a house. Reports allege that this was reported to Hindutva organisation, Sakal Hindu Samaj. Upon learning of the event, the members of the Sakal Hindu Samaj staged a protest, as confirmed by the police to Scroll.

The event was reportedly organised  by a man named Malloi and Nagar and police allege that the aim of the gathering was to convert attendees to Christianity, according  to Scroll. The two accused now face legal action under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, according to the same official.

According to Scroll, the police official has stated that, “Mehram Malloi, an Adivasi who had converted to Christianity 15 years ago, had organised an event for religious conversion. Three to four men objected that they would not convert.”

A news clip which depicted people disrupting the prayer meet has surfaced on the internet,

Location: Khargone, Madhya Pradesh

Members of the far-right group Sakal Hindu Samaj disputed a Christian prayer meet over religious conversion allegations. Police have detained multiple members of the Christian community. pic.twitter.com/1o5ePYpPj3

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) January 4, 2024

Bastar, Chattisgarh

According to Madhya Pradesh based news channel, IBC 4, the village of Jagdalpur, situated in the Bastar region of Chattisgarh, witnessed  Hindutva groups reportedly mobilising the local residents to rally in opposition to a government-designated burial ground allocated for the Christian community. Christians form a small minority in Chhattisgarh and have a 2 percent share in the total population of the state, and a large number of Christians live in Bastar. The region has faced constant tensions with regards to burying of people from the Christian faith. In January, 2023, about 1000 Christians were reportedly displaced from their homes in Bastar after facing religious persecution in the region.

Morena, Madhya Pradesh

A similar such incident occurred in Morena, in the state. A Christian prayer gathering was reportedly disrupted by members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The disruption was fueled after some people alleged that religious conversions were taking place during the prayer meet. However the police have completely denied the issue of religious conversion.

Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh

In the town of Jobat, situated in Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh, a Christian prayer assembly was  reportedly brought to a halt after concerns were raised about alleged religious conversions. Following this incident the report alleges that the police have apprehended a member of the Christian community while another individual is still at large.

Location: Jobat, Alirajpur, Madya Pradesh

Locals stopped a Christian prayer meet over allegations of religious conversions. Police have arrested one member of the Christian community. pic.twitter.com/U90E2naJZT

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) January 3, 2024

The sarpanch, Vijay Kachuwa, has stated to the media that this gathering was held for people to adopt the Christian faith. “I had tried to explain to them to stop but when they didnt after repeated attempts to convince them, I complained to the police.” He further talks about how the gathering had mutton and rice cooked at it, and stated that it was a religious conversion ceremony and sought to incentivise the local population to convert.

Recently, over 3,000 Christians from various parts of India, were signatories of a statement which expressed their disassociation from Christian leaders who participated in a Christmas lunch hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, 2023. The signatories believe that Christians have been under constant attack in the past 10 years of BJP rule.

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Hindutva’s “rice bag converts” controversy

The post Indian Christian community faces persistent attacks in first 10 days in 2024 appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Christians the target of violence:

Fr. Jacob stated in the interview that although the conflict in Manipur is being depicted as one between two tribes, the Christians from both the Kuki and the Meitei communities appear to be the targets of the violence. The churches, Christian institutions, and Christians as a whole had been attacked by the acts of violence, according to Fr. Jacob, who stated that this was also the message they had received from Christian religious leaders in Manipur.

Additionally, as stated by Fr. Jacob, the situation caused the Christians in Manipur to feel apprehensive and uneasy, leading to an exodus from their home as the Kuki Christians went up the hills and the Meiteis moved to the valley. He added that Kerala MP Hibi Eden had previously claimed that even BJP Christian MLAs and followers felt uncertain and worried there.

Negative propaganda, efforts to wipe out the Christian community

Fr. Jacob compared the current negative propaganda being spread about Christians in Manipur to the targeted violence Christians endured in Orissa’s Kandhamal district in 2007, where a planned attack against Christians had occurred after some Hindu organisations started a negative campaign against the Christian community. When the interviewer asked Fr. Jacob to name the people running the said negative campaign in Manipur, Fr. Jacob refused to name anyone, and simply stated that there are certain vested interest groups behind it. He further stated that it is the duty of journalists and the government to expose who these people are.

Nevertheless, Fr. Jacob did say that “The truth is, somebody strong is playing a game behind the violence in Manipur. It is a pre-planned attack on churches, Christian organisations and Christians. By destroying all the structures belonging to one community, somebody wants to wipe out any trace of that community from the history of that place.” According to him, these attacks are happening consciously, and with a motive, as there is only one community being selectively targeted and suffering damages. He then states, “If it is not a pre-planned attack, how it is that in just two nights, 246 churches were burnt down?” 

Deafening silence of the authorities:

Speaking about whether the state government is neglecting the plight of the Christina community, Fr. Jacob maintains that even though more than 35,000 army personnel, state police, and Assam Rifles are stationed in Manipur, churches are still being attacked, showing that the army lacks the authority to intervene. Furthermore, according to Fr. Jacob, the government is being silent about the theft of army weaponry, which begs the question of whether the elected state government, which is responsible for protecting both citizens and their property, has failed terribly.

Fr. Jacob further highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not said anything over the Manipur violence in the two months since it began. “It is very cruel. The prime minister’s silence is frightening. Why is he silent? Who is forcing him to keep quiet? How can a prime minister sit idle and remain silent when people are being brutally murdered? When he is sitting in a responsible position to serve people, how can he keep silent?”

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The post “246 churches burnt in 2 day, somebody strong is playing games in Manipur”: Father Jacob G Palackappilly appeared first on SabrangIndia.

On February 12, unidentified individuals set fire to and desecrated a church in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district. According to police reports, people discovered burnt furniture, walls blackened with smoke from the fire, and the word ‘Ram’ painted on the wall inside the Christian prayer hall in Chauki Pura village in the tribal-dominated Sukhtawa block of the district.

The church, about 40 kilometers from the district headquarters, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and was constructed around five years ago.

Based on the preliminary investigation, Gurukaran Singh, Superintendent of Police, Narmadapuram, provided that the vandals had entered the place of worship, which was built around five years ago and is located 40 kilometers from the district headquarters, by removing a window net and burning it from inside.

According to his inquiry, it does not appear to be part of a bigger plot, but rather an act performed out of personal grievances. The police assured that they have filed a report, obtained numerous leads, and will soon be able to apprehend individuals responsible for the incident.

Speaking to media on the night of the incident, Singh told the reporters that the church had remained shuttered following the previous Sunday’s services. Worshippers were only made aware of the occurrence this Sunday, February 12, when they came to pray.

The police have filed a FIR under Section 295 (injuring or defiling a house of worship), among other provisions, against the unknown individuals.

According to an official, some holy scriptures and other goods, including furniture, were also damaged in the fire, citing a complaint made in conjunction with the incident.

The social media post can be viewed here: 

Weeks after #Narayanpur (#Chhattisgarh) #ChurchAttack, a church was vandalised in #Sukhtava block on #MadhyaPradesh‘s #Narmadapuram.

Miscreants attacked the #Church, vandalised it & allegedly tried to set it on fire.

They also wrote #Ram on Walls, says Police.

FIR lodged. pic.twitter.com/lsqKit42fu

— Hate Detector ? (@HateDetectors) February 13, 2023

Singh said that a similar case was also reported on Jan 9 in a nearby locality, and both the cases look similar in prime facie investigation. On Jan 9, a Church ECI Mission Kheda was allegedly attacked and attempts were made to burn religious books.

The post by Hate Detectors can be viewed here: 

SP Gurkaran Singh said that a similar case was also reported on Jan 9 in a nearby locality. Both the cases look similar in prime facie investigation.

On Jan 9, a Church ECI Missionkheda was attacked & attempts were made to burn religious books.

MP is going for polls in 8-month. pic.twitter.com/sAdeR5amGZ

— Hate Detector ? (@HateDetectors) February 13, 2023

On the same day, another incident communal incident was reported from Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh wherein a idol of Hanuman was forcibly installed in a Muslim man’s house. The police used force to disperse both sides, which was met with stone pelting, injuring four police personnel. Three cases under different sections of the IPC pertaining to house-trespassing, attempt to murder, and rioting were filed. Five men have been detained so far. The main accused in the incident is a self-styled Hindu leader, Ravi Awhad, as has been provided by Persecution Relief News.

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The post Madhya Pradesh: Church Defiled by miscreants, ‘Ram’ written on walls appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Anti-Christian activities and attacks seem to be at an all-time high in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governed Karnataka as Christmas nears. Even though  citizens have been protesting the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 that was tabled on December 21, and may become a Law in the state soon, attacks on the minority community continue.

Another attack on Christians was reported from Chikkaballapur,  just days after members of right-wing groups set fire to Christian religious books in Kolar. According to a report in NDTV the 160-year-old St Joseph’s church was vandalised in Chikkaballapur district in southern Karnataka. The vandals broke the statue of St Anthony, which the police has reportedly taken away “for further investigation” and a first information report, has been registered.

Father Jospeh Anthony Daniel, the priest in charge of the church, was quoted by NDTV saying that this kind of vandalism had never happened there before. The church in Susaipalya, some 65 km from state capital Bengaluru, is believed to have been damaged around 5.30 this morning, stated the news report. A member of the church reportedly saw the damage at 5.40 am and informed the priest, who then filed a complaint with the local police.

Fact finding reports put on record the rising attacks

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) recently released a report titled “Criminalizing the Practice of Faith” on Hate Crimes against Christians in Karnataka by Hindutva groups. The report says that the myth of “conversion” is a bogey “used to target the constitutional right to practice, profess and propagate religion as recognized under Article 25,” and puts on record how, in Karnataka, it is being used to curtail Christians’ constitutional right to practice and profess their religion.

In the wake of the media reported attacks against Christians in North Karnataka, a fact-finding team from the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) of Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI). They visited eight towns and cities, and met with 12 pastors and Christian leaders who have recently experienced opposition and harassment. According to the team, “It is clear and obvious that an atmosphere of fear and apprehension prevails in the Christian community and its grassroots religious clergy because of systematic targeting through a vicious and malicious hate campaign. It is equally obvious that those involved in carrying out this hate campaign and fear mongering enjoy protection and possibly support of elements in the political and law and order apparatus in the state.” The EFI fears that the community “has a good reason to apprehend an outbreak of violence against them.” The EFI’s report may be read here.

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The post Karnataka: Another Church vandalised, this time in Chikkaballapur appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Citizens for Justice and Peace, has written to the National Commission for Minorities to take cognisance of the various church attacks by alleged right-wing outfits in various States over the past one week.

Multiple attacks have taken place in Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh. In the city of Roorkee, Uttarakhand, a right-wing mob allegedly vandalised the church where worshipers were attending Sunday’s congregational prayers and many of them were seriously injured.

CJP’s complaint reads, “The Church is located in Solanipuram Colony, Roorkee and those attending the prayers told media-persons that at around 10 A.M, a right-wing mob consisting of women also came to the prayer hall and shouted slogans against the church and its people. The mob accused those in the church of “carrying out religious conversion of some Hindus under the garb of charity work in the area” and then suddenly began to vandalise the Church premises. The worshipers have also alleged that they were “physically manhandled” by the mob. Reportedly, five Christians were injured and one of them, Rajat Kumar, is in critical condition.”

On Sunday, October 3, when the prayers were about to start, the attacking mob shouted slogans like ‘Vande mataram’ and ‘Bharat mata ki jai’, entered the church and started beating everyone in the prayer hall.

CJP’s complaint also cites other examples like in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh, Pastor Durgesh Bharti was leading a prayer meeting in the home of other Christians in the village of Nasirabad where some fanatics arrived and allegedly started to mistreat and threaten them. After a while they called the police. The police arrived and took Pastor Durgesh into custody at the Police Station in Paniyara.

In the state of Chhattisgarh, in the village of Kusumi, some Christians were attacked twice by the villagers: once in the morning and another in the afternoon, according to information from the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum. The villagers entered the small room used as a chapel, destroyed it and beat a 12-year-old boy.

In Karnal, Haryana, a Christian woman and about 25-30 other faithful were attacked by members of an extremist group during a Sunday liturgy. They were threatened, beaten, put to flight and the house where the Christians were praying was ransacked, mentions the complaint.

In Asola Fatehpur Beri, in New Delhi, 12 men reportedly went to the home of Pastor Santosh Dan and threatened him for announcing the Gospel, accusing him of trying to convert people through deception or illicit means. They told him not to let any Hindus into his house for any reason. In Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, Evangelist pastor Prerit and his Church were attacked allegedly by a right wing, which came to disrupt their Sunday worship.

The complaint further refers to the Persecution Relief report to highlight the increasing levels of hate crime against the minority community in India. “Hate Crimes against Christians in India have risen by an alarming 40.87 percent, even at times when the nation was under Covid-19 lockdown. Persecution Relief’s half yearly report of 2020 has on record 293 cases of hate crimes against Christians, including five rapes and six murders. In the same months of 2019, Persecution Relief had recorded 208 such incidents. From January 2016-June 2020, Persecution Relief states that they have recorded more than 2067 cases where Christians have been attacked in India”, states the complaint.

Our complaint also highlights India’s long-standing history of printing books with extremist content that militate against the constitutional vision in some privately run schools, clearly used for the dissemination of blatantly partisan and prejudicial ideas. CJP’s sister publication Sabrang communications (now SabrangIndia) has documented many such issues in Communalism Combat, its monthly magazine, which has been stated in the complaint. In 1999, the Vidya Bharati schools used textbooks with statements about the followers of Christianity read, “It is because of the conspiratorial policies of the followers of this religion that India was partitioned. Even today Christian missionaries are engaged in fostering anti–national tendencies in Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal, Bihar, Kerala, and other regions of our country because of which there is a grave danger to the integrity of present-day India”.

Keeping such historical injustices and systematic alienation in mind, CJP has urged the commission to take cognisance of such attacks and conduct a full-fledged investigation under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. We have also urged the commission to issue a statement condemning these attacks nationwide and issue guidelines/advisory to all State Police Departments to deal with communally motivated and partisan attacks in a stringent manner.

The complaints may be read here:

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The post CJP approaches NCM over church vandalisation across the country appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Multiple churches, mostly independent, have been reportedly attacked in various states over the Gandhi Jayanti weekend. The most serious attack was reported from Roorkee, Uttarakhand, where worshipers attending church-goers Sunday’s congregational prayers were seriously injured when a right-wing mob that vandalised the Church. The mob alleged that “religious conversion” was taking place, before it launched its vicious attack.

According to news reports, the Uttarakhand police have booked “200 people for allegedly vandalising a Church in Roorkee”. The accused have been booked for rioting, theft, trespassing and voluntarily causing hurt under varied sections of Indian Penal Code, reported the Hindustan Times.

The Church is located in Solanipuram Colony, Roorkee and those attending the prayers told media-persons that at around 10 A.M, a right-wing mob consisting of women also came to the prayer hall and shouted slogans against the church and its people. The mob accused those in the church of “carrying out religious conversion of some Hindus under the garb of charity work in the area” and then suddenly began to vandalise the Church premises. The worshipers have also alleged that they were “physically manhandled” by the mob.

Church attacked by RSS goons in Roorkee, Haridwar. Women were brutally beaten up, Church was vandalised. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami was in the Haridwar District when this happened, Did this attack have a sanction of the state government? ? pic.twitter.com/UvHx3wFRgH

— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) October 3, 2021

It is noteworthy that elections are due in the state next year, and communal polarisation and unrest has been reported to peak as the days draw closer. According to news reports, all allegations of “conversions” were denied by N Wilson, who is associated with the Christian prayer house. He told the media that over the “past two decades regular prayers, mass meetings and charity related activities were being carried out from the prayer house.”

According to a report in the Wire, the FIR registered by Prio Sadhana Lanse, the church pastor’s wife, stated that “over 200 men and women belonging to the local Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party’s youth wing, barged into the church and started vandalising it, while beating the churchgoers.”  She said, “The frenzied mob, shouting slogans like ‘Vande mataram’ and ‘Bharat mata ki jai’, barged into the church, which is on the first floor of the building. They started beating our volunteers and the women attackers bashed up our womenfolk.” The FIR named: Rajni Goel, Rakhi Pradhan, Banita Chauhan, Seema Goel, Dhir Singh and Shiv Prasad Tyagi, by Lanse who had recognised them as they are local residents.

However, this is not an isolated incident, according to sources in Evangelical Fellowship of India Religious Liberty Commission (EFIRLC), multiple such attacks have been reported from other places as well. They were all reported the weekend of October 2-3, when the nation observed Gandhi Jayanti. While further details are awaited, some of these attacks include:

Bhilai, Chhattisgarh: A local Pastor identified as Santosh Rao was called to the police station along with some others. He was accused of “conversion”, and was let go after interrogation.

Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh: Pastor Nandu Nathaniel and his wife arrested under sections of UP’s Anti Conversion law as well as some other IPC sections, after a complaint was launched by the person who lives next to the place where Christians worship.

Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh: Evangelist pastor Prerit and his Church were attacked allegedly by a right wing, which came to disrupt their Sunday worship. 

Komakhan, Kusumi Police station, Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh: A group of villagers entered a house church and allegedly vandalised it and “slapped a 12-year-old boy” who was praying inside the church. According to EFIRLC sources, the team is gathering more information and is reaching out to the victims with support.

These attacks come close on the heels of another incident that took place on September 28 where according to sources, Evangelist Charley John (63), Vishal Parashuram (24) and Keval Ram (29) were arrested in Rampur Bushehar in Himachal Pradesh while they were distributing Gospel literature. They are said to be behind bars and awaiting a bail hearing scheduled today, Monday October 4.

In February, the Supreme Court of India had allowed SabrangIndia’s sister organisation Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP),  to challenge laws against religious conversion passed by Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh by amending its original plea questioning similar laws passed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. In addition, the court also allowed the Muslim organization Jamait Ulama-i-Hind, to intervene in the proceedings. The organisation alleged the laws led to the harassment of a large number of Muslim men and hence there was a need to oppose the legislation. On January 6 this year, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Centre and the states of Uttarakhand and UP on two petitions challenging the validity of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018. One of the petitions was filed by CJP.

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The post Mob attacks Roorkee church, multiple attacks reported from other states appeared first on SabrangIndia.

 
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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Citizens group demands stern action against Hindu Yuva Shakti Sangathan

 
Varanasi: The attack on the Christian community in Uttar Pradesh continues unabated as another church was vandalized by Hindu extremists in Varanasi on October 2.
 
St. Thomas cathedral church in Godaulia was attacked by the members of Hindu Yuva Shakti Sangathan who took up arms against alleged religious conversion of Hindu people by the church’s pastor.
 
Pravin Dubey, the official representative of the organization, posted many inflammatory videos and pictures on his Facebook profile, attack the church and objecting the arrest of members. 
 
Many social activists and citizen groups wrote a letter to the DM, SSP, Commissioner requesting him to maintain the social harmony of the city and act against those who want to attack the peaceful fabric of the neighbourhood.
 
“On the holy day of Gandhi Jayanti, some 40-50 members belonging to a Hindu Yuva Shakti Sangathan vandalized St. Thomas cathedral situated on the Godaulia intersection and broke the gates, locks and tore up the notice board. The pastor of the church has filed a case against it in Dashashwamedh police station. Sir, on Facebook and social media, some people are threatening to attack the church again and are circulating threats to the Christian community and their priests. They are concocting and spreading dangerous rumours of religious conversions which have created an environment of fear and terror among people. The city of Benaras is known for its Ganga-Jamuna Tehzeeb. For the last few years, anti-social elements are trying hard to break this sovereign unity and communal harmony,” the letter by the citizen’s group said.
 
Talking about the church and how it is a centre where many religions merge, the group said, “The said church is 200 years old, which opens only on Sundays. People of all faiths from the neighbourhood come to the church to offer their respects. This reflects mutual harmony. There is respect for this church throughout the region. Therefore, we appeal to the government administration and the people of other social platforms of Benaras to join in this matter and arrest the miscreants. File a case against them so that it becomes a lesson for people wanting to break this unity. There should be no untoward incidents in Benaras and the peace should be maintained. At the same time, security should be arranged for the Church, the Church square and all the religious places of Benaras, so that the religious atmosphere is not disturbed and peace prevails.
 
The letter was signed by Saajha Sanskriti Manch, Kashi Kaumi Ekta Manch, Nagarik Prayas Manch, Insaf Manch, Rashtriya Inquilabi Dalit Adivasi Manch (RIDAM) and Asian bridge.
 
Full text of the letter in Hindi below:

सेवा मे,

विषय – विश्व अहिंसा दिवस (गांधी जयंती) पर गिरजाघर चर्च मे हुये हिंसा और तोड़ फोड़ के माध्यम से बनारस के सदभाव और शांति को बिगाड़ने के संदर्भ मे

महोदय,

निवेदन है कि हम प्रार्थीगण बनारस के तमाम सामाजिक संगठनो से प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं। महोदय, दिनांक 2/10/2018  को गांधी जयंती के पावन दिन पर, शाम 4 से 5 के बीच कोई ‘हिन्दू युवा शक्ति संगठन’ के नाम पर चालीस पचास लोग गिरजाघर गोदौलिया चौराहे पर स्थित सेंट थामस चर्च पर पहुंचे और वहां के दोनों गेट के ताले तोड़े और चर्च परिसर में घुस कर तोड़फोड़ किया, नारेबाजी की व चर्च के दरवाजे के बगल में लगा नोटिस बोर्ड तोड़ दिया गया जिसकी लिखित तहरीर चर्च के पादरी ने थाना दशाश्वमेध में दर्ज करा दिया है जिसका मुकदमा संख्या 123/18 पर धारा 452/427 आईपीसी दर्ज हुआ है।

महोदय, फेसबुक व सोशल मीडिया पर कुछ लोग ईसाई समुदाय व उनके पुरोहितों को धमकी भरा संदेश प्रसारित करते हुए पुनः चर्च पर हमला करने की धमकी दे रहे हैं।और धर्मांतरण का मनगढ़ंत आरोप लगा कर दुष्प्रचार कर रहे हैं, जिसके कारण ईसाई समुदाय में दुख भय व आतंक का माहौल व्याप्त होगया है। महोदय, बनारस शहर ऐतिहासिक गंगा जमुनी तहज़ीब के साथ रहा है। लेकिन पिछले कुछ वर्षों से कुछ असमाजिक तत्वों द्वारा इस सर्वधर्म एकता को तोड़ने  का प्रयास किया जा रहा हैं।

महोदय, उक्त चर्च 200 साल पुराना है जो सप्ताह में सिर्फ रविवार को ही खुलता है जिसमे आसपड़ोस के सभी धर्मों के लोग अपनी आस्था से चर्च में आते जाते हैं और अपना श्रद्धा अर्पित करते हैं जो आपसी सौहार्द को दर्शाता है। पूरे क्षेत्र में इस चर्च के प्रति आदर और सम्मान रहा है।  अतः महोदय, हम बनारस के तमाम सामाजिक मंच के लोग शासन प्रशासन से अपील करते हैं कि तत्तकाल इस मामले में हस्तक्षेप करते हुए दर्ज मुकदमे में गिरफ्तारी कराया जाए ताकि बनारस शहर में अमन चैन बना रहे कोई अप्रिय घटना ना हो, शहर की शांति बनी रहे। साथ ही  गिरजाघर चौराहे के चर्च की एवं बनारस के सभी धर्म स्थलों की सुरक्षा का इंतज़ाम किया जाए जिससे कि धार्मिक माहौल ना बिगड़े और शांति कायम रहे।

धन्यवाद। प्रार्थीगण

साझा संस्कृति मंच 
काशी कौमी एकता मंच
नागरिक प्रयास मंच
इंसाफ मंच Hb
राष्ट्रीय इंकलाबी दलित आदिवासी मंच(रिदम)
एशियन ब्रिज

Many churches and pastors have come under attack in Uttar Pradesh ever since Narendra Modi became a Prime Minister. Varanasi is his parliamentary constituency. The reason or the attacks have always been that the churches have been forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity. Proof for which is yet to be corroborated.
 
Attacks on Christians in Jaunpur, UP
Many churches and pastors were targeted in Jaunpur district in UP in September.
 
“Pastors have allegedly been arrested and taken from their homes in the middle of the night, roads leading to churches have been blocked and churchgoers forced to return home by the police, and other pastors have been threatened, beaten and prevented from conducting church service, according to former Member of the Delhi Minorities Commission A.C.Michael,” a report by The Citizen said.
 
“Those arrested have been charged with performing “fraudulent conversions”. Many of those taken into custody were not charged at all, he said. Police say they were acting on the basis of media reports accusing church officials of luring residents with miracles and inducements. Jaunpur town is an hour and a half by road from Varanasi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency,” the report said.
 
The Citizen came out with a timeline of attacks targeting the Christian minority in Jaunpur in September.
 
September 5 Pastor Durga Prasad and several others arrested
 
September 11 Pastor Rajendra Chouhan arrested along with six others, reportedly under pressure from right wing groups, and released on bail three days later
 
September 13 Pastor Gulabchand taken into custody along with three other church leaders, and released next day without any charges being filed
 
September 13 A Friday fasting prayer being led by Pastor Ravindra attacked by a mob of religious fanatics
 
September 13 Church leader Ram Milan beaten up by the brother of the village sarpanch who forces him to stop a prayer meeting
 
September 13 Disrupting a prayer meeting, police take into custody Pastor Ram Ratan and Pastor Thomas Osoof (from Mumbai)
 
September 16 Police block all roads leading to the church in Bhulandih and ask Sunday churchgoers to return home. Deepak, Rahul, Chandrabhushan, Rajendra and Virendra of the Bhulandih Church arrested, and released on bail three days later
 
September 16 Pastor Anil Kumar, Praduman, Deepak Kumar, Monu and Ravinder arrested during a church service, and released on bail two days later
 
September 23 A mob of religious fanatics accompanied by local police (pictured) go around the village shouting slogans, then enter the church, disrupting the Sunday service. Pastor Ashok Rajbhar, his father, and three other members of the church taken into custody. Pastor Rajbhar’s father later released
 
September 23 Another pastor conducting Sunday service arrested
 
September 23 Pastor Chabilal arrested while conducting Sunday service
 
September 24 Police ask Pastor Nanhe Lal to close down the church
 
The Citizen spoke to A.C. Michael, former member of the Delhi Minorities Commission, who believes there is a political purpose to the attacks. “It is part of a strategy to create fear among marginalised communities, especially the Christian minority. They are preparing the ground for the introduction of a so-called Freedom of Religion bill in U.P., which is nothing but an anti-conversion law. But in U.P. nothing is happening in terms of conversion, they don’t need such a law. We asked the police on what grounds they were doing this, and they told us they saw on Zee News that forcible conversions were taking place. But if media reports can be the basis for arrests, then senior Ministers should be in jail!” he added.
 
Read Also:
Communal Tension in Varanasi as Hindu Extremists allegedly attack Church

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A fact-finding team from Bhubaneswar comprising human rights activists Dhirendra Panda and Ajay Kumar Singh, journalist Amiya Pandav, Vice President of Mulnivasi Samata Parishad Abhiram Mallick, as well as Anil Kumar Mallick travelled to Odisha’s Sundergarh district to investigate the incidents and speak to locals.

According to a press release about the fact-finding mission, the team first traveled to the Kuarmunda block of the Salangabahal church, in the Sundargarh district, and saw the broken Marian shrine at the main gate. The shrine’s glass frame was broken, and the shrine itself was also broken and thrown into a nearby river; the statue was discovered by a fisherman who notified the police and brought it back. A local woman said that at 11.30pm on April 1, she heard the sound of glassware being crushed, but did not dare leave her home to see what was happening.

The fact-finding team also traveled to Laxmiposh in Rajgangpur block in the Sundargarh district where the head of a bull statue that was placed in front of a Shiva temple was crushed by unknown individuals in the same night, according to the press release. The release notes that there is “a conspiracy to create conflict between Hindu tribals and Christian tribals”.

Early on April 2, at around 1.30am, “miscreants” broke flower pots, the glass panel, and the statue of Marian in Rajgangpur’s Gyanpali village, the press release says. A woman, Sasmita Tirkey, heard sounds of breaking and came out to see a man carrying a bag walking away slowly. She alerted her neighbours, and four men on two motorcycles attempted to follow the man. However, they saw the church of Bihabandh burning, and woke up the parish priest, Fr. Bipin Kishor Majhi and others to put out the fire. Police provided security at the locations where the incidents took place after a written complaint was filed, but the press release notes that “there was an atmosphere of doubt everywhere”. It mentions Biramitra Minz, the church’s vice president and a former zilla parishad member and other villagers who it says believe that the incident was an attempt to break down peace in the village.

On April 7, the statue of Mary in the church of Laphoorbeda Dahijira in the Kutra block of the Sundargarh district was also broken, with an eyewitness saying that Kutra Police detained one individual but said that the person was mentally imbalanced without having conducted a medical checkup.

According to the press release, the fact-finding team has drawn the conclusion that the incidents that took place “to create differences, doubts and enmities between the Hindu Adivasi and Christian Adivasi the temple was purposely broken. The purpose also to bring the Caste based division.” The press release adds that there was more than one person involved in the incidents that it calls “highly planned and purposefully executed”. The release also says that the purpose was “to create fear and tension among” Christians and “create religion based” divisions.

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Marian statue inside the grotto of Bihabandh Catholic Church in Odisha (Photo by Rourkela Diocese)

According to the press statement put out by the CBCI, a large crowd comprising of priests, sisters, and devotees received the delegation as it reached Sundargarh.

On April 1, 2018, during the late night of Easter Sunday, few “anti-social” elements vandalised a grotto outside the compound of St. Thomas Church, Salangabahal, and mutilated the statue of Marian. The vandals also broke the head of the statue of baby Jesus in the grotto.

Moreover, goons reportedly smashed a statue of Marian in another grotto in Gyanpali village and attempted to burn the Church of the Victory of the Cross in Bihabandh, the Diocese of Rourkela.
To make the situation more grave, the head of a statue of a bull of a Shiva Temple in the vicinity was also found chopped off.

The church did not link the incident with any of the radical groups or Hindutva groups as such. However, it has accused the state of showing apathy in dealing with such cases.

According to the assessment of the security forces, it seems to be a systematic premeditated ploy to disturb the peace of the people “who have been living in age-old harmony with each other in these villages,” stated the press statement.

“It appears that the anti-social elements targeted the holy places of two communities seeking to create a communal divide,” it reads further.

“The alertness of our priests and the Bishop Kishor and Archbishop Barwa, both of whom began contacting immediately the government and police authorities saved the situation which could have otherwise turned grave,” it added.

Condemning the attacks on both the Christian and Hindu places of worship, the delegation exhorted the locals to not to fall prey to the divisive forces.

Later, the Bishops also visited the damaged temple and met with the managing committee members which belonged to the temple.

The incident comes at a time when every church in the country was involved in the Easter celebrations. Moreover, the state has also been in news in the past for being the ground of anti-Christian violence which has resulted in the loss of more than 100 lives of members of the Christian community.

“While we reiterate that the incidents against the places of worship should have never happened and bring us shame and pain, we are proud of the people of Sundargarh District who have shown that we are capable of fighting the forces that want to divide us and polarise us,” the press statement concluded.

Courtesy: Two Circles
 

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