Dt. 11th January,2006.
H.E. Naval Kishore Sharma
Hon'ble Governor
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
All India Christian Council seeks your Excellency's intervention to protect tribal Christians in Dang during Shabari Kumbh
Appeals for Central Administrator as District Administration & Policeis communally polarized
Your Excellency,
Christian Council leaders including the undersigned and Prominent leaders met the Collector and Suptd. Of Police of Dangs last week to apprise them of the fear looming large in the minds of the tribal Christians in the light of upcoming Shabari Kumbh which is going to be held between 11th Feb. and 13th Feb.2006, but was shocked to se theirapathy. In fact the Collector had no qualms in defining and justifying communal mobilization happening under his nose as religious and cultural awaking, thus unabashedly adopting the rhetoric and idiom of the Hindutva forces. Several lacs of 'hate pamphlets' against the Christians too have been printed and distributed in and around Dangs that give an indication of the possibility of violence.
What it is the right of any organization to hold a peaceful rally wherever it pleases, one wonders as to the reasons why the organizers of the Shabri Kumbh have chosen Dangs as the venue which has a considerable presence of tribal Christians. Shabri Kumbh is a new invention. it is being said, Hindu religion is in danger due to the foreigners, the Ravan equivalents, the Christians and Muslims. To protect the Hindu faith this Kumbh is being held. The underlying message is to promote Anti-Christians and anti Muslim sentiments.
Your Excellency, it may be recalled that not very long ago in December 1998 when a rally held by Hindutva fundamentalists in the Dangs district of Gujarat, there was an all out attack on tribal Christians and their places of worship and educational institutions and almost 35 churches were broken down and several hundreds were injured. SwamiAsimananda of the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, one of the main organizers of this event, makes no bones of taking credit for inspiring the 1998 attacks on Christians in Dang, and further says that this Shabri Kumbh would be held henceforth every four years and would help end all Christian activities in the Dangs and establish it as a key pilgrimagecenter. The core issue is that of Adivasi empowerment. Adivasi land has been as such grabbed by outsiders. The education process run by Christian organizations is a threat to the designs of upper caste/upper class. So Christian missions need to be thrown out from these areas.
Going by reports, the groundwork seems to be chillingly far more than the efforts preceding the previous rally. The only difference is the scale this times and it has the patronage of the State Government which is spending several crores for the same in garb of "tribal development". The district administration and public development funds are being openly misused for the programme that serves narrow anddangerous political objectives of non-state organizations of the Sangh.
The District Collector shows considerable bias in supporting these activities in the name of tribal development and reform. The lines between the RSS and the government machinery appears to have completely collapsed. An estimate of 5 lac people including sadhus and sants from all over of country are expected to converge on the district. The RSS Chief K. Sudarshan, VHP Chief Pravin Togadia and Sadhvi Ritambhara are some of the hate preachers expected to take part in this event and the only agenda of the Shabri Kumbh is the 'ghar vapsi' or forceful reconversion of the tribal Christians into the Hindu faith.
Your Excellency, it is a known fact that Gujarat stands today totally polarizes on communal lines and that includes the administration and the police. Even the judiciary was not spread and that is why the riot related cases were transferred to Bombay High Court. The openly partisan support of the state government for the dangerous sectarian objectives of the Sangh needs to be combated and the safety of minorities secured, else the tribal regions of India, already dispossessed and pauperized, will flow with the blood of sectarian hatred. At the outskirt of Shabri Temple, there is a pillar which has a slogan in Hindi, which reads: 'Sankalp: Dharmantaran aur Jehad ke Vichar ko Vishwa se Nirmool Karenge'. (Our resolve is to free the world from the ideologies of 'conversions' and 'jehad') The sangh with the open support of the state government has clearly drawn its battle lines. It is for people who cherish secular democracy in our land and more so the Union Government who is duty bound to protect its citizens to expeditiously and resourely to this alarming concern.
Today the Tribal Christians of Dangs are in a state of fear of an imminent attack and in view of the same we appeal to you to make the following recommendations to the Union Government to safeguard the interest of the tribals in Dangs.
A Central administrator as CEO for Dangs district to supervise and enforce the rule of law during the Shabri Kumbh Mela. Adequate CRPF and rapid action force personnel to be deployed in Dangs district, Surat Rural, Navsari, Valsad and surroundings areas of South Gujarat during the Shabri Kumbh.
Borders with Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to be sealed in order to reduce the inflow of fundamentalists for the "Ghar Vapsi" programme during the Shabri Kumbh.To prevent forceful "Ghar Vapsi" (reconversion of tribal Christians).
All Christian churches and institutions in the entire State of Gujarat to be provided with adequate security during Shabri Kumbh by CRPF and not the State Police.
To direct the State Police to book the publishers of the hate literature/CD's against the Christians under Section 153A of the IPC.
To institute an enquiry to probe the misuse of State funds (tax payer's money) for religious extravaganza's such as the Shabri Kumbh which aims to destroy the communal harmony in the State.
To permit, authorize and provide adequate security to secular NGO's and Human Rights Groups to function as observers during the Shabri Kumbh.
To direct the State to protect the tribals, preserve their identity and their rich cultural heritage.
The adivasis of the district are too poor and ignorant to protect themselves in case of attack. It would truly be a tragedy if history were to repeat itself. Despite sufficient warning.
Dr. Abraham Mathai, Gen. Secy.-All India Christian Council
Samson Christian, National Executive Member
Bhushan Oza,
Rt. Rev. Bishop V.M. Malaviya, Church of North India, Gujarat
Fr. Cedric Prakash 'Prashant'
Valjibhai Patel, Council for Social Justice
H.E. Naval Kishore Sharma
Hon'ble Governor
Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
All India Christian Council seeks your Excellency's intervention to protect tribal Christians in Dang during Shabari Kumbh
Appeals for Central Administrator as District Administration & Policeis communally polarized
Your Excellency,
Christian Council leaders including the undersigned and Prominent leaders met the Collector and Suptd. Of Police of Dangs last week to apprise them of the fear looming large in the minds of the tribal Christians in the light of upcoming Shabari Kumbh which is going to be held between 11th Feb. and 13th Feb.2006, but was shocked to se theirapathy. In fact the Collector had no qualms in defining and justifying communal mobilization happening under his nose as religious and cultural awaking, thus unabashedly adopting the rhetoric and idiom of the Hindutva forces. Several lacs of 'hate pamphlets' against the Christians too have been printed and distributed in and around Dangs that give an indication of the possibility of violence.
What it is the right of any organization to hold a peaceful rally wherever it pleases, one wonders as to the reasons why the organizers of the Shabri Kumbh have chosen Dangs as the venue which has a considerable presence of tribal Christians. Shabri Kumbh is a new invention. it is being said, Hindu religion is in danger due to the foreigners, the Ravan equivalents, the Christians and Muslims. To protect the Hindu faith this Kumbh is being held. The underlying message is to promote Anti-Christians and anti Muslim sentiments.
Your Excellency, it may be recalled that not very long ago in December 1998 when a rally held by Hindutva fundamentalists in the Dangs district of Gujarat, there was an all out attack on tribal Christians and their places of worship and educational institutions and almost 35 churches were broken down and several hundreds were injured. SwamiAsimananda of the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, one of the main organizers of this event, makes no bones of taking credit for inspiring the 1998 attacks on Christians in Dang, and further says that this Shabri Kumbh would be held henceforth every four years and would help end all Christian activities in the Dangs and establish it as a key pilgrimagecenter. The core issue is that of Adivasi empowerment. Adivasi land has been as such grabbed by outsiders. The education process run by Christian organizations is a threat to the designs of upper caste/upper class. So Christian missions need to be thrown out from these areas.
Going by reports, the groundwork seems to be chillingly far more than the efforts preceding the previous rally. The only difference is the scale this times and it has the patronage of the State Government which is spending several crores for the same in garb of "tribal development". The district administration and public development funds are being openly misused for the programme that serves narrow anddangerous political objectives of non-state organizations of the Sangh.
The District Collector shows considerable bias in supporting these activities in the name of tribal development and reform. The lines between the RSS and the government machinery appears to have completely collapsed. An estimate of 5 lac people including sadhus and sants from all over of country are expected to converge on the district. The RSS Chief K. Sudarshan, VHP Chief Pravin Togadia and Sadhvi Ritambhara are some of the hate preachers expected to take part in this event and the only agenda of the Shabri Kumbh is the 'ghar vapsi' or forceful reconversion of the tribal Christians into the Hindu faith.
Your Excellency, it is a known fact that Gujarat stands today totally polarizes on communal lines and that includes the administration and the police. Even the judiciary was not spread and that is why the riot related cases were transferred to Bombay High Court. The openly partisan support of the state government for the dangerous sectarian objectives of the Sangh needs to be combated and the safety of minorities secured, else the tribal regions of India, already dispossessed and pauperized, will flow with the blood of sectarian hatred. At the outskirt of Shabri Temple, there is a pillar which has a slogan in Hindi, which reads: 'Sankalp: Dharmantaran aur Jehad ke Vichar ko Vishwa se Nirmool Karenge'. (Our resolve is to free the world from the ideologies of 'conversions' and 'jehad') The sangh with the open support of the state government has clearly drawn its battle lines. It is for people who cherish secular democracy in our land and more so the Union Government who is duty bound to protect its citizens to expeditiously and resourely to this alarming concern.
Today the Tribal Christians of Dangs are in a state of fear of an imminent attack and in view of the same we appeal to you to make the following recommendations to the Union Government to safeguard the interest of the tribals in Dangs.
A Central administrator as CEO for Dangs district to supervise and enforce the rule of law during the Shabri Kumbh Mela. Adequate CRPF and rapid action force personnel to be deployed in Dangs district, Surat Rural, Navsari, Valsad and surroundings areas of South Gujarat during the Shabri Kumbh.
Borders with Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to be sealed in order to reduce the inflow of fundamentalists for the "Ghar Vapsi" programme during the Shabri Kumbh.To prevent forceful "Ghar Vapsi" (reconversion of tribal Christians).
All Christian churches and institutions in the entire State of Gujarat to be provided with adequate security during Shabri Kumbh by CRPF and not the State Police.
To direct the State Police to book the publishers of the hate literature/CD's against the Christians under Section 153A of the IPC.
To institute an enquiry to probe the misuse of State funds (tax payer's money) for religious extravaganza's such as the Shabri Kumbh which aims to destroy the communal harmony in the State.
To permit, authorize and provide adequate security to secular NGO's and Human Rights Groups to function as observers during the Shabri Kumbh.
To direct the State to protect the tribals, preserve their identity and their rich cultural heritage.
The adivasis of the district are too poor and ignorant to protect themselves in case of attack. It would truly be a tragedy if history were to repeat itself. Despite sufficient warning.
Dr. Abraham Mathai, Gen. Secy.-All India Christian Council
Samson Christian, National Executive Member
Bhushan Oza,
Rt. Rev. Bishop V.M. Malaviya, Church of North India, Gujarat
Fr. Cedric Prakash 'Prashant'
Valjibhai Patel, Council for Social Justice
2 comments:
I am in agreement. I'm sure that Christians such as you and others, are going before the Lord; praying to get things done as you've described. Satan is doing his best to CONTROL the situation. We must stand up to him, beyond the effort you have already put into this! When going to the Lord over this, we need to BELIEVE what we asked for WILL come to pass, BEFORE we SEE IT! Well, I'm sure you know that already. I've gone to our Lord too, over this. Keep up the Good Work! Before you go off, you just may like to See the "Chosen"Code and "Color"Code; VISIT: http://quadcode.blogspot.com ! Save or Print it to study!
What christians? Which Christian? Who Christian?
First you come and convert the people of majoriyt Hindu community to Christianity by fraud then cliam that they are bullied MINORITIES?
Good that your goondas and gangs are being beaten up in Dang at last you mught believe at the end that every place on earth does not belong to christ
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