Churches | SabrangIndia

US Hindutva fringe group calls for demolition of “illegal churches” in India

Wed, 07 Dec 2022 13:13:58 +0000

Image courtesy: The Quint

The Global Hindu Heritage Foundation (GHHF), a Hindutva group in Frisco, Texas in USA held a fundraiser for “demolition of illegal churches” in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, among other things.

The agenda for this fundraiser Gala which was held on November 27 was Ghar Wapasi, Bala Samskar Kendras – Sunday Schools, Renovation of Grama Devatas, Annadanam in India, Karthika Masa Puja kit Distribution, Demolition of Illegal Churches in Tirupati, Gaushalas, Oxygen Concentrators & Ventilators, Free Meals served to First Responders in Dallas Metropolitan cities (sic). The event was called “GHHF: Gala Dinner, Annual Fundraiser & Volunteer Appreciation Day”

GHHF president Prakasarao Velagapudi told the Quint that the event did take place however no money was raised and only the topics on the agenda were discussed. He refused to divulge details of its guest list.

Outrage in the US

Following the event, 14 civil rights and faith-based organisations in the United States have written to the members of US Congress, the two US Senators from Texas, Frisco Mayor Jeff Cheney, and Texas Governor Gregg Abbott, demanding a probe into the Hindutva outfit, reported the Quint. The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations in North America (FIACONA), the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), and Genocide Watch, among others, expressed deep concerns about the fundraiser in a letter to Texas’ elected representatives. They have sought immediate investigative and legal action against the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation “for violating its 501c3 status by funding hate and enabling violence against religious minorities in India.”

Even The Alliance to Save and Protect America from Religious Extremist Infiltration demanded that “the 501c3 status of an organization that clearly seems to be funneling its funds to India to support persecution of minorities should not only be revoked, but they should openly be investigated for misappropriation of these funds,” reported Muslim Mirror.

Frisco City Council

Pieter Friedrich, a freelance journalist in Texas had posted on his Twitter account about this fundraiser. At the City council meeting held in Frisco, Friedrich gave a detailed account of incidents of violence and hatred aimed at Christians in various parts of India over the years by Hindutva organizations. In his address to the city council he said “India has become hell for Indian Christians and Muslims”.

in his address, he also highlighted that December 6 was the 30^th anniversary of the Bari Masjid demolition. He said, “demolition of Indian churches will similarly (the aftermath of Babri masjid demolition) spark bloodshed and yet a Frisco outfit is raising money to support such demolitions. The agenda of the Global Hindu Heritage Foundation will almost certainly contribute to persecution of Christians in India”

He urged the Frisco city council to “have the courage to proclaim the GHHF’s hateful agenda has no place in Frisco, in Texas, in America or in the world. If you demonstrate such courage and conviction in standing up to the principles of justice and religious freedom, the city of Frisco could potentially have a real world impact to uplift the suffering and bleeding of minority Christians and Muslims in India.

On 6 December, 100s packed @CityOfFriscoTx city hall to warn that Global Hindu Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit based in Frisco, is openly fundraising to support the demolition of churches in India at a time when Indian Christians are falling under the knife day by day by day. pic.twitter.com/7Vocu1A8Uk

— Pieter Friedrich (@FriedrichPieter) December 7, 2022

Tirupati Municipal Corporation intimated

A quick scan of the GHHF’s Facebook page shows its activities in India and makes no mention of this fundraiser held in the US. However, there was a picture of a letter written by Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) to the Tirupati Municipal Corporation (TMC) stating that it received a letter from GHHF claiming that “several churches were constructed unlawfully and operating in temple town of Tirupati without valid permission or license”. It said that GHHF also gave a list fo 12 such churches to TUDA. The TUDA thus requested TMC to “take necessary action on the unauthorized constructions/churches” in Tirupati. This letter is dated July 23, 2022. Clearly, this agenda of raising funds for church demolitions succeeded, this intimation to TMC.

As per its website, GHHF aims to “protect, preserve, promote, and maintain Hindu culture” and temples globally. Siasat reported that the GHHF which operates in Andhra Pradesh via its sister organisation Hindu Devalaya Parirakshana Samiti, claimed to have done ‘ghar wapsi’ of 5 christians and Muslims in Assam. In December 2020, GHHF claimed the conversion of 200 Christians to Hinduism. Earlier this year, the group claimed to convert another 57 Christians.

The post US Hindutva fringe group calls for demolition of “illegal churches” in India appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Hyderabad Muslims come together to form a human chain and condemn terror attacks in Sri Lanka

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 05:52:06 +0000

After math of deadly attacks in Sri Lanka at churches which took hundreds of innocent lives and created an environment of fear and grief, Muslims from all walks of life from Islamic Jamaats to IT professionals, Housewives to Social organisations & Educational institutions , children and the elderly gathered on 28th April morning, the time of prayer mass, at various churches to share love, warmth and express solidarity, support and stand with our brethren during these tough times with a message that no force can break this brotherhood.

Social service Organizations like All India Muslim Educational Society, Help Hyderabad, Access Foundation, MS Education institutes, Islamic jamaat students (SIO) and the common man -all joined hands and gathered at the St Georges Cathedral Church , after a brief meeting in which some speakers addressed the media and the visitors and condemned the deadly attack and gave the message, “these attacks aim to instil fear and break us but today we want to say it loud and clear that we are together and will always stand together in all the times sharing love and brotherhood.”

They also expressed their condolences and presenting flowers near the church, marched to St Georges Grammar school church and visited Rosery Convent school Church and Wesley Church.

Courtesy: Two Circle

The post Hyderabad Muslims come together to form a human chain and condemn terror attacks in Sri Lanka appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Kandhamal Anti-Christian Violence: 10 years on, guilty still escape justice

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 11:17:16 +0000

Today is the tenth anniversary commemoration of the Kandhamal anti-Christian communal violence. Ten years ago, this violence started in Kadhamal district and continued for two months.

The perpetrators were, in large part, allegedly, cadres of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Today, many people have come back to the district. However, there are still some families who have not yet come back home.

They live in Bhubaneswar, Berhampur and other parts of Odisha. There are still families who are internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in a rehabilitation colony, Shanti Nagar, near G Udayagiri in Kandhamal.

The victims of this violence had filed 3232 criminal cases against 11,000 perpetrators. But the police only registered 827 cases. Out of those cases the police closed 315 cases siting those as ‘lack of evidence’. Out of rest of 362 cases convictions were secured in only 78 cases! Out of 30 murder cases, conviction happened only in two cases.

The Supreme Court had instructed the government of Odisha to reopen those 315 cases in 2016. But nothing has been done in local courts. Will the guilty ever be punished?

This documentary on Kandhamal titled Innocents Imprisoned: Kandhamal’s Travesty of Justice was released in New Delhi on August 23, 2018 – to mark the 10th anniversary of the Kandhamal carnage:

Communalism Combat 2008-2018
In sustained and well planned attacks, Christians and Christian institutions and religious places were attacked by members and office bearers of various wings of Hindu supremacist and racist organisations (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-RSS/Vishwa Hindu Parishad-VHP, Bajrang Dal-BD) and Bharaitiya Janata Party -BJP) on the eve of Christmas 2007, forcing poor Dalit and Tribal Christians to flee to forests. In February of the next year, extremist left organisations wrote communications that the state intelligence bureau accessed declaring their intent via-a-vis the Hindu rightwing organisations. From August 24, 2008 onwards after Swami Lakshmananda was killed in an attack on his ashram, a bloody and vengeful funeral procession covering 220 kilometres was organised and allowed by the state administration, taking his body in a motor cavalcade, in which Praveen Togadia, international General Secretary of the VHP and BJP ministers from the state cabinet participated.

“Before the mob came we heard the sound of people approaching. The sound of hatred. Our lives, our faith, our existence is under attack and neither the neighbours, the police nor the state care.” – Dalit Christian woman in Kandhamal

The hate-filled speeches inspired bloody mobs to attack and kill 59 persons (list of victims can be accessed at www.cjp.org,in ) and attack dozens of hamlets and villages on the way. Brutal rapes were also part of the sub-text.; 50,000 were rendered refugees in their own land, 15,000 are still internally displaced.

Like clockwork around the same time, in the southern state of Karnataka where the saffron flag had flown on the state’s assembly for the first time in the previously held elections, 57 Churches were attacked systematically in Mangalore, Udipi and other parts of the state. The attacks, thoroughly documented by Justice Saldanha in his report, on an Inquiry requested by Transparency International and PUCL, Karnataka, presents a dangerous tale of how the highest echelons of those in power, assisted by some communally minded policemen, not only allowed mobs to attack Christians at prayer and desecrated their places of worship, but worse also systematically destroy any evidence of the attack as soon as they had taken place.

Independent media were also made targets and other sections, wooed through monetary considerations by the state government, were complicit or silent. Action against the perpetrators has not taken place with the state government in a malafide action simply withdrawing all criminal cases against the RSS, VHP, BD and BJP. The officially appointed Justice BK Somasekhara Commission that released its report in January 2011, has been an eye-wash.

You can watch a film on the Kandhamal carnage here:

Image Courtesy: Countercurrents.

The post Kandhamal Anti-Christian Violence: 10 years on, guilty still escape justice appeared first on SabrangIndia.