Christian Persecution India Action

Urgent Action Letter

2007-05-17T00:10:00.000-07:00

The attack on Christians is raising like wild fire and UPA and state governments do not listen. Today a catholic father was shot at Delhi, two pastors arrested at Lucknow, and there are many without purper reporting. In all of these cases, police refused to take the complain rather inocent pastors are accused of force and fraudulent conversion.

We need to wake up UPA Government, please, I request, please one and all must do something to make enough noise so that authorities will hear and response.

The family members of pastors in Punjab who were put into jail on murder case and force conversion are living in pathetic situation of hand to mouth. Pastors are on run to escape from arrest. Please inform one and all to send to write to Prime Minister in any form either emails, fax, letter or telephone calls. The details contacts are given below. Thank you so much.

Prime Minister: fax. +011- 23016857 / 23014255 / 23019334

Phone Number – 011-23012312 / 23013149

Email pmo@pmindia.nic.in> ; pmosb@pmo.nic.in

Sonia Gandhi fax: +011-23018651

Phone Number – 011-23014481 / 23012656

soniagandhi@sansad.nic.in

The Hon'ble Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
PMO, South Block
Central Secretariat, New Delhi

And

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi
President, Indian National Congress / Chairperson, UPA
10, Janpath, New Delhi

May 15, 2007

Dear leaders of the Indian Nation:

You must have been busy in the elections in Uttar Pradesh, but surely you would have seen television images of large mobs brutalising Christian pastors in various parts of the country this last fortnight. I wonder if you noticed the glee with which people in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, smashed their fists into the stomach of a helpless Tamil pastor on May 8. Others in the same mob proudly told the camera they were from Hindutva groups even as they rained blows at the head of the second pastor. Did you notice Pastor Walter Masih in his small house in Jaipur, Rajasthan, being hit repeatedly by lathi-bearing youth as his wide-eyed daughter cowered behind a door on April 29? The child is still traumatised. As, indeed, is the Christian community in India.

These images should have seared the conscience of the nation, but they have invited nothing more than a smug silence from all governments -- the Congress chief minister in Maharashtra to the BJP chief minister in Rajasthan. In Madhya Pradesh, the women raped for being Christians on May 28, 2006, have wept in silence, even the police and TV refusing to listen to them.

There is little doubt now that Hindutva extremists are running a series of planned attacks against the Christian community for over a year now.

The intensity of these attacks is increasing.

Their own leaders have encouraged them to further violence by word, statement and support. Sadly, there has been no voice in authority which would discourage them; much less to caution them of punishment under the law of the land.

The deafening silence of the UPA Government in New Delhi when anti-conversion laws were passed in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and more recently by the Congress run Government in Himachal Pradesh, has in fact served as a tonic to the killer gangs and their hate-mongering leaders.

These anti-conversion laws demonise the Christian community as much as Muslims are elsewhere identified as 'anti-national' in the Hindutva propaganda. The present violence against Christian community in general, and pastors and priests in particular, takes us back to the dark days of 1998-2000 of the mass violence against Gujarat Christians and the brutal Orissa murder of Graham Stuart Staines and his young sons Philip and Timothy.

There is not a day but the All India Christian Council report anti-Christian violence from Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Karnataka and sadly, also from Andhra, Maharashtra and Himachal, the last three in control of the Congress. The most heinous of them all is sexual violence against Christian women, particularly in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

We fear this overwhelming cloud of hate and violence has in it the seeds of a much tragedy in the future. I hope and pray it will not lead to a massacre of my community possibly in some distant village area or in a Christian compound.

It is not enough for the Central Government to say that law and order is a State subject, while remaining a mute spectator of the violence against the micro minority Christian community. In all this violence, the community has never retaliated or taken recourse to any form of violence. There never has been a communal riot involving Christians anywhere in the country.

Chief Ministers of the concerned states, whatever be their political identity, cannot absolve themselves of responsibility in this tragic environment of hate and violence. The blame for the state of affairs lies squarely also on the Union Home Ministry in New Delhi which time and again has received complaints from bodies like the All India Christian Council and the All India Catholic Union.

What has the Union Home Ministry done about the violence against tribal Christians in Madhya Pradesh, in Chhattisgarh, in Rajasthan, and in Gujarat in the last six months? What has the Home Ministry done about the recent attack on Pastor Masih in Rajasthan or the workers in Kolhapur? What is it doing about the consistent attacks against the tribal Christians in Orissa?

The fault indeed squarely lies with the Central Government which was voted to power by Dalits, minorities and the majority poor who hoped that the new UPA Government would at least insist upon the rule of the law and protect the minorities and Dalits. The lack of protection is all the more painful as the vast majority of Christian workers and communities in north India are Dalits, tribals or from the most backward castes. These are the communities which are bearing the brunt of the attacks.

It is not too late. We feel the situation can be retrieved, the marauding mobs contained, and tragedy averted, if the Union government were to:

1. Repeal the anti-conversion law in Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh just as Chief Minister Karunanidhi revoked the anti-conversion law in Tamil Nadu as these laws legitimise demonising of the Christian community.

2. Issue statutory notices to State Governments, and especially the Governments of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh to give protection to Christian places of worship and Christian priests.

3. Book the perpetrators of hate crimes and violence against the Christians under the Indian Penal Code and deal strictly with them.

We are proud of India's democratic traditions, and the Freedom of Faith it has nurtured since Siddhartha became Gautama Buddha. Independent India has codified the same tradition in its Constitution.

It is not too much that we seek as Citizens of India. Let there be rule of law, and let the Constitution prevail in every state of the Country.

God bless you

Put your Name and Organisation, with address

For Urgent Action: Pastors arrested in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh

2007-03-26T05:29:00.000-07:00

Kuddupur, Jaunpur

On Sunday March 25 2007, the Church service carried out by the ‘Prabhu Yeshu Seva Samiti’ was being observed from a distance by a group of four police men. As the service drew to a close, one of them, the sub-inspector came forward and asked to meet the Pastor. He was led to an inner room of the Church, and started to ask Pastor Rajendra Chauhan a few questions. The Church regularly drew a following of more than a 1000 people every Sunday for the past more than three years, and the 25th of March was attended similarly.

While the questioning was going on, a jeep drew up close to the Church compound, and the Inspector from the Police Station Line Bazaar stepped out. He came in shouting loudly and to take Rajendra Chauhan and any other pastor to the police station. Thereby, amidst protests, Rajendra Chauhan and another leader of the church, Subhash Patel were taken forcibly to the police station at Line Bazaar.

We have not been able to get in touch with Rajendra Chauhan or Subhash Patel since then. When we spoke with the Police Inspector Ram Ji Singh on the 26th afternoon, he mentioned that Pastor Rajendra and Subhash had been presented before the Magistrate and have been sent to jail. He said the duo have been charged with hurting religious sentiments under section 295 (A) of the IPC. Besides this, they have also been charged under sections 298 and 125 of the IPC. Mr. Ram Ji Singh appeared every bit biased even as he informed us as to how the Pastors have insulted Hindus and have injured Hindu pride.

Members of the congregation, who are women in majority, were brutally beaten up by gangs of men waiting on the only road that connects the Church in village Kuddupur to Jaunpur. One kilometer away from the village, the area known as Ram Dayal Market is the only approach road to catch public transport for members to reach back home. Traders of the market and fundamentalists beat everyone they could see with big wooden sticks and wooden benches taken out from their shops. Frantic calls made to the police station did get some response, but even after the police force came, they made no attempt to stop the melee. The violence stopped only when all the congregation members ran helter-skelter to save themselves.

There have been requests made to the police station earlier to provide protection to the ongoing meetings but so far these requests and FIR’s have fallen on deaf ears. The copies of the same will be available with the Pastors. This seems to be a well planned and organized attack against the Christian community. No Counter FIR’s from the Pastors have been entertained by the police who are busy beating and abusing the pastors every instance they get, eye witnesses have reported. Even now reports are coming of instances of violence against members of the Church by the fundamentalists. Pastor Rajendra’s mobile has been snatched away too.

Please call Thana Incharge Ram Singh at 09415904475 and also at 05452-261421. Please also call the SP at 05452-261203 / 261660 email: spjnr@up.nic.in to register your concern and protest.

Appeal by GCIC for safety of CS John

2006-11-15T04:58:00.000-08:00

Urgent Prayers for safety of CS John and the Christian congregation in Chikmangalur, Karnataka

Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) urges the national commission for Minorities and central home ministry to extend protection for Christians and the institutions managed by them.

Hindu radicals have unleashed a rein of terror in the state of Karnataka.The recent reports and of increased terrorism shows , targeting of Christians by the Hindu radicals is creating a conducive environment to facilitate operations of international terrorists in southern states of India. The indigenous terror mongers will further vitiate the peace and tranquility prevailing in India. We also appeal to the political parties and religious leaders supporting the indigenous hate mongers that if they continue to sow terror and hate they should be prepared to reap them in India and abroad in many folds

In 1991, Pastor C S John started an orphanage with two children, in Lakkavalli village, Tarikere taluk, Chikmagalur District in Karnataka state. The children stayed with the pastor's family in their home, a small hut. In the year 2001, a friend of Pastor John sponsored a building for the orphanage and it was moved to a more spacious location in Rangahalli village, about 6 km away. Right now there are about fifty children, between the ages of 5 and 17 in the orphanage, with about 12 girls, the rest being boys, being cared for by Brother Andrew and his family. Andrew used to be one of the first inmates of the orphanage.Since the change of government in Karnataka, there have been sporadic but growing numbers of incidents against Christians in the state. With the BJP coming to power in the coalition government, the areas where they have a strong presence have witnessed various attacks against Christians, churches, and Christian institutions.

In the same vein, Pastor CS John heard of a complaint being filed against him to the District commissioner by some BJP supporters. But his efforts to get information about this failed.

On 8th November, he heard that a complaint had been filed against him in the Police station by some BJP supporters. Pastor John called on the Lakkavalli panchayat president and they held a discussio with about 25 BJP supporters, who alleged that John was visiting slums and Dalit villages and inducing the Dalits and other poor people to convert to Christianity. Pastor John vehemently denied any inducements or conversions, and challenged them to produce proof. They were not able to do so.

On 11th November there were roumours afloat that a big procession was being planned against the work of CS John. Though this did not happen, on the Sunday morning, a few of the BJP activists stopped tow boys from the orphanage on the road and questioned them about their names, families and what they were being taught in the orphanage. Another young man, Prashant, the neighbour's son, was also stopped and abused in very strong language, because his family had become Christians about ten years ago.Two men knocked on the gate of Pastor John's house. As he was away attending a meeting in Bhadravathi, Pramod, (the brother of Prashant) who had just been discharged from hospital and under treatment for blood cancer, came out and asked them what they wanted. He informed them that pastor was away at a meeting. The men asked his name and then assaulted Pramod and left. Pramod at once called pastor up and informed him. Pastor John contacted the Sub-Inspector on the telephone. In a few minutes the police arrived and tried, with Pramod's help, to find the perpetrators but they had escaped.

On 13th November, one of the ringleaders called Nagesh came by Pastor John’s house. Pastor greeted him in a friendly manner. Pramod's mother looked out of her (the neighbouring) house and Nagesh asked her name, which was Lakshmi – the name of a Hindu goddess. So he said to her "We are waiting to beat up your elder son Prashant. You converted Christians will not be allowed to enter into the church."

According to Pastor John they are planning a big procession on the 15th Nov. against the alleged conversion "activities" of Pastor John. But he adds that the local police, and the present and former MLAs are quite supportive. Local Dalit groups are also coming out in support of the Christians of the area. We request your prayers for the peace and harmony and for good sense and the rule of law to prevail in the situation. It is sad that even a cancer patient is not spared by the hate mongers because he happens to be Christian. The attacks are also aimed to threaten GCIC as CS John is one of the senior rights activist attached to Global council of Indian Christians (GCIC).

My family members underwent hate and terror in our home on 6th March by the Rajasthan state police and Hindu fanatics. We once again appeal to the rights organizations to have mercy on Christians being persecuted for their faith.

Sajan K George
President
Global council of Indian Christians(GCIC)

Click here for source

Action against Gujarat Freedom of Religion Bill Amendment by EFI

2006-09-20T05:25:00.000-07:00

Gujarat passes amendment to the Freedom of Religion Act

The Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) expresses deep concern and is greatly disturbed by the recent passing of an amendment to the Freedom of Religion Act, 2003 by the Gujarat Assembly. The amendment fails to secure the right of an Indian citizen under Article 25, making it compulsory to take prior permission before carrying out a baptism ceremony. The amendment also differentiates between those converting to Islam and Christianity and those converting to the Buddhist, Jain or Sikh faiths. Only those converting to Islam and Christianity have to report to the government. The amendment, passed amidst enormous opposition, takes away the fundamental rights guaranteed to an individual. The Constitution of India states that an individual has the right to "freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion".

The Anti-conversion Act was passed in 2003 but not executed due to lack of clarity on aspects such as the meaning of forced conversion and to whom it should apply. Gujarat government officials said that "the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2006 was brought to have clarity to the Act".

Further, we express concern that the amendment also states that Jainism and Buddhism shall be understood as denominations of the Hindu religion. Hamid Ansari, chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, said: "I think legislators cannot, and should not, decide the religious identity of a community this way. This decision has to be taken by the community itself in a democratic manner." EFI is in agreement with the chairman's comments.

The amendment will come to pass only after the assent of Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma to the bill. The governor has one of four choices in regard to the bill. "He can give his assent, withhold his assent, reserve the bill for the consideration of the president or return the bill to the assembly with a message for its reconsideration."

We urge the Governor of Gujarat to withhold his assent and reserve the bill for the consideration of the president.

We also advise the Christian community to protest against the amendment by writing to the Governor of Gujarat. Letters or faxes can be sent to the following:

Governor of Gujarat
Shri Nawal Kishore Sharma
Raj Bhavan, Sector-20,
Gandhinagar-382020, Gujarat
(Off): (079) 23243171 to 3243173
Secretary: (Off) (079) 23243598,
(079) 23243171 to 73
Fax: (079) 232-31121

Rev. Richard Howell
General Secretary

Memorable Poster: Protest Again Graham Staines Killing

2006-09-18T02:50:00.000-07:00

Letter from Dr. John Dayal to the Prime Minister over Rajasthan incidents

2006-03-21T23:26:00.000-08:00

Dr Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India

Dear Primer Minister

Greetings from the Christian Community.

May I thank you for the compassion and alacrity with which you took my complaint to you about the painful events in Kota against the Emmanuel Mission. Union Home Minister, Mr. Shivraj Patil was kind enough to write to me immediately expressing your concern and promising on his own behalf that he would have the facts as ascertained. Later, the newly appointed chairman of the National Minorities Commission, Ambassador Hamid Ansari also wrote to me saying that he had sought the facts from the State government of Rajasthan. I am sure your communication with the State government of Rajasthan will have its full impact. It has already brought about a sense of relief and hope in the community in general, and in the victims of persecution in particular.

In my own identify as an NIC member and head of two major Church organizations, the Catholic Union and the Christian Council, I also visited Kota, Jaipur and surrounding areas from 18th to 20th March 2006 with a an investigative group for a first hand experience and assessment of the situation, as also our prognosis about the persecution of our people and the pressure on our institutions inn the state.

My colleagues on the team were distinguished persons, including Sr. Mary Scaria, an advocate of the Supreme court and secretary of the Justice and Peace commission of the Catholic Delhi Archdiocese, the Rev Madhu Chandra, Delhi region secretary of the All India Christian Council and two independent journalists, Mr. Anil Chamaria who is internationally known for his incisive reportage in Hindi on Minority and Dalit issues and Mr. Vishal Arora.

We visited Kota extensively and also had a feel of the communal situation in the townships en route, including Bundi and the state capital of Jaipur. We also went through the entire coverage in Hindi and English in all the newspapers in the state relating to the recent as well as earlier anti Christian incidents. We met the District collector, the two ADMs and the SSP of Kota as also the two concerned Station house officers of Police Stations in the city police district of Kota. In addition, we met with several Christian leaders, priests, heads of Orphanages and hospitals, patients and ordinary people. Among them were both Hindus and Muslims,

Dear Prime Minister, the main reason to write to you at this stage is to bring to your notice the very volatile communal situation in the state, and not just against Christians. It is obvious that the Rajasthan State government machinery including the Justice system, and the Civil and law and order administration, are overwhelmed by political pressure from the BJP whose members roam free offering large sums of money for the murder of Archbishop M A Thomas others while the state machinery merrily strangulates his orphanages and schools by summarily rescinding their registrations without even giving enough time to respond to a show cause notice. All threads speak of a conspiracy aggressively executed.

I fear violence can flare up at any time and anywhere, beginning with Kota. The community feels threatened. Already several incidents have taken place against the Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical communities which constitute the entirety of the Church in the State to prove that while the Emmanuel Mission may be the immediate symbol and victim, the conspiracy is against the Christian faith and the followers in the state of Rajasthan, and their social work with the people and marginalized groups. Ten years ago, the Sangh Parivar had threatened to make the district of Banswara "Free of Christians by 2000 AD". They failed to do so at that time. They are trying very hard to carryout their promise now. We seek your intervention in this backdrop and emergency. This is with the concurrence with the members of the Investigative Team under the aegis of the All India Christian Council which accompanied me and of which I was the part.

For the sake of brevity, I break down my report and complaint to you into five components, and for each pleading your attention and concern.

1. The communal situation in Kota and the state of Rajasthan, with specific respect to the Christian Community.
2. The conspiracy against the Emmanuel Mission which began in 2002 when the BJP came to power in the state leading to the rescinding of the remigration of seven organizations and the freezing of their bank accounts and the consequences for the inmates of orphanages and hospitals
3. The precipitate action against the Thomas family leading to non-bailable warrants against Archbishop M.A Thomas and his son Rev Samuel Thomas, Samuel's arrest from Noida in Uttar Pradesh and the daily orchestrated public protests against them
4. The lack of action against fanatical Sangh Parivar activists, directly liked with the top leaders of the State government and ruling party, who are offering Rs Eleven Lakh for the murder of Archbishop Thomas and Others
5. Events related to the controversial book called Haqeekat in which there are passages allegedly injuring the religious sentiments of devout Hindus.

1. As Dr Joseph D Souza, President of the All India Christian Council and I had told you and other Central government leaders in our earlier letter, defeated and frustrated religious fundamentalist and hyper-nationalist groups of the Sangh Parivar have Christians in several sensitive states. Rajasthan, Gujarat and Orissa have been at the top of our areas of maximum concern, with Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Karnataka close behind. The provincial administrations and particularly the education and police in all these states are under the control of the BJP.

All these states have sizable populations of Dalits and indigenous or Tribal people who have historically shown an abiding interest in the life and message of Jesus. It needs to be recalled that the Sangh Parivar had as early as the mid 1990s publicly declared that it would make the Banswara district of Rajasthan `Christian-free? by the end of the century. Despite a reign of terror, Christians remain in Banswara. Kota, with its history of tension between Muslims and Hindus to which the Collector and Police officers attest, seems the likely tinder box for future tension and possible violence. The fact that the Emmanuel Mission is active in this city makes them the logical target. However, Catholic schools have been attacked in Kota and even a Leprosy hospital being run by Catholic nuns has been targeted. Is a leprosy mission a threat to security, or to any religion? Is a leprosy clinic a forum for Conversion? Other attacks have been in Jhalawar, Beawar and in Jaipur

2. The Conspiracy against the Emmanuel Mission: Archbishop M A Thomas has been active in Kota for more than thirty years. His is an independent mission whose charism is caring for Orphans and running schools and hospitals for them. Although he is not part of the mainline Catholic and Protestant Churches and works independently of them, he is popular with the people and his record of service has led to the government awarding him the Padma Shree three years ago But despite this, his work, and the success of his institutions continue to invite hostile attention. As soon as the BJP came to power in 2002, clandestine enquiries were launched against all his institutions which were subjected to a harsh probe and financial audit by the department dealing with Registration of societies and charitable organizations. It is three years, but so far they never confronted him with any wrongdoing. Now suddenly without notice and with no time for him to respond, the organizations have been derecognized. Following this, their bank accounts stand frozen. That leads to a shortage of fuel and food for the orphanages. For three days, the Orphans told our delegation, the food had to be cooked on a wood fire as they ran out of cooking gas. Now the collector has assured us that he has ordered the gas agency to ensure there is constant supply of the gas. In the hospital, patients have been cared off by the staff because of the presence of the police and threats that if any one is treated, the staff would be arrested and the hospital closed down. Inmates include orphans suffering from tuberculosis and at least one child in a coma. The timing of these actions is the most suspicious.

3. The Thomas family itself is terrorized. Non-bailable warrants were issued against MA Thomas and Sam Thomas and their senior staff arrested on charges of a controversial book being found on their premises. Without going into the merits of the case, it is obvious that the justice delivery machinery was under great political pressure to see that the Thomas family is incapacitated and is no longer in charge of the institutions. Samuel Thomas was arrested from Noida under controversial circumstances, and it was only some adroit action by the Police superintendent that he was saved from lynched. He is now safe in police custody, but there is much to be said in which anticipatory bail has been refused him in recent days. A notice is pasted at his door declaring his father to be an absconder. Samuel Thomas's wife, now in the US, has told us by email that all charges are politically motivated charges.

4 .he lack of action against fanatical Sangh Parivar activists, directly liked with the top leaders of the State government and ruling party, who are offering Rs 11 Lakh each for the murder of Archbishop Thomas and others, speaks the most clearly of the conspiracy and its political roots and continuing patronage. I am attaching herewith a copy of a press cutting highlighting this murder order. It smacks of what Al Qaeda does. And the law looks on silently, even weakly.

6. The controversy of the book Haqeekat. The book has been banned, so we have not seen a copy. However, I have read excerpts in the RSS weekly Panchjanya. They are not in good taste. The law must take its course against the author and translator, but is the Mission and its founder in any way connected even if the book was found on their premises. Even otherwise, by identical yardsticks, former minister Arun Shourie, the late BJP writer Sita Ram Goel, and many a Sangh professor ought to be prosecuted for hurting the feelings of Christians, apart from senior BJP leaders who hurt the sentiments of Muslims on a daily basis. Is the charge for which Archbishop Thomas faces non bailable warrants of arrest as an absconder?

Dear Prime Minister, even our preliminary enquiry shows grave miscarriage of justice, malice aforethought by those in power and connivance between the state machinery, the activists of the Sangh Parivar and the State government.

The immediate victims are not the Emanuel mission or even the Thomas family, much as they have suffered. The victims are the 2,200 orphans, scores of patients, leprosy victims and others. The mission, the Archbishop and the community remain victims of injustice.

May I appeal to you once again to order a high level probe into the entire matter and see that justice is done. Meanwhile, the state government must be told in no uncertain terms that its actions are making India a target of derision in the comity of nations. The warrants against archbishop M A Thomas must be withdrawn, Samuel Thomas must be released, the Emmanuel mission organizations must have their registration restored and their bank accounts made operative, and the Christian community at large assured pf safety in their own homeland.

Dear Prime minister, we look to you for justice. Let the law take its due course without political pressure from the state and the ruling party of that state, and without malice amongst the leaders and officials.

Thank you

John Dayal
For and on behalf of the All India Christian Council team which investigated the Kota incidents.

Appeal from Dr. John Dayal for Sajan George's protection

2006-03-08T02:41:00.000-08:00

Dr Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India

Re: Appeal for your personal intervention to save Bangalore-based Christian activist Sajan George from Rajasthan and Karnataka police harassment

Dear Prime Minister

Greetings

We have been periodically briefing you on the situation of Christians in India and their persecution particularly in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party where elements of fundamentalist organisations seem to be operating with the connivance of the state police and governments. This has led to much hardship and suffering in Gujarat, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh and Rajasthan, the worst of them all.

The government of Rajasthan has now exceeded even the terrible limits of its notorious recent past. Its police force, in active connivance with their colleagues in Karnataka, recently under BJP rule, intruded into the house of Bangalore-based Christian activist Sajan George when he was not there and harassed his wife and married daughter. The family, which includes a four month old infant, Sajan’s grandchild, remains traumatized.

The Rajasthan government and its police are targeting Sajan George because he, together with other activists such as Mr. Abraham Mathai of Mumbai and others, have been trying hard to ensure the safety and security of Bishop MA Thomas, who runs an orphanage in Kota, Rajasthan, and has been targetted by the Sangh parivar for many years now. This time, Bishop Thomas is being persecuted because the Sangh has found fault with some book discovered in a stall in his campus. The Bishop is not the author of the book. Irrespective of the legal status of the book – the Sangh’s official literature and newspapers are far more vituperative and offensive to Christian, Dalits and Muslims, than anyone can be -- the harassment of the Christians has gone unabated with the government of the state looking on passively.

I urge you to please instruct your Home minister to intervene urgently both for Bishop Thomas and for Mr. Sajan George.

The law must take its course if we have erred, but the partisanship the police is bringing a bad name to the entire country. The world does not know that the police who harass Christians and other minorities are in control of the BJP government of Rajasthan state. Needless to say, the Central government also gets blamed.

Sajan is well known and was in fact a candidate for the National Commission for Minorities. His harassment must stop.

I am sure your government will do the needful

With personal regards

John Dayal

Ps: I am attaching the email I received narrating the harassment of Sajan George, in his own words

Most urgent

The intimidation has started for me in India

Today at about 8.30pm more than 15 police men from Kota Rajasthan and Karnataka gate crashed into my home in Bangalore when I was away. My wife and daughter asked them to leave since we have a four month nursing baby in our home. The police wanted to know about my involvement regarding Emmanuel Mission and Arch bishop M A Thomas. The policemen were discourteous and they had no women constable either with them.They were even talking about my telephone conversation which would have been taped.
In spite of wife's and daughter's denial of any one at home the policemen were pushing into our private rooms many times during their dramatic appearance.
Their behaviour was as though they were treating most dreaded terrorists in the world
My only crime is I try to defend the cause of the voiceless and marginalised.n my telephone is tapped .my wife and daughter are humiliated. My four month old grand child is frightened and he is crying incessantly after the savages in the form of police entered my home. My telephones are tapped and they are joking about the pieces of conversation they overheard
Is India under the 'sadeshi terrorists' . The radical Hindus are calling shots. The sangh Parivar is able to strike at will.
I want justice and want protection for me and my family. Who will compensate for the trauma for my four month old grand son. We are worst than the most repressive government ,this is the midnight knock from the police and I fear that the kota police and their political masters will now stage manage attacks on me and my family. where de4mocracy and Christian minority is treated like door mats and any one can do any thing and get away.who can give us justice
How long the civil society can keep silent and blind. If the NHRC and the central; governmet is is alive they should take action about the infringement into my privacy and I want protection my life and propery

Sajan K George, National President, Global council of Indian Christians

Action Alert for Christians beaten in Bhopal on the 28 Jan 06

2006-01-28T04:55:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

This is being sent to you as an urgent prayer and action alert. Please read the below report carefully and let your protests and concerns be known to the Cheif Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Shivraj Chauhan at

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan E-mail: cm@mp.nic.in
Office Phone +91-755-2551581, 2551433
Office Fax +91-755-2551781, 2540501

You can also let the Governor, Mr. Balram Jakhar know of your concerns at the following phone numbers:
+91-755-2441300/ 1-3, +91-755-2554711 and +91-755-2551946, +91-755-2557680

Regards,

Vijayesh Lal

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Capital Shame: Christian meeting attacked and participants assaulted in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh

28th January 2006: A Christian retreat was disrupted and Christians beaten up on Saturday morning in the state capital of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

The incident occurred when an all-day prayer retreat and training organized by the Hallelujah Church had just begun. The trouble began at 10:30 a.m. when miscreants belonging to the Bajrang Dal, the militant wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) forcefully entered the house of Freddy Prasad in Govindpuri area where the retreat had been organized and began beating the Christians who had gathered for the meeting. Before beating the participants, the goons pelted stones from outside and shouted anti-Christian slogans and accused the organizers of indulging in “forced conversions”.

Thereafter, the mob which consisted of around 60 Hindu fundamentalists, a number of whom were clad in saffron clothing and were wielding rods, lathis (sticks) and other sharp-edged weapons assaulted the Christians and ransacked the room in which the meeting was going on injuring at least 17 Christians.

While 6 Christians have sustained serious injuries and had to be rushed to the Kasturba hospital in Habibganj where they have been admitted, other Christians present at the venue of the meeting at the time of the attack have also been injured. The meeting was being conducted at the house of one Freddy Prasad who is a local Christian.

Pastor Sam Francis who was coordinating the all-day meeting and training was hit badly and has received fractures in his hands and legs. The RSS activists also damaged his vehicle, a Toyota Qualis, completely while Freddy Prasad’s scooter was also damaged by the attackers and the window panes of his house smashed.

Kishore Sadhwani, a Sindhi background Christian, who had been invited as the main-speaker to address the gathering has also received a fracture in one of his hands and eight stitches on his head. Reportedly he is also suffering from a blood clot because of the beatings and has been vomiting blood.

The others who have sustained serious injuries in the attack include Majit Masih, Lal Chand and Ivan Pereira all of whom are evangelists.

While the leader of opposition and others have visited the injured in the hospital, no one from the ruling Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janta Party has bothered to enquire about the condition of the Christians who were attacked.

The regional media has reported the attack on Christians as a case of personal rivalry between two groups and the Superintendent of Police (SP) has issued a statement in the media saying that there have been only minor injuries to those who were attacked.

The very fact that such an attack has taken place in the State capital raises concerns over the rapidly deteriorating situation of law and order in the state and the complete failure on part of the state government to protect the minorities in the state. The local Christians have condemned the incident and have demanded that the state government provide adequate security to the Christian community all across the state.

This is the third recorded attack on the Minority Christian community in the state of Madhya Pradesh within the past three days.

Appeal letter to the Chief Minister of Orissa regarding attack on Christians in Jajpur, Orissa

2006-01-24T17:43:00.000-08:00

January 20, 2006

To

Shri Naveen Patnaik
Honorable Chief Minister
Government of Orissa
Bhubaneshwar

Sub: Attack on minority Christians of village Matiapara, under Bari Police Station in district Jajpur.

Sir,

Inviting reference to the subject stated above, we continue to draw your kind attention relating to the continuous harassment and violence committed towards the Christian community in different parts of Orissa.

The above cited incident is another unfortunate incident happened at Matiapara. One of the persons from the local Christian community was beaten up and humiliated at the Matiapara market on 15/1/2006. As a result of which fear and panic broke among the small Christian community resides at Matiapara. But of fear they did not report the incident to the local police. But as on the morning of 16/01/2006, at around 11 am, a mob armed with lathi and other weapon attacked the houses of the Christian community. They were beaten up then their houses were ransacked and then set on fire. The victims ran for their lives and took shelter at the Bari Police Station and 3/4 of them have received injury and treated at the local hospital. The incident was brought to the notice of Jajpur Collector and Additional S. P of Jajpur. They both responded immediately and assured security and justice to the victims. We appreciate their response and record our sincere thanks.

But now the victims are passing their days pathetically without shelter, food and clothes. We pray that the Government would consider appropriate relief compensation and rehabilitation of the victims. To our utter surprise two innocent victims have been arrested by the police, which is contrary to the truth, whereas the culprits are roaming scot free.

However, we the Christian community in Orissa, look forward to a permanent solution to this issue. This has become habitual practice for some miscreants to harass the minority and destroy the environment of peaceful co-existence.

Further, we sincerely pray that your honourable good office would develop some strategy to resolve this issue and restore the confidence of Christian minority.Sincerely yours,

Rev. P. R. Parichha President (Orissa Chapter) All India Christian Council

Copy to:

Chief Secretary, Govt. of Orissa, Bhubaneshwar
Home Secretary, Govt. of Orissa, Bhubaneshwar
DG of Police, Orissa, Cuttack
Member, National Commission for Minorities, New Delhi
The Chairman, Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, New Delhi
The Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, Bhubaneshwar
The Chairman, Orissa Human Rights Commission, Bhubaneshwar
Member, National Integration Council, New Delhi
President, All India Christian Council, Hyderabad
General Secretary, All India Christian Council
Secretary, Public Relation, All India Christian Council, Hyderabad
Research & Advocacy office, CSW, London

January 20, 2006

To The Collector Jajpur Dist. Jajpur

Sub: Atrocities against minority Christian community at vill: Matiapara, under PS: Bari, Dt. Jajpur.

Sir,

With the reference to the subject cited above, we further bring to your notice the followings. As informed your earlier, it is a fact that the small Christian community at village Matiapara was attacked by a group of anti- socials and they were badly beaten up and then their houses were set on fire. As a result of which they flew in fear and took shelter in the Bari PS.

While we appreciate the timely action taken at your instance, at the same time, we also regret to inform you that the police has taken partisan action in the matter and instead of taking action against the culprits, they have arrested the innocent victims for no fault of theirs. It is further surprising that the main culprits are still roaming around scot free.

We are further to inform you that no relief has reached the victims so far and they are still without shelter, food and clothes. Some injured are still awaiting medical care. Under the circumstance, we urge upon you to take all urgent measures to rehabilitate and provide relief by cash and kind to the affected families.

We further urge upon you to take necessary steps to prevent such atrocities on the minorities in the future. Until normalcy is restored, the affected minority Christian families be given police protection so that their lives and properties may be protected.

With kind regards,

Sincerely yours,

Rev. P. R. Parichha President (Orissa Chapter) All India Christian Council

Copy to:

Superintendent of Police Jajpur District

What is happening in Dangs?

2006-01-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

This alert is already too late. Ideally this should have been emailed to you at least a year back. But it is not yet too late to start.

This email is about creating awareness among Christians about the Shabari Kumbh Mela going to be held in Dangs, Gujarat from 11- 13 February 2006. The main purpose of creating awareness is for prayers and practical action. But more on that below, first let us see what this Shabari Kumbh Mela is all about. The official website of Shabari Kumbh describes it in the following way:

“On 11, 12 and 13 February 2006, an estimated six-seven lakh Hindus will gather at a remote area in Subir, Dang district, Gujarat and resolve to work for the defense of Hindu society in general and the vanavasi/tribal Hindus in particular. It was at this very spot that Shabari Mata met Sri Rama and Sri Lakshman when they were in exile. The sustained conversion activities carried out by Christian missionaries with the help of their foreign masters has altered the religious demography of large parts of our country. The tribal areas of our country are a special target of this missionary offensive. This has caused self-alienation among the tribals and fanned separatist and terrorist activities. The Shabarikumbh has been organized to deal a death blow to such anti-dharmic (religious) and anti-national activities.”

Background

Manini Chaterjee has done a brilliant article on this and it can be found at: http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=78580. I have too used it heavily in this email.

The Dangs area had hit the headlines following attacks on churches and missionary schools in December 1998. Since then incidents of physical attacks and threats against Christian villagers and pastors have become common in the area as the the RSS and its affiliate organisations—notably the Hindu Jagran Manch and the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram—have been steadily working to ‘‘Hinduise’’ the Bhils, Konkanis, Varli and other tribes that live in the heavily forested Dangs region.

Just like the Ramjanmabhoomi movement in the 1980s, here too the legend of the Ramayana is being used to invent a new tradition. The RSS outfits have hit upon the figure of Shabari—the adivasi woman who offered ‘ber’ to Rama and Lakshmana when they were searching for Sita in the forest—to bring the adivasis into the Hindutva fold and counter-efforts at alleged ‘‘conversion’’ by Christian missionaries.

In October 2004, a grand Shabari Mata Mandir was inaugurated atop a hill near a place called Subir, 33 kilometres from the district headquarters of Ahwa. The temple supposedly commemorates the ‘‘exact spot’’ where Rama and Lakshmana met Shabari. Several top BJP and RSS leaders including RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi have been regular visitors to the temple.

To follow up on the success of the temple, RSS affiliates decided to hold a ‘Shabari Kumbh mela’’ at a little natural pool formed by the Purna river which they claim is the same ‘Pampa Sarovar’ mentioned in the Ramayana.

The ideological ‘guru’ of the movement is Swami Asheemananda, a saffron-robed Bengali ‘‘saint,’’ who arrived in the Dangs region in 1997. The Website proclaims him as the “Saviour of Hinduism from divisive powers i.e. Christians.” He himself makes no bones about the aims of the ‘Shabari Kumbh Mela.

In an interview to the Indian Express newspaper he said, ‘‘Hindu samaj faces two big challenges—Islamic jehad and Christian conversions. We need to confront both these threats on a global scale,’’. The four traditional kumbh melas (held at Prayag, Hardwar, Nasik and Ujjain) had begun when ‘‘Hinduism was under threat’’. ‘‘We thought it was time to start a fifth Kumbh to meet the threat posed by conversions in this region,’’ he added.

Proudly taking credit for inspiring the 1998 attacks, Asheemananda, who holds the post of Shraddha Jagran Pramukh of the All India Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (the RSS affiliate which converts tribals to Hinduism), said that over the last seven years, thousands of Christian converts in the region had ‘‘returned to the Hindu fold.’’ The Shabari Kumbh Mela, scheduled to be held for the first time from February 11-13 and then every four years, would end missionary activity in the Dangs and establish it as a key pilgrimage centre of India, he had maintained in the interview.

Activists belonging to the RSS, VHP, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and other affiliates are working round-the-clock to make that a reality. A camp site has been set up at a clearing in the forest, and a kilometre-long road is being constructed from the camp to the Pampa Sarovar site.

Busloads of Gujarati tourists as well as RSS swayamsevaks have already started coming to Pampa Sarovar. “Forty temporary townships are being constructed by clearing forests, with a capacity of 5,000 each, in preparation for the Kumbh,” confirms a citizen’s enquiry report. You can see the report at: http://www.pucl.org/Topics/Religion-communalism/2006/dangs.htm

Apart from ‘pucca’ arrangements for two lakh pilgrims, tents and other facilities will accommodate another couple of lakhs, said local activist Shambhu Chavan.

“While the food and shelter would be ‘provided by us’, the government would help in transport, medicine, water and electricity,” Asheemananda told the Indian express.

Christian missionaries have so far been silent about the RSS’ ‘‘peaceful offensive,’’ but the adivasis in the villages around the temple and mela site as well as local activists are far from happy.

Laxman Bagul, who lives in Kangariyamal village opposite the Shabari Mata Mandir, said the villagers had already suffered because of the temple. The Kumbh Mela would make things much worse. ‘‘We are harassed by forest officials even if we cut a single tree. But over 700 trees were cut to build the Shabari temple. And thousands more will be destroyed to build the ‘nagars’ near the Pampa Sarovar.’’

Ghulabbhai Pawar of the Dangi Lok Adhikar Sangh said the Kumbh Mela posed a threat not just to the indigenous beliefs and lifestyle of the adivasis but also spelt an ecological disaster. ‘‘The entire population of the Dangs is just 1.86 lakhs. The biggest mela we have is the Dangi darbar (when the five traditional Bhil rajas are given government pension every March) which is attended by just around 10,000. A Kumbh mela with lakhs of pilgrims will completely destroy the environment of this region.’’

The adivasis of the district, activists said, are too poor and ignorant to resist the Hindutva offensive. And though the Dangs is dominated by the Congress—the MP, MLA and majority of sarpanches belong to the party—there is no political movement yet against the long-term implications of the Shabari Kumbh Mela on the culture and ecology of the Dangs.

The Gujarat state administration in close collaboration with the RSS outfits, "is engaged in a systematic campaign to divide the Dangi adivasis on religious communal lines and pit them against each other", says the citizen’s report.

The ‘proselytisation (by the RSS)’ aims at "suppression of the basic religious rights of the adivasis practicing Christianity and thereby also curbing the rights of the Christian missionaries to carry on their activities", the report adds.

Anti-Christian material is being distributed heavily in the area, as has been the strategy of the Hindutva brigade.

Below is a part of the report done by the citizen’s inquiry committee which speaks volumes:

Kumbh Fallout and Strategies

The problems in Dangs began in 1998. Around 1988 VKA started working here. The BJP Govt. in center and Aseemanand coming to Dangs in 1997 are two important points.
The indoctrination of section of Adivasis is very intense. Their hatred for Christians is visible all through.
The cultural indoctrination of Adivasi as Hindu is the core focus of the campaign. The Tribal nature worship is being equated to Hindu practices to begin with and later these practices are there is a change also.
The major God being promoted is Hanuman and the Goddess: Shabri. Lets recall for upper caste the major god around which the consolidation of RSS took place was Ram. Hanuman and Shabri both are devotees, servants of Ram. Upper caste-Ram. Adivasis-Hanuman and Shabri. That's the equation sought by the HJM campaign. Shabri gives another message in the present context, an Adivasi woman is devotee of a Hindu God Ram, what is the message for Adivasis.
Shabri Kumbh is the 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.
The major emphasis of HJM is temple. Modern education and health are low on the priority. As per them Adivasis need Gods and Goddesses other things can wait.
The core issue is that of Adivasi empowerment. Adivasi land has been as such grabbed by outsiders. The education process run by Christian missionaries is a threat to the designs of upper caste/ upper class. So Christian missions need to be thrown out from these areas.
In this Shabri Kumbh work already ecological damage has been done. The social impact of lakhs of pilgrims coming to this area is also fraught with dangers.
The land appropriated from individuals has not been done as per the proper procedure. Many of them have been intimidated into giving their land. The Christians whose land has been taken over are frightened to open their mouth.
There is a general atmosphere of intimidation amongst the minorities.
The funds for development of Dangs have been diverted for this work alone. The other social projects and development in other areas will be sidetracked.
In case of Ram Temple movement a myth of Lord Ram's birth was manufactured. The Mosque was demolished to achieve the polarization along religious lines. This whole campaign was in the wake of rise in the Dalit conciouness from the decade of seventies, culminating in Madal Commission.

In this case a myth, a legend has been constructed to build a temple and to start a Kumbh to polarize Adivasis around Hindutva politics. Two polar opposite methods for the same goal.

Recommendations-Suggestions:

There is an urgent need to stop the ecological damage being brought in by the preparations for the Kumbh. Need to file a Public Interest Litigation.
Awareness campaigns need to be taken up in the Adivasi areas to let the Adivasis know about the real goal and intent behind the Shabri Kumbh. They should be made aware of their rights and to unite for preservation of that.
The issues of temple and Kumbh are given an emotional tilt and rooting due to which it is difficult to fight for the basic problems of Adivasis. Once they are aware of the dichotomy between their needs and the designs of Sangh their organization into a force defending their human rights will be easier.
Adivasi culture has its own uniqueness. The offense of Hindu Right has calculated and constructed the mythology in a way as to show Adivasis as the servants of upper caste. This correlation needs to be brought out.
The local/National groups/ groups working against communalism/groups working for human rights need to come together to ward off this scheme which will be endangering the tribal society.
Popular literature, CDs etc need to be brought out on urgent basis to broaden the awareness work.
Awareness meeting with the local activists need to be organized.
Media can help the preservation of Human rights a lot. Approach to media needs to be laid on the proper footing.
The intimidation of minorities is a striking observation. They need to reassured and local networks provided to protect them from the intimidation/attacks from the HJM/VH P-To build social and political mechanism for their protection. To request the central Government to ensure that Minorities will be protected. This more so because local administration is hand in glove with the HJM/VHP.

WHAT SHOULD WE AS CHRISTIANS DO?

This is a question that is most important and there are many answers to that, but the most important one is: PRAY.

Also let us mobilize the community to voice out its concern over this matter. The Christian Church, primarily in India and also worldwide should cry out against these schemes of the fundamentalists.

The ones which are suffering and will suffer are our brothers and sisters. But there is more at stake than just that. The Shabari Kumbh will have devastating effect on the communal harmony, ecology, tribals and in the general atmosphere of the area. It is high time and we cannot ignore this any more.

Please write letters of protest to the President, the Prime Minister, The Governor of Gujarat and the Chief Minister of Gujarat expressing your concern. The addresses are given below:

President of India,
Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Azad
Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi - 110 004
EPABX : 0091-11-23015321, Fax : 0091-11-23017290 & 0091-11-23017824
Website : http://presidentofindia.nic.in
E-mail : presidentofindia@rb.nic.in

Prime Minister's Office
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Office Address Room No. 152,
South Block,
New Delhi, 110001
Office Tel 0091-11-23012312, 0091-11-23016857 (Fax)

Shri Nawal Kishore Sharma
Governor of Gujarat
Raj Bhawan Sector-20,
Gandhinagar-382020
Phone: 0091-79-3243171/ 2/ 3

Shri Narendra Modi
Chief Minister of Gujarat
Chief Minister Niwas, Sec-20,
Gandhinagar
E-mail: cm@gujaratindia.com
Office Phone 0091-79-3232611 to 18
Office Fax 0091-79-3222101
Residence Phone 0091-79-3243721 to 723

Appeal for Tribals in Dangs, Gujarat

2006-01-11T20:57:00.001-08:00

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

Untold story of Hindukaran (proselytism of adivasi (tribal) in Dangs (Gujarat, India)

2006-01-09T21:35:00.000-08:00

A report by Citizen's Inquiry Committee:

Digant Oza, Harsh Mander, Irfan Engineer, Lakshmanbhai Rathore, Prasad Chacko, Ram Puniyani, Rohit Prajapati, Shabnam Hashmi, Suresh KhairnarUttambhai Parmar

Released in New Delhi, January 3, 2005
(For further information contact: anhadinfo@yahoo.co.in)

Untold Story of Hindukaran (Proselyisation) of Adivasi (tribal) in Dang

Contents

Executive Summary
Introduction
Political Economy of Dangs
The Sangh and anti-Christian mobilization
Shabri, the Kumbh and the pseudo-mythology of Dangs
Voices from the Dangs: Testimonies
The open Sangh-State Nexus
Conclusion
Annexures (not posted yet)

Executive Summary

A people's investigation was undertaken regarding plans to organise what is being described as a massive Shabri Kumbh in the tribal district of Dangs in Gujarat, on Feb 11-13, 2006. Organisations affiliated to the Sangh with the open support of the BJP state government are strenuously mobilising around 5 lakh adivasis and Hindutva activists to attend this gathering, in a remote and socially and environmentally highly sensitive and vulnerable forested region.

Two fact finding committees were formed to visit the district, and meet the local people, activists, VHP workers, district authorities and other concerned persons. The first committee comprised Irfan Engineer (Director Center for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai), Suresh Khairnar (Convener Dharma Nirpeksh Nagrik Manch, Nagpur), Digant Oza, (Editor Jalseva and a social activist, Ahmedabad) and Ram Puniyani, Secretary (All India Secular Forum). The second team comprised Harsh Mander (Anhad), Uttambhai Parmar, Rohit Prajapati (PUCL, Vadodara) Prasad Chacko (ActionAid Gujarat), Lakshmanbhai(Aman Samudaya, Gujarat) and Shabnam Hashmi (Anhad). Both teams visited Ahva, Subir, Unai, Saputara and talked to the local people and activists. The latter team also met local district officials and leaders of the RSS. The two teams visited the district consecutively between 10 and 21 Dec, 2005.

For last several years, the Sangh and its front organizations like the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad and the Hindu Jagaran Manch have been targetingthe tribal belt of India, which includes Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Orissa and Gujarat. The efforts of the Sangh organisations is to see that adivasis lose their identity, culture and traditions of worshiping nature without being part of any mainstream religion, by asserting that they are Hindus.

A major focus of their efforts is in Dangs, a predominantly adivasi area with sparse population and rich forest cover. It is the smallest district of Gujarat, with a population of 1,86,000. 92% residents of the district are tribal. The Bhils, Kokanis, Warlis are the major tribal groupings. Dangs is one of the two districts in the country having more than 90% rich forest-cover. With very small and uneconomic holdings, the majority of the cultivators barely manage to survive for few months of the year on the crops harvested. The agricultural labourers find some employment only during the agricultural season. Large numbers migrate in semi-bonded conditions to Surat district to work as cane-cutters in the sugar co-operatives. The political economy of Dangs presents a typical case of utter neglect, dispossession and non-development.

Against this background, the State, in close collaboration with Sanghorganisations, is engaged in a systematic campaign to divide the Dangiadivasis on religious communal lines and pit them against each other. The BJP and RSS led outfits are spreading their tentacles into every nook and corner of Dangs on the ostensible plea of countering the proselytisation activities of the Christian missionaries and saving the 'Hindu' adivasis. There is no doubt, that this campaign has twin objectives. First is the suppression of the basic religious rights of the adivasis practising Christianity and thereby also curbing the rights of the Christian missionaries to carry on their activities. Second, is diverting the growing consciousness of the Dangi adivasis about their traditional rights and self-rule onto communal and anti-tribal and anti-people issues.

The total Christian population of Dangs today is less than 8,000 (around5%), although a range of both Catholic and Protestant missionaries have established their missions in the district over a period of more than a hundred years. The population of Christians in Gujarat as a whole are even less, a mere 0.5%. Still the 'threat' of Christian conversion has been made into a strong and emotive propaganda plank by the Sangh in tribal areas, along with the more generalized manufacture of hatred against Muslims.

In Dangs, following the ascendancy of the BJP to the state government in Gujarat in 1995 and in the centre in 1996, anti- Christian propaganda was raised rapidly to boiling point. These efforts became far more organized from 1997, especially after the arrival in the district of Swami Aseemanand, a VHP functionary from West Bengal who initiated vicious anti-Christian propaganda and started projecting the work of Christian missions as a threat to both Hinduism and the national security. He has been visiting village after village, doing propaganda against Christian missionaries and Islamic Jehadis. He has also been propagating so-called re-conversion, ghar-vapasi (or homecoming) to Hinduism amongst the adivasis.

The religion of the Dangi adivasis is animistic, with varied gods and goddesses like animals, plants, trees and hills, the forces of nature like rain, mountain, ghosts and spirits, including tigers, cows, serpents, the moon, and gods of corn, the rains, the wind, the hills and forests. They are not Hindus, at least not subscribing to the Brahminical mainstream traditions of the faith. Therefore it is erroneous to describe the abandonment of Christian faith, to the extent that it is taking place under Hindutva influence, as 're-conversions' or home-coming to Hinduism.

Whereas Christian missionaries are working in this area from over a century, organised and violent attacks on them were mounted against them in 1998. Throughout the year 1998, there were 38 recorded cases of anti Christian violence, especially attacks on places of worship. A number of leaflets were published and the Gujarati newspapers added fuel to the fire, supporting the propaganda against the tiny Christian population of Gujarat. 'Hindu Jago, Christi Bhagao' (Arise Hindus, throw out the Christians) represents the overall sentiment of these pamphlets. Christians were said to be foreigners who are converting the gullible tribal people. Investigations by human rights groups and reports of Communalism Combat confirmed that these were well planned attacks on Christians, which were rapidly aggravated after the BJP came to power at the state and the BJP led coalition came to power at the centre. Rather than assuaging the wounds of Christian community, Vajpayee added salt to the wounds with his characteristic masterly moral ambiguity, by calling for a national debate on conversion, thereby indirectly providing a rationale for the violence.

The VHP and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, in their attempts to convert adivasis into Hinduism, have misused the legend of Shabri and Ram. The legend is propagated that Ram had visited Dangs, which according to them is the Dandkarnya of the Ramayana. A nearby hill, Chamak Dongar (ShiningMountain) has been touted as the exact place where Ram met Shabri andate the wild berries tasted by her. They have built a huge temple at this place, for which a large number of trees were cut, and laws protecting tribal land ownership as well as forests were violated.

Although the Kumbh Mela is a tradition unchanged through the millennia,organised by turns in four fixed locations of India, Nasik, Hardwar, Allahabad and Ujjain, the Sangh is organising in Dangs what is at best described as a pseudo- Kumbh, for which there is no religious sanction. The propaganda materials including very professionally prepared CDs reveal the true intent of the Kumbh. These describe Christianity as a dangerous foreign faith, and call for its destruction in the same way as Ram had killed the demon Ravana. What Ram did to Ravana needs to be repeated and foreigners thrown out. Hindu Jago, Christi Bhagao is their inflammatory central slogan.
The intense hate propaganda against Christians has started resulting in the intimidation of Christian community as a whole. We could see the fear writ on the face of most of the Christians we met.

The teams observed with great concern that even the pretence of distancebetween the state apparatus and the Sangh has been abandoned. The localadministration, its functionaries, vehicles and funds, are openly being used for the advancement of the intensely divisive state agenda. The Collector justified communal mobilization as religious and cultural awakening, thus unabashedly adopting the rhetoric and idiom of the Hindutva forces.

What is important to understand is that the intended Kumbh Mela is not areligious issue. It is not a battle of Hindus against Christians. It is a political game to mislead the adivasis, and divert their anger at pauperisation and dispossession by the state and non-adivasi outsiders, by cynically creating a pseudo-mythology. It aims to alienate them from their land and culture, to Hinduise them to build a majority constituency on the basis of religion and to reap political benefits, and to create grave divisions in the name of religion, their eating habits and political affiliations among the adivasis. The issues at stake are tribal culture, tribal identity and their livelihoods, thefreedom to pursue and propagate one's faith guaranteed under the Constitution, and the security of minorities.

The openly partisan support of the state government for the dangeroussectarian objectives of the Sangh needs to be combated, and the safety of minorities secured, else the tribal regions of India, already dispossessed and pauperised, 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 : 'Sankalap: Dharmantaran aur Jehad ke Vichar ko Vishwa se Nirmool Karenge.' (Our resolve is to free the world from theideologies 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 to expeditiously and resolutely respond.Introduction
Plans are afoot to organise what is being described as a massive ShabriKumbh in the tribal district of Dangs in Gujarat, on Feb 11-13, 2006.Organisations affiliated to the Sangh with the open support of the BJP state government are strenuously mobilising around 5 lakh adivasis and Hindutva activists to attend this gathering, in a remote and socially and environmentally highly sensitive and vulnerable forested region. It is this that provides the immediate context for two concerned citizens' investigations and this report based on their findings.

However the larger context of this report is that 1998 witnessed a series of organized attacks on the Christian tribal populations in Dangs, and anti-Christian mobilization has been unrelenting in the district since, although mercifully overt violence has not recurred. The investigation aims also to enquire about the sense of security experienced by the small Christian tribal population of the district. The still larger context for the report is the activities of the Sangh organizations in tribal regions in many states of India, includingGujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chatisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa that targets both Christian tribal people and missionaries. However, this report focuses on the Dangs in Gujarat.

Two fact-finding committees were formed to visit the district, and meet the local people, activists, VHP workers, district authorities and other concerned persons. The first committee comprised Irfan Engineer (Director Center for Study of Society and Secularism, Mumbai), Suresh Khairnar (Convener Dharma Nirpeksh Nagrik Manch, Nagpur), Digant Oza, (Editor Jalseva and a social activist, Ahmedabad) and Ram Puniyani, Secretary (All India Secular Forum). The second team comprised Harsh Mander (Anhad), Uttambhai Parmar, Rohit Prajapati (PUCL, Vadodara), Prasad Chacko (Regional Director, Action Aid Gujarat), Lakshmanbhai Rathore (Aman Samudaya, Gujarat) and Shabnam Hashmi (Anhad). Both teams visited Ahva, Subir, Unai, Saputara and talked to the local people and activists. The latter team also met local district officials and leaders of the RSS. The two teams visited the district consecutively between 10 and 21 December, 2005.

The teams aimed to address the following questions-Why is the Kumbhbeing held in this area at this point of time in this region? What is the link if any between the attacks and violence against the Christians in Dangs and this programme? Is there a sense of insecurity in local populations? What is the role of the state government in organizing and supporting this programme, if any? This report summarises their observations.

Political economy of Dangs

Dangs is a predominantly adivasi area with sparse population and rich forest cover. British could not win over this area and got it leased from the Bhil Rajas of Dangs to exploit the rich teak wood in this area.

Dangs is the smallest district of the State of Gujarat . It has a population of 1,86,000 and covers 1,600 sq kms, the geographical area of Gujarat . Dangs is one of the two districts in the country having more than 90% forest-cover. The forest is rich in teak, sissoo, khair, bamboo and a wide variety of indigenous medicinal plants. The terrain of Dangs is hilly and rocks. Rainfall is heavy, although ironically the district is chronically water scarce due to poor subsoil. There are four major rivers but all are seasonal.
The population of Dangs is predominantly tribal. 92% residents of the district are tribal. The Bhils, Kokanis, Warlis are the major tribal groupings. There are also other numerically smaller tribal groupings such as the Gamits, Chodras and Kotawalias. The records indicate that the Bhils are the original inhabitants of Dangs, while the other tribal communities like the Kokanis and Warlis came to Dangs much later from the adjoining areas of Maharashtra and Gujarat . Nevertheless, all these tribal communities have, over a period of time, evolved a common Dangi identity in terms of social structure, norms, customs, culture and language.

The political economy of the Dangs has certain unique features which marks it off from the rest of the tribal belt of Gujarat . The tribal belt running through the eastern part of Gujarat consists of other districts viz. Valsad, Navasari, Surat , Vadodara, Narmada , Panchmahal, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha. A significant aspect of the political economy of these districts is that all of them have been brought increasingly closer to the rest of the political economy of Gujarat in particular and the country in general. These other tribal districts have witnessed a steady and increasing inroads made by non-tribal landed and commercial interests, private capital (foreign and Indian collaborations) state undertaking and projects. The consequences have been large-scale dispossession, displacement and marginalisation of the tribal people. In short in these districts the adivasis have to contend with not just the states forest policy but also its other industrial and agricultural policy measures.

In contrast, Dangs presents an altogether different picture. Here, forest and forest-based activities still constitute the core of its political economy. The absence of non-tribal landed interest, private capital and state undertakings and projects has made the inter-face between the people of Dangs and the operations of the State forest policy as the primary source of dispossession, displacement and marginalisation of the traditional rights of the Dangi people. This is being complicated by the recent incursions of the Sangh in the region.
At the time of the entry of the British in the 1820s the Dangs was an independent kingdom ruled by 5 kings and 9 naiks. Cultivation of the abundant forestlands, hunting, fishing and gathering of wild-fruits and roots were the main forms of economy activity of the people. The concept of private ownership of land was non-existent and cultivation of the forestlands was done wherever it was possible and according to needs of the family. Shifting cultivation was norm.

The British made several unsuccessful attempts to subjugate the Dangi kings. Finally, in 1842 the British tricked the Dangi kings to enter into a lease-agreement with them. The lease was further extended in 1862. As per the terms of this lease, the British acquired certain parts of the Dangs forest from which they could fell and transport timber, while the Dangi kings could continue to rule Dangs as nominally independent political rulers. Till 1948 the Dangs was administered under the Foreign Jurisdiction Act of the British Government. In essence, the Dangi kings and the people continued to exercise their traditional rights over forest-lands, forest-produce and resources, while, at the same time, granting the British the right to fell and transport timber from certain areas of the forest for a limited period. However, having assessed the immense wealth of the forests of the Dangs, the British set upon a systematic plan to take over the entire forest itself.

The 1870s Forest Act and other sets of rules made by the British officials provided the framework to maximize the revenues from the Dangs forest. Conservation of forest was sacrificed for further maximization of revenues.

The British also initiated measures to demarcate the forest into ‘Reserved' and ‘Protected' areas, leading to the increasing erosion of the rights of the Dangi people over the use of forestlands and forest-produce. Shifting cultivation, collection of fuel-wood, wood for house, mahwa, and other forest produce was banned in large tracts of the forest declared as ‘Reserved' and ‘Protected'. The Dangi people did resist these measures but such resistance was spontaneous and sporadic and did not sustain. The net effect of the British's take over of the forest of Dangs and the operationalisation of its Working Plan and demarcation-measures was that the Dangi people were deprived of large tracts of forest lands and forest produce which were the only source of livelihoods for them. By 1911 two-thirds of the land formerly held by the Dangis was taken over by the British. The large-scale displacement and deprivation of the traditional rights of Dangi people caused by the British forest policy was further accentuated by a total absence of alternative source of economic activity and livelihood.

The political economy of Dangs sadly did not see any drastic changes after the exit of the British. Agriculture on legally contested and sub-optimal forestlands continues to be main form of economic activity. Industrial activity is insignificant. The service-sector also consists of small-hotels, shops, trade and trade-related activities in the two towns of Ahwa and Waghai. Alternate seasonal employment is found in cane-cutting in the sugar co-operatives of Surat district, bamboo-cutting, collection of beedi-leaves (timru-patta), mahwa flowers, honey and in the public works undertaken by the district panchayat and Forest Department.

According to the 1991 census, nearly 87% of the population is dependent on agriculture (this includes agricultural labourers forming 16% of the main working population). Of the rest 4% are engaged in other services such as manufacturing, processing, servicing, household industry, construction, trade, transport and communication etc. the district has only around 12 enterprises employing 8,000 and odd workers.

In the mid-1960's when the Gujarat Government decided to survey the lands in Dangs to allot legal titles to the cultivators, the adivasis were either not informed about the survey or were misinformed. As a result, a good many of the cultivators found their land brought under ‘Reserved' and ‘Protected' forest.

The land-holding pattern in Dangs is predominantly titled towards small and uneconomic holdings. There is a near absence of large holdings. Class differentiation based on landholdings is also minimal. With very meagre irrigation facilities available, agriculture in Dangs is critically dependent on the rainfall. The seeds used are of the traditional variety. The use of HYV, fertilizers, tractors etc. is also marginal. Being poor, majority of the cultivators can hardly make any investment on their own. Consequently, the production and productivity, of all the crops is far below the rest of the State.

With very small and uneconomic holdings, the majority of the cultivators barely manage to survive for few months of the year on the crops harvested. The agricultural labourers, who constitute 16% of the total main workers find some employment only during the agricultural season. The adivasis who cultivate forestland without any legal title are constantly insecure and therefore disabled from investing in agriculture.

Thus, migrating to Surat district to work as cane-cutters in the sugar co-operatives, working in the bamboo-coupes meant for the central paper mills of Surat , collection of beedi-leaves (timru-patta) and other minor forest produce, are the only sources of alternate employment and income for the majority of the adivasis of Dangs. It is estimated that around 40,000 persons out of a population of 1,40,000 people, migrate every year to work as cane-cutters in the nine sugar co-operatives based in Surat and Valsad districts. These adivasis literally work as semi-bonded labourers. The living and working conditions are sub-human. After 8 months of toil and sweat all that they manage to save is a paltry Rs.3,000 to Rs. 5,000 on an average. Even this amount goes back to pay the loans taken at usurious rates or in house repairing and marriage. The wages are meagre (all the sugar co-operatives have been openly flouting the wages stipulated by the Gujarat High Court). A good part of wages due to the cane-cutters is pilfered by the mukkadams and the factory-supervisors through a wide variety of corrupt practices.

To sum up, the post-1947 political economy of Dangs presents a typical case of utter neglect, dispossession and non-development. Over the last fifty years the Dangi adivasis have been systematically deprived of their traditional rights over forestland, forest and forest resources and left to fend for themselves. Neither agriculture nor industry has been developed as source of secure employment and income. Wages and working conditions are strongly exploitative. The social sectors such as health and education are in a state of utter neglect and disarray.

The Dangs adivasis had put up a number of valiant struggles against the British to defend their traditional rights and political sovereignty. The extension and intensification of the alienation process by the new rulers in the post 1947 period has once again compelled the Dangi adivasis to take recourse to the path of resistance and struggle. Unlike in the past, the present struggle of the Dangi adivasis is acquiring a more organised and conscious form. The basic aim of this struggle is the total reassertion of the traditional rights of Dangi adivasis over forest-land, forest and forest produce and the creation of a political system, which allows for full, free and unhindered self-rule. The State, on its part, is doing its utmost to suppress and divert the struggle. It has been using a wide variety of tactics and methods towards this end. Physical repression, arrest under false charges and cases, denial of permission to hold public-meeting, charging the people for anti-national, anti-state, naxalite and terrorist activities. In all this the State has been getting an eager assistance from the vernacular press.

Of late, another tactic is being used by the State, through a systematic campaign to divide the Dangi adivasis on communal lines and pit them against each other. The BJP and RSS led outfits such as VHP and Bajrang Dal are spreading their tentacles into every nook and corner of Dangs on the ostensible plea of countering the proselytisation activities of the Christian missionaries and saving the ‘Hindu' adivasis. There is no doubt, that this campaign has twin objectives. First is the suppression of the basic religious rights of the adivasis practising Christianity and thereby also curbing the rights of the Christian missionaries to carry on their activities. Second, is diverting the growing consciousness of the Dangi adivasis about their traditional rights and self-rule onto communal and anti-tribal and anti-people issues.

The Sangh and anti-Christian mobilization

The total Christian population of Dangs today is less than 8,000 (around 5%), although a range of both Catholic and Protestant missionaries have established their missions in the district over a period of more than a hundred years. The population of Christians in Gujarat as a whole are even less, a mere 0.5%. Still the ‘threat' of Christian conversion has been made into a strong and emotive propaganda plank by the Sangh in tribal areas, along with the more generalized manufacture of hatred against Muslims.

In Dangs, following the ascendancy of the BJP to the state government in Gujarat in 1995 and in the centre in 1996, anti- Christian propaganda was raised rapidly to boiling point. These efforts became far more organized from 1997, especially after the arrival in the district of Swami Aseemanand, a VHP functionary from West Bengal who initiated vicious anti-Christian propaganda and started projecting the work of Christian missions as a threat to both Hinduism and the national security. He has been visiting village after village, doing propaganda against Christian missionaries and Islamic Jehadis. He has also been propagating so-called re-conversion, ghar-vapasi (or homecoming) to Hinduism amongst the adivasis.

The District Gazetteer of Dangs states that the religion of the Dangi adivasis in animistic, with influences of Hindu gods. It states, ‘The gods and goddesses of the Dangis are many and varied. They are the creation of local circumstances. The animals, plants, trees and places, which are useful or fearful, the forces of nature like rain, mountain, and all the inscrutable, are held in high esteem, looked upon with awe and worshipped'. Ghosts and spirits are revered. Tigers, cows, serpents, the moon, and gods of corn, the rains, the wind, the hills and forests, are all worshipped.

We observe a process by which adivasi places of worship, often sacred stones under a tree, are being expropriated by Hindutva activists. The gods are traditionally feted with home-brewed liquor and animal sacrifice; but under the new influences, they are converted gradually into practices that are more acceptable to the Brahminical traditions. They become vegetarian and teetotallers; gradually it is claimed that they are local versions of mainstream Hindu gods like Shiva.

It is erroneous to describe the abandonment of Christian faith, to the extent that it is taking place under Hindutva influence, as ‘re-conversions' or home-coming to Hinduism, because the adivasis were not Hindus to start with, at least not subscribing to the Brahminical mainstream traditions of the faith.

Whereas Christian missionaries are working in this area from over a century, organised and violent attacks on them were mounted against them in 1998. Throughout the year 1998, there were 38 recorded cases of anti Christian violence, especially attacks on places of worship. This violence was directed mainly against Christians and partly against the Muslims. It was propagated that the Christians missionaries achieved conversions by force and fraud and that the Christian population is going up dramatically. It was claimed that the converts do not contribute to the village festivals and so there are conflicts and tensions; the attacks were a result of the anger of villagers, it was alleged. A number of leaflets were published and the Gujarati newspapers added fuel to the fire, supporting the propaganda against the tiny Christian population of Gujarat . ‘Hindu Jago, Christi Bhagao' (Arise Hindus, throw out the Christians) represents the overall sentiment of these pamphlets. Christians were said to be foreigners who are converting the gullible tribal people. Bajrang Dal held a Trishul Diksha ceremony on 6 December 1998. On 25 December, 1998, coinciding with Christmas, a rally was called by Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM) in Ahva. The same day witnessed a series of attacks on Christians returning from prayer meetings and on churches at various areas. The HJM, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA) and VHP claimed that these were spontaneous expressions of anger of the local vanvasis, while the investigations by human rights groups and reports of Communalism Combat confirmed that these were well planned attacks on Christians, which were rapidly aggravated after the BJP came to power at the state and the BJP led coalition came to power at the centre. Rather than assuaging the wounds of Christian community, Vajpayee added salt to the wounds with his characteristic masterly moral ambiguity, by calling for a national debate on conversion, thereby indirectly providing a rationale for the violence.

For last several years, the Sangh and its front organizations like the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad and the Hindu Jagaran Manch have been targeting the tribal belt of India , which includes Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Orissa and Gujarat . The efforts of the Sangh organisations is to see that adivasis lose their identity, culture and traditions of worshiping nature without being part of any mainstream religion, by asserting that they are Hindus. Hindutva organisations insist on describing the tribal communities as vanvasis instead of adivasis. Vanvasi means forest dweller, whereas adivasi means original inhabitant. In the history manufactured by the Sangh, people like Christians and Muslims are ‘outsiders' whereas caste Hindus are indigenous to India . They maintain that the Aryans were also original inhabitants in that they did not migrate from any other region, just as much as the tribal people.

But the real design is to convert adivasis into the Hindutva version of Hinduism, in the name of ghar-vapasi (homecoming) and shudhikaran (purification). This process in the region received a great boost on 18 January, 2002 when almost 2.5 lakh adivasis were mobilised to join a Vishal Hindu Mahasangam (grand Hindu gathering) at Jhabua in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. For over 100 days, 300 full timers of Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad and Vishwa Hindu Parishad fanned out to the remotest villages of the Jhabua district, distributed photographs and statues of Hindu gods and goddesses, particularly Hanuman, and adivasis were taught Hindu pooja (worship), rituals and bhajans . In the last seven days of the preparations of Vishal Hindu Mahasangam, more than 4000 Sangh workers lived with tribal leaders in their family homes. Firebrand Hindutva speakers like Praveen Togadia and Sadhvi Ritambhara addressed the Mahasangam, and their speeches were characteristically laced with provocation, hate and venom.

Next at Alirajpur (again in Madhya Pradesh) in February 2004, a Hindu Sangam was organised, in which about 40,000 adivasis participated. One so-called Kumbh was then organized in Rajasthan's tribal Banswara district, to coincide with the 13th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, but it failed to live up to its hype, partly because of the extreme cold climate. Even so, leaders at the day-long event which was intended as a show of strength for the VHP-RSS combine, reiterated their determination to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Speaking at a rally to mark the end of the gathering, VHP leader Ashok Singhal, who was the main attraction along with Sangh Sarkaryavvah Mohan Bhagwat, said: ‘We will not compromise on it (building the temple) at any cost.' The show of strength was preceded by bhajans at local temples and a big yagna at the local stadium. Construction of the Ram temple figured prominently in the speeches but vitriol was directed in particular at Christian missionaries. ‘We should be alert against the designs of Christians, Communists and the Islamic forces,' Singhal warned. He alleged that adivasis were easily influenced by the missionaries because of the poor literacy levels in the region. Three senior ministers of the BJP cabinet, including Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria, were present. ‘This is our new frontier against the forces which believe in forcible conversions. We cannot afford to lose this battle,' the local VHP chief said.

Shabri, the Kumbh and the pseudo-mythology of Dangs

The District Gazetteer mentions that there are legends that Ram and Lakshman roamed the forests of Dangs, and met their Bhil devotee Shabri here. But similar legends prevail in many parts of the country, and the local adivasis in the past never held Ram and Shabri in any special reverence. Their gods, as mentioned earlier, were mainly animistic, and they worshipped the spirits of animals, crops, hills and many other creatures and objects of nature and daily living.

It may be appropriate here to recount briefly the story of Shabri. After Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, on their way southwards Ram and Lakshman passed through many a difficult terrain. The forests were sparsely populated, with occasional ashrams, such as one established by Rishi Matang whose heart grieved for the lowly and downtrodden. In his ashram, one tribal devotee of Ram, named Shabri, used to live. Her chosen ideal was Ram, for whom she waited a long time. Her Guru assured her that Ram would come one day. Simple hearted, poor, and belonging to lower caste, Shabri did not know much about running the ashram. Soon everyone left her. The birds, the flowers, the shrubs and occasional domesticated animal became her friends. One day, at last, Ram arrived in the ashram. The pleasure of Shabri knew no bounds. She washed his feet and offered him berries which she had collected from the forest that morning. Ram was happy eating the fruit that had been tasted by Shabri, lest the fruit should be bitter! Then Shabri inquired about the purpose of their hard journey. Ram recounted the sad tale of kidnapping of Sita. Shabri advised them to go further southwards to Pampa lake and to Kishkindha where the monkey king Sugreeva and the great Ram-devotee monkey Hanuman would be of help them in their search for Sita.

The VHP and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, in their attempts to convert adivasis into Hinduism, have found this legend useful because of Shabri's tribal origins and her loyalty to the chosen icon of Hindutva, Ram. The legend is propogated that Ram had visited Dangs, which according to them is the Dandkarnya of the Ramayana. A nearby hill, Chamak Dongar ( Shining Mountain ) has been touted as the exact place where Ram met Shabri and ate the wild berries tasted by her. (It is interesting that the politically driven ‘faith' of the Hindutva activists is as certain of the exact location of Ram and Shabri's meeting as it is of the birth place of Ram in Ayodhya at the site of the Babri Masjid). They have built a huge temple at this place, for which a large number of trees were cut, and laws protecting tribal land ownership as well as forests were violated. This temple, with statues of Ram, Lakshman and Shabri was constructed in 2004. At Unai, a place near village Subir, there are many hot springs . It is being said that these hot springs were created by Ram. This cynically inventive new mythology also states that after this Shabri ended her life in the Yogagni (sacred fire) and the light which was created due to this is the reason for this hillock being called Chamak Dongar ( Shining Mountain ). It is being propagated that Shabri's Guru Matang Rishi used to bathe in the Pampa Sarovar. If Shabri lived here, then where is the Pampa Sarovar? At a nearby spot where Purna river flows, a small pond has been created by building check dams, misusing official development funds, and named Pampa Sarovar as mentioned in Ramayan, and it is here that the Kumbh is going to be held.

A word also about the Kumbh. The Kumbh Mela is a tradition unchanged through the millennia, organised by turns in four fixed locations of India, Nasik, Hardwar , Allahabad and Ujjain in cycles of twelve years each. Each twelve-year cycle includes the Maha (great) Kumbha Mela at Allahabad , attended by millions of people, making it the largest pilgrimage gathering around the world. Kumbha in Sanskrit means 'pot' or pitcher and 'mela' means 'festival'. Thus Kumbha Mela literally means festival of the pot, or in this case the pot of nectar. According to mythological accounts of Kumbha Mela, it derives its name from the immortal pot of nectar produced by the gods after the churning of the oceans or amrit manthan .

There is absolutely no religiously or culturally sanctioned system of organising new Kumbhs. In this sense, the Dangs Kumbh is at best a pseudo- Kumbh. Morari Bapu, a popular religious preacher, invited to Dangs in 2002, is said to have mooted the idea of the new Kumbh at the Dangs, at the ‘precise' spot where Ram and Lakshman met Shabri and ate the berries given by her. Both teams met Suresh Kulkarni, who has been with RSS from last thirty years, and is leading the preparations for the Kumbh. He told us that number of sadhus and saints are going to grace the occasion and will be guiding the Hindus during the Kumbh. When asked that this Kumbh is not part of the Hindu tradition he shot back, can we not create new traditions? He said earlier this region had come under the impact of Christians to the extent that people had stopped celebrating Holi and Divali. Now with the efforts of Aseemanand, VKA and others, all these festivals are again being celebrated.

The propaganda materials including very professionally prepared CDs reveal the true intent of the Kumbh. These describe Christianity as a dangerous foreign faith, and call for its destruction in the same way as Ram had killed the demon Ravana. The committee which has been formed to hold this Kumbh has its head office in Surat and its members are mostly non-adivasi non-Dangis. The chairman of local reception committee is a contractor. All preparations are being supervised by Swami Aseemanand who has a tight control over the area through informal network of adivasis who are being indoctrinated in to the ideology of hate Christians. This is the main plank of VHP, Hindu Jagran Manch, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram propaganda, which their volunteers are spreading moving from village to village. Their incendiary message is that the Hindu religion is under threat due to Ravana like forces, the ‘foreigners', the Christians and Jehadis. What Lord Ram did to Ravana needs to be repeated and foreigners thrown out. Hindu Jago, Christi Bhagao is their inflammatory central slogan.

Manini Chaterjee (Indian Express 21 Sept ‘05) spoke to the ideological ‘guru' of the movement Swami Aseemanand, who made no bones about the real aims of the ‘Shabri Kumbh Mela'. ‘Hindu Samaj faces two big challenges-Islamic Jehad and Christian conversions', he says. ‘We need to confront both these threats on a global scale.' Proudly taking credit for inspiring the 1998 attacks, Aseemanand maintains, ‘Over the last seven years, thousands of Christian converts in the region had “returned to the Hindu fold”. The Shabri Kumbh Mela, scheduled to be held for the first time from February 11-13 (2006) and then every four years, would end missionary activity in Dangs and establish it as a key pilgrimage centre of India ,' he adds.

Voices from the Dangs: Testimonies

Many people we spoke to confirmed that anti-Christian mobilization in the Dangs began with the arrival of Swami Aseemanand. The strategy was to identify the ancestral stones where adivasis would worship, perform rituals related to agriculture (Dungar Dev), and build small temples beside them. The adivasis would not initially comprehend the conspiratorial nature of this seemingly innocuous act; eventually the deity in the temple would be incorporated as lesser gods and goddesses of the Hindu Pantheon, identified over the years by the Brahminical leadership of the Sangh Parivar as befitting the lower caste or the ritual status of the ‘vanvasis'. They say that the promotion of the Shabri legend is consistent with this approach of the Parivar to adivasi culture. Shabri, Hanuman and such mythological characters were loyal and subservient to the higher gods like Ram of the upper castes.

The modus operandi was to lure some disgruntled adivasi youth into outfits like Bajrang Dal, many a time with money and liquor and brainwash them with the venomous propaganda material. These youth would then be used to threaten the Christian adivasis and to engage in vandalism as and when required.

The groups we spoke to were concerned that Shabri Kumbh would result in displacement as has already happened with one of them, whose land was forcibly grabbed by the Aseemanand and the Kumbh Trust. He lost his land to the temple (Shabri Dham) that is being constructed. Initially he was forced to donate 1.25 acres of land; later they forced him to part with 9 acres, and within a month clear felled over 700 trees (natural as well as planted) from that plot of land. The adivasi representatives also were aware of the fact these events could also lead to a spurt in religious tourism and commercial activity, which have historically resulted in the inevitable displacement of adivasis.

The intense hate propaganda against Christians has started resulting in the intimidation of Christian community as a whole. We could see the fear writ on the face of most of the Christians we met. The first team itself was stopped by a local person on the suspicion that its members were Christians. The so called ‘ ghar vapasi ' or ‘homecoming' to Hinduism is accomplished by indoctrination and subtle use of intimidation. Many adivasis we met showed their deep dislike for the tactics being used, and the very process of conversion of adivasis into Hinduism. The manufactured fear of conversion to Christianity was widely seen as a pretext to co-opt and convert adivasis to Hinduism.

The adivasis we spoke to said that conversion by Christian Missionaries did amount to some straining of relationships since those converted abandoned the traditional practices of that bonded them since centuries. However they also noted that this never assumed serious proportions till 1998 when the Hindutva forces started working on these contradictions and exacerbating them into full blown conflict.

Borkhal deo is a tribal god where adivasis offer wine and chicken. He has been converted in to Datta Bhagvan, a non-drinker vegetarian god. Initially all tribal kings and naiks opposed this move of HJM, but gradually they started keeping quiet about it. Earlier this used to be a place of making merry, now things are changing. Shabri is being said to be a Bhil. Many a tribal interviewed doubted if Shabri could have hailed from this area. Shabri is heard of only during recent years. It was pointed out that earlier Shabri was never mentioned in the literature put out by tourism department, neither had the trained guides been told to talk about Shabri.

Community leaders from neighbouring villages pointed out that they have heard about Shabri only from last one year. A meeting was held two years ago in the Raobhai's mango orchard. Some speakers, whose names they did not remember said that we are not adivasis, we are vanvasis. We must awaken. They selected Jairambhai's land for the temple. We had Shivar dev there. They insisted that it is Shabri temple, and said we will just make a small hut for her.

Later they came to grab 16 acres of land of Jairam Kashiram and compensation has not been paid. This family is starving. This was organized by Aseemanand and others. Later they floated the idea of Kumbh mela in Jarsol. At Bhavani Dev, people were offering chicken and goat. They declared this as Shabri temple and since then the goat and chicken sacrifice has been stopped. The Jarsol land was demanded for the temple. In this land 5 quintals of rice could be grown. In Bhed Kargewal and Karanjerder also they did not want to give the land, three farmers opposed it and were again threatened with dire consequences. Their signatures of consent have been obtained under force.
Laxman Bagul, an activist from the area informed us that VKA promised to build a hospital and schools along with temple. While temple got built, the plans for the hospital were quietly shelved. Instead only a mobile van is there, no doctor or compounder. The driver of the van gives the medicines and injections. The earlier greeting Ram Ram is being replaced by the militant Hindutva ‘Jai Shri Ram'. While returning from the ‘Pampa Sarovar', the emaciated half clad adivasi children did wave to us and shouted Jai Shri Ram. Shabri Bhajans are being taught, we could procure a copy of the cassette, Jagran, produced by one Bhaskar Sharma of Surat , having songs of invocation for Shabri. In place of the promised school, one hostel for boys with the capacity of accommodating 60-70 children has been built. Earlier three hostels were opened but soon they were closed down. He states that some conversions have been taking due to the work of missionaries in the area of health in particular.

Augustine Rajwade pointed out that VHP's entry was the primary cause for the breakdown in tribal culture. They introduced new mythology, new festivals and new norms of greeting each other. Tribal gods are always kept in open in contrast to Hindu gods for whom temples are built. He himself is a fourth generation Christian. Christian missionaries have been working in this area from 1885. Later, impressed by the spirit of service of the missionaries, some tribals converted to Christianity. In some cases one of the family members became Christian while others joined in later. Due to the work of HJM, VKA the Christians are feeling intimidated. A number of churches was attacked in 1998. During Kumbh, there is a fear that Christians will be attacked once again. During last decade nearly 1500 temples have come up. Many trees have been cut but their marks cannot be seen as the area has been flattened and well covered.

Budhabhai N. Patel says that Shabri is known from only the last 5-7 years. It seems to be a political ploy to popularise Shabri. People turn to Christianity as the public health services are not good. The Bhagats who are there are not able to handle most of the problems. Government is not giving any support to people grappling with disease and death. The Prayer healing of some missionaries works at places, leading to conversion. His elder brother got converted due to this.

Somaji Laxman (Vadpada) pointed out that check dams are being built for supplying water to Subir, which is being urbanised. Due to this there is a danger of floods. Dhonna Pandu Raopada says: We are aboriginals our forefathers never heard of Kumbh. They want us to forget our culture and bring in this one. Our children have heard about Shabri from the school texts. Many of them expressed the feeling that the temple should not be expanded as it will result in more land being taken up. The picture of Shabri which has been shown is not of tribal women. It is modern person. 700 trees were cut from Chamak Dongar, which is a protected forest. On the occasion of Kumbh, Naga Babas will come and play havoc with our culture.

Tapat Rao Anand Pawar alias Daher Raja is one of the five adivasi Rajas. We could talk to him near the collectorate. He receives the monthly pension of Rs 3034 from the Government. VHP decided to hold the Kumbh without consulting the 5 tribal Kings. Later they brought them a paper to sign, seeking their permission. The rajas were opposed to this work. The Kumbh being held happens to take place in the area that was formerly under this king. Poor adivasis are thinking it is good for them as some of them are given food daily at the site. But in the long term it is going to be harmful for the whole area. Agricultural land has been destroyed. The non adivasis will dominate the area due to this Kumbh.

Deoram Bhai Patil is a pracharak of RSS, he retired as deputy Mamlatdar and is currently working for the problems of pensioners. He is the member of reception committee for the Shabri Kumbh. One Kishore Bhai Gavit, a contractor is the convener of reception committee. They maintain that adivasis convert due to poverty. There are families where one brother is Hindu while another is Christian.

Fr. Francis, Principal of Navjyot School, Subir, says: Most of the teachers and students are non-christian adivasis; there are 483 students in the school out of which only 81 are Christians. There is not much conversion. The moral science class includes teachings from different religions. The book is called Jeevan Kala, different for each class. Adivasis have started describing themselves as Hindu Bhil, rather than just Bhil, because writing ‘Hindu' helps them in getting scholarships from the state government. People around are fairly supportive of our school. However, in the attacks on the school in 1998, local youth were also involved. The Shabri Kumbh may recreate the atmosphere of intimidation for the Christians. Different Departments of government are helping the organization of Shabri Kumbh. The Chief Minister Narendra Modi was on TV saying that Government will do everything possible to support the Kumbh and that he will also visit the place.

We met the Congress MLA, Madhubhai Bhoye, who also happens to be the deputy leader of opposition. He said the 700 trees from protected, reserved and private lands have been cut. He has raised the issue in the Vidhan Sabha and has also taken it up with the forest department, who has not replied to his letter. Instead of responding to his queries, the insinuations in the media show him as an anti Hindu leader. There is no local Dangi in the temple management trust while only one Dangi is there in VKA. For the purpose of the Kumbh, 12 check dams are being constructed. All the money earmarked for development of Dangs is being spent on this work depriving the real developmental work needed in the area of education and health. He fears that prostitution may go up due to this Mela and also the incidence of HIV will shoot up due to this.

Madhubhai Bhoye, Congress MLA of Dang-Vansda, was more vocal and levelled serious allegations: ‘The Central government has allotted Rs. 15 Crore for carrying out development work in the district. There are 311 villages in Dangs but the district administration has spent Rs. 9 crore on constructing check-dams all over eastern Dangs keeping in mind the venue for the Kumbh. They built 20 check-dams to create an imaginary Pampa Sarover. I have written to the Central government to investigate the misuse of money.' Bhoye also pointed out that the state government and district administration are helping the RSS in a big way to make the function ‘successful.'

Gulabbhai Pawar of Dangi Lok Adhikar Sangh said the Kumbh Mela posed a threat not just to the indigenous beliefs and life style of the adivasis but also spelt an ecological disaster. ‘The entire population of Dangs is 1.86 lakh. A Kumbh Mela with lakhs of pilgrims will completely destroy the environment of this region'.

The open Sangh- State Nexus

The teams observed with great concern that even the pretence of distance between the state apparatus and the Sangh has been abandoned. The local administration, its functionaries, vehicles and funds, are openly being used for the advancement of the intensely divisive state agenda.

Forty temporary townships are being constructed by clearing forests, with a capacity of 5,000 each, in preparation for the Kumbh. We visited one of these, and found that it was openly managed by the RSS, with their posters, slogans, literature and reverential pictures of their national leader Sudarshan. We observed a number of government vehicles in the campus. There were busloads of schoolchildren. On enquiry, we were informed that they were from government schools and were brought on organized trips to the site, and also made joint donations to the RSS organized Kumbh samiti. RSS prachark Suresh Kulkarni informed us that Government is going to provide for transport, medicines, security during the Kumbh. Already it has started building and construction work as the preparation for the Kumbh. The district administration and public development funds are being openly misused for a programme that serves the narrow and dangerous political objectives of non-state organizations of the Sangh. The District Collector showed considerable bias in supporting these activities in the name of tribal development and reform. The lines between the RSS and the government machinery were completely collapsed.

Dangs Collector RM Jadhav confirmed to Mahesh Langa of Tehalka of the administration's involvement: ‘We are providing infrastructure support like electicity, check-dams etc. for the Kumbh.' When asked whether Dangs needed a Kumbh, Jadhav parried it, saying, ‘It's a religious issue. What can you do if people want it?'

His tone was similar when the team presented its apprehensions regarding the Shabri Kumbh to the District Collector. Considering the history of anti-Christian mobilization in the Dangs, particularly in the context of the violence unleashed by the Sangh Parivar outfits in 1998, we expressed fear that such a large scale mobilization by the Sangh would certainly lead to terrorization of the Christian community in the district. We also inquired as to what preparations are being made to ensure that the rule of law would prevail, and the Christian community would be protected from violence of any kind. We reminded him of the violence unleashed on the Christian community of Dangs in 1998, and also of the anti-Christian riots engineered by the Parivar outfits in Alirajpur in the recent past. We also raised serious concerns pertaining to literature and propaganda material that the organizers of the Kumbh have been circulating across the country.

The Collector asserted that the district administration would ensure that the Kumbh passed of peacefully, and no one would be allowed to take law into their hands. But it was disturbing that as the DM he refused to take cognizance of the venomous propaganda by the Parivar that was already reaching a crescendo. He pointed out there were no complaints registered by anyone till date. He said that the people of Dangs were peaceful in nature; and that unless instigated by outside forces there would not be any trouble. When reminded that the mobilization was going to be mainly from outside Dangs, he stated that this was a matter related to religion and faith, and should be taken as something positive; there was no reason to believe that a religious event should lead to violence. We could not desist from giving him some lessons from history, particularly Babri masjid demolition!

It is sad that a District Collector could define and justify communal mobilization happening under his nose as religious and cultural awakening, thus unabashedly adopting the rhetoric and idiom of the Hindutva forces. He took pains to explain how Shabri Kumbh would serve as an excellent stimulus for the development of religious tourism and thereby bring in returns for the district and provide employment to the adivasis. He did not forget to praise Narendra Modi as a CM committed to the development of the state. When one of the team members enquired whether the myth of Shabri around which this whole Kumbh Mela is being organized is really part of the cultural belief and tradition of the Dang adivasis or just another instance of cultural onslaught by the Hindutva forces, the Collector categorically stated that it is very much part of their tradition, and that any adivasi would vouch for it. He openly supported the entire Kumbh mobilization as an opportunity to uplift the adivasis, awaken their religious spirit and to initiate much needed infrastructure development. It was all the more shocking when he equated adivasi culture to alcoholism and vices; and reluctance to access modern education. The Kumbh mela would lead to cultural reform and help instill moral values in the adivasi community. He did not fail to reiterate his commitment to lead the adivasis into the ‘mainstream', and not keep them in their present under-developed state. Events like the Kumbh would give them an opportunity to interact with the ‘developed' world!

The team expressed serious apprehensions regarding the damage that was certainly going to be inflicted on the already endangered eco-system in the Dangs. The District administration has still not even considered the serious environmental implications of 500,000 odd people entering the protected forest areas and the rivers of this district. The pollution and contamination of land and water that would be caused by overwhelming human presence, danger to flora and fauna, fire hazards. The dangers are infinite. The DM just perfunctorily assured us that this aspect would be taken into account. It should be noted that the total population of the district is only about 1,86,000, and the Kumbh Mela organizers are expecting to mobilize over 500,000 people. Even if 5000 people were to gather in the protected forest areas the danger of damage to environment could be substantial!

To a query regarding the source of funds for developmental work undertaken in preparation for the Kumbh, particularly the roads leading to the site, the structures built in Poorna river, land leveling and other earthworks undertaken, the DM categorically mentioned that all these were public works undertaken by the government. We also enquired if there have been any illegal encroachments on the river-bed. He denied that there was any such encroachment, and also said that the construction of a platform in the ‘Pampa Sarovar' had been stopped right at the outset. He did not agree with our observation that this was blatant misuse of state funds, particularly for the purpose of communal mobilization. He was firm in his opinion that this was essentially an opportunity for the hitherto undeveloped regions of Dangs to be bestowed with roads, check-dams, electricity and other infrastructural facilities. The adivasis of the Dangs had to wait for six decades for the Shabri Kumbh Mela in order to be gifted with infrastructure; even as the district was declared among the poorest district in our country!

It was interesting to note that the DM had no qualms in providing us with the CD being propagated by the Shabri Kumbh Committee. He issued us a copy of the CD on submitting an application for the same. In a later telephonic conversation regarding the inflammatory and venomous content in this CD, extremely anti-Christian in nature, he said that he did not see anything objectionable in the CD. He did not seem to realize that it is his constitutional duty to take action against the people propagating such provocative communication material.

It was heartening that by contrast the DFO was an officer who was conscientious and extremely concerned about the impact that the Kumbh would have on the forests and the environment. Mr. Deep Choudhury refused to comment adversely on the social and political aspects of the Kumbh, but made it absolutely clear that if such a large number of people were to visit the forested areas, there would be no way to protect the forests, and damage to environment was going to be certain. He made it clear that such events in protected areas would certainly take on an illegal dimension since it would lead gross violation of the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act. He did not mince his words when he observed that it was impossible to mobilize enough personnel to control the activities of even 5000 people; by any stretch of imagination it would be foolhardy to assume that the activities of 500,000 people could be controlled. In response to our question whether he has till date appraised the higher authority regarding the impending environmental disaster, he replied in the positive, and also issued us the copy of the letter that he has written to the Collector and other officials.

The team also visited ‘Jarsol Dahad', which is being transformed into Pampa Sarovar. ‘Dahad' in Dangi means a small natural mass of water collected in the river due to conducive rock formations along the bank. Jarsol is the village that the Shabri Kumbh committee has chosen to have the Kumbh Mela. Poorna river which flows through this village has a ‘Dahad' which has been now re-named as ‘Pampa Sarovar'. Hectic activity is going on around this site to prepare this part of the river and its banks for the Kumbh. Approach roads have been already made, a check dam has been constructed in the ‘Dahad' to ensure adequate quantity of water for the large number of people who would be taking their ‘holy dip'. Elaborate arrangements like bathing ghats, flights of steps going down into the river bed and a huge raised platform on the riverbed are currently being built. We also noticed pipes unloaded on the site, presumably to lift water from the river to fulfill the needs of the 500,000 odd people who would be participating in the Kumbh. These are the infrastructural facilities being built with state funding, which the DM justified as developmental programmes. We enquired with the local labourers working on the site as to who have been given the contract to execute this project. They informed us that ‘Anarde Foundation' (a well known NGO working on Watershed Development in Gujarat ) has been given the project to construct the check dam. We can safely conclude from this that public funds for rural development have been used for this purpose, since in Gujarat there is a well known scheme, usually availed of by NGOs for constructing check dams with 60% to 80% co-funding from the state government. We need to collect more information to ascertain the scheme and mode of decision making pertaining to these public works that have been undertaken.

Conclusion

What is important to understand is that the intended Kumbh Mela is not a religious issue. It is not a battle of Hindus against Christians. It is a political game to mislead the adivasis, and divert their anger at pauperisation and dispossession by the state and non-adivasi outsiders, by cynically creating a pseudo-mythology. It aims to alienate them from their land and culture, to Hinduise them to build a majority constituency on the basis of religion and to reap political benefits, and to create grave divisions in the name of religion, their eating habits and political affiliations among the adivasis. The issues at stake are tribal culture, tribal identity and their livelihoods, the freedom to pursue and propagate one's faith guaranteed under the Constitution, and the security of minorities.

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 pauperised, 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 : ‘ Sankalap: 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 to expeditiously and resolutely respond.

Kumbh Fallout and Strategies

The problems in Dangs began in 1998. Around 1988 VKA started working here. The BJP Govt. in center and Aseemanand coming to Dangs in 1997 are two important points.
The indoctrination of section of Adivasis is very intense. Their hatred for Christians is visible all through.
The cultural indoctrination of Adivasi as Hindu is the core focus of the campaign. The Tribal nature worship is being equated to Hindu practices to begin with and later these practices are there is a change also.
The major God being promoted is Hanuman and the Goddess: Shabri. Lets recall for upper caste the major god around which the consolidation of RSS took place was Ram. Hanuman and Shabri both are devotees, servants of Ram. Upper caste-Ram. Adivasis-Hanuman and Shabri. That's the equation sought by the HJM campaign. Shabri gives another message in the present context, an Adivasi woman is devotee of a Hindu God Ram, what is the message for Adivasis.
Shabri Kumbh is the 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.
The major emphasis of HJM is temple. Modern education and health are low on the priority. As per them Adivasis need Gods and Goddesses other things can wait.
The core issue is that of Adivasi empowerment. Adivasi land has been as such grabbed by outsiders. The education process run by Christian missionaries is a threat to the designs of upper caste/ upper class. So Christian missions need to be thrown out from these areas.
In this Shabri Kumbh work already ecological damage has been done. The social impact of lakhs of pilgrims coming to this area is also fraught with dangers.
The land appropriated from individuals has not been done as per the proper procedure. Many of them have been intimidated into giving their land. The Christians whose land has been taken over are frightened to open their mouth.
There is a general atmosphere of intimidation amongst the minorities.
The funds for development of Dangs have been diverted for this work alone. The other social projects and development in other areas will be sidetracked.
In case of Ram Temple movement a myth of Lord Ram's birth was manufactured. The Mosque was demolished to achieve the polarization along religious lines. This whole campaign was in the wake of rise in the Dalit conciouness from the decade of seventies, culminating in Madal Commission.

In this case a myth, a legend has been constructed to build a temple and to start a Kumbh to polarize Adivasis around Hindutva politics. Two polar opposite methods for the same goal.

Recommendations-Suggestions:

There is an urgent need to stop the ecological damage being brought in by the preparations for the Kumbh. Need to file a Public Interest Litigation.
Awareness campaigns need to be taken up in the Adivasi areas to let the Adivasis know about the real goal and intent behind the Shabri Kumbh. They should be made aware of their rights and to unite for preservation of that.
The issues of temple and Kumbh are given an emotional tilt and rooting due to which it is difficult to fight for the basic problems of Adivasis. Once they are aware of the dichotomy between their needs and the designs of Sangh their organization into a force defending their human rights will be easier.
Adivasi culture has its own uniqueness. The offense of Hindu Right has calculated and constructed the mythology in a way as to show Adivasis as the servants of upper caste. This correlation needs to be brought out.
The local/National groups/ groups working against communalism/groups working for human rights need to come together to ward off this scheme which will be endangering the tribal society.
Popular literature, CDs etc need to be brought out on urgent basis to broaden the awareness work.
Awareness meeting with the local activists need to be organized.
Media can help the preservation of Human rights a lot. Approach to media needs to be laid on the proper footing.
The intimidation of minorities is a striking observation. They need to reassured and local networks provided to protect them from the intimidation/attacks from the HJM/VH P-To build social and political mechanism for their protection. To request the central Government to ensure that Minorities will be protected. This more so because local administration is hand in glove with the HJM/VHP.

A chronological description on the attacks and arson targeted against the minority Christian community in various districts of Madhya Pradesh

2005-09-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

1. Communal violence had erupted in Jhabua on 4th December 2003. One life was lost and nine persons had sustained grievous injuries. While many houses of minority community members were ransacked, many others were demolished. The victims had filed a complaint with the Alirajpur Police Station. The Madhya Pradesh Minority Commission Chair was also informed of the incident through the representative Mrs. Indira Iyangar.
2. Irate mob had attacked a priest while he was driving his jeep on 30th December 2003. The frenzied mob had pelted stones at the jeep, which resulted into the sustaining of injuries by the priest. The crowd also smashed the breakables of the jeep when it had entered the Antarvelia village of Jhabua District. Later the crowd went on a rampage setting afire the house of aged father of village Sarpanch Mr. Phala. The mob also demolished some of new houses of the area.
3. Fundamental religious organisations took the pretext of brutal rape and murder of a minor girl in church owned school premises and launched an agitation against the Christian community in Jhabua on 11th January 2004. Numerous local Christian churches and their education centers were attacked and buildings were ransacked or demolished. The members of certain fundamental religious organisations misbehaved with the priests and nuns. The activists also targeted Christians in the adjacent regions. This matter was also reported to The Madhya Pradesh Minority Commission by Fr. Bhuria of Christian Community on 14th January 2004.
4. Sadhvi Krishna Ben led a group of her disciples that attacked the missionary school of Church of North India (CNI) on 16th April 2004. The enraged mob pulled down parts of school building, destroyed the school furniture, equipment, computers etc. The group of miscreants left the place after misbehaving with all those present in the school campus.
5. Police arrested twelve Christians on 16th January 2004 in connection with a road accident involving MLA, Alirajpur. When the MLA was on his way to Aamkut with his associates, his jeep was afire after falling into a ditch. The accident occurred 3 kilometers ahead of Aamkut. There was some ruckus, which resulted into a firing. One Arjun Pal sustained serious injuries to which he succumbed later in the Kattiwad Hospital.
6. A murderous assault was made on Sobhana Oonkar of CNI in which she was seriously injured on 16th January 2004. The Church, in the campus of which Sobhana was attacked, was partially demolished and set afire, while the Qualis vehicle of Sobhana Oonkar that was parked in her house within the CNI Church compound was set on fire. The mob also targeted some houses of Christian community and some houses were gutted. Sobhana Oonkar had personally reported the incident to the State Minority Commission.
7. Fr. Stenny Ferra of Don Bosco School (situated 3 kilometers away from Alirajpur) was on his way to Alirajpur in his jeep, people armed with lethal weapons attacked the vehicle, fired gunshots at the jeep and punctured the tyres on 16th January 2004. When the priest along with the driver attempted to run away for saving life, he was mercilessly beaten up and he sustained serious injuries on his head. The priest a shelter in an adjacent house and saved his life. The priest had to undergo a one-month treatment in Mumbai.
8. The unprovoked anger of a mob resulted into the destruction of the farm house of Don Bosco School. The violence also inflicted on the Christian community a property loss worth Rs.16.00 lakhs.
9. Member of the Madhya Pradesh Minority Commission Mrs. Indira Iyengar made a spot inspection of Jhabua District to apprise herself of the condition on 21st January 2004. The visit was also to serve the purpose of evaluating and assessing the law and order situation in the district, which was shaken by a series of communal violence targeted against Christians. She and sent her written report to the government.
10. A mob consigned to flames nine houses of Christians who lived 10 to 15 km from Jhabua on 20th April 2004. Almost all Christians of the area fled to Rajasthan for refuge. They had to flee from Madhya Pradesh only because they belonged to Christian community.
11. Again during the period from 25 to 28 April 2004, I had visited Jhabua District to assess the condition and the state of affairs after obtaining permission from the concerned authorities. I had called on the twelve Christians who were jailed in Alirajpur jail of Jhabua district. My meeting with the jailed Christians revealed a surprising fact that not even a single person from the other religious community other than the 12 Christians were neither arrested or jailed in connection with the murder Arjun Pal. The Police had neither fixed responsibility of the incident on any of Hindus in the case that the police had filed on 16th April 2004 nor filed an FIR on behalf of Christian community. Besides, the state government took no action on the report of the National Minority Commission and the State Minority Commission. The Christian community had expressed its reservations on the credibility of the one-member Narendra Prasad Commission, which was appointed by the state government to probe into the Jhabua incidents.
12. Workers of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad had launched another tumultuous agitation in Sidhi district of Satna diocese in April 2004 following the suicide of a girl in hostel. The mob, led by leaders of fanatic Hindu organisations, blockaded the Church establishments and sloganeered against the Church keeping the dead body of the girl. The mob pressed the Church authorities to allow cremation of dead body in Church campus, which was however disallowed.
13. Another attack was launched against Christians in Neemuch in May after one minor Hindu girl eloped with a minor Christian boy. Workers of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad took the issue to attack the Christians and declared a "Bandh" in Neemuch. They terrorized the Christians and the entire family of the Christian boy had to leave Neemuch.
14. Two Christian priests, Pastor Dayal and Pastor Singh were unreasonably kept in police station after workers of some Hindu organisations had picked them up accusing of attempting to convert. The two missionaries were kept in police station while the mob had shouted slogans in front of the Police Station. They created an atmosphere of terror and fear in the city. The priests were released the next day.
15. Another dreadful violence shocked the Christian community in the last week of June, in which a minor Christian girl Aakamksha (Bulbul) daughter of a Police couple was brutally murdered by the son of a police constable. The boy evaded arrest for very long but when the police caught him, an effort was made to defend to defend. Deliberate attempt is being made to save him by diluting the cases and avoiding the necessary legal clauses under IPC and other provisions.
16. Father Vincent, Principal, St. Xavier's School, Bhopal was entrapped in a false rape case in July 2004. The priest was kept in police confinement day into night even as the members of Bajrang Dal had thronged outside the police station shouting slogans. The furious activists had threatened to of dire consequences to Christian community if the priest was released. It is evident from these violent incident that there are concerted efforts to threaten, intimidate and terrorize the Christian community in Madhya Pradesh.
NOTE: This is a list only uptill July 2004. Incidents till the present date are much more.
Please raise your concern about these incidents to the following people:
Mr. Babulal Gaur, Cheif Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Email: cm@mp.nic.in, Fax: 0091-755-2551781, 2540501
Mr. Abdul Kalam Azad, President of India. Email: presidentofindia@rb.nic.in

Christians Feeling the heat of Persecution in Chattisgarh

2005-06-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

Christians Feeling the heat of Persecution in Chattisgarh
Reported by Vijayesh Lal

Christians are feeling the heat of persecution in the state of Chattisgarh in India. There have been several reports of atrocities against Christians in the recent past. Some cases do show the liaison between the fundamentalists and the government machinery especially the police.

Background

Chattisgarh is a state ruled by the BJP since their victory in the elections held in December last year. The BJP won 50 seats in the 90-member state assembly, while the (then) ruling Congress Party had to content itself with a mere 37 seats in a state where 35% of 20 million people are central Indian tribal members.

Christian leaders in Chattisgarh fears that they are heading towards tough time have started coming true. The Bishop Victor Kindo of Raigarh had said of the BJP victory, “The situation is not favorable. The Christian minority community in Chattisgarh is likely to face ‘tough times’."

During the campaigning for the then coming elections, the BJP had stressed the conversion issue a lot. Advertisements had been placed in several local newspapers “depicting a bishop forcibly converting a tribal member while a henchman stood guard over others encaged and waiting to be baptized by the pope's orders.”

The conversion issue had even found place in their election manifesto. The party had promised to ban conversions to Christianity if voted to power, a promise that the BJP is serious about.

A local newspaper, Dainik Bhaskar had reported in March 2005, “The state government has prepared a draft to amend the provisions of the Dharma Swatantraya Adhinayarn (Freedom of Religion) Act, making them more stringent to restrict conversions of poor tribals to Christianity,” (See Compass Direct: India’s Chhattisgarh State to Strengthen Anti-Conversion Law, March 28th 2005)

Reconversion is also high on the agenda of the BJP affiliates. The Hindu Jagran Manch, an activist group that is an ideological ally of the BJP claimed in April that hundreds of Christians were reconverted in a ceremony on April 2 in Dhamtari district of Chattisgarh. During the reconversion ceremony, former cabinet minister from BJP Dilip Singh Judeo threatened Christian workers, saying, “If Christian missionaries don’t stop converting people, we will take up arms.” (See Compass Direct: Hindu Activists in India ‘Reconvert’ Christians, Threaten Missionaries, April 7th 2005)

Recent Incidents

5th June 2005:

Pastor Jaichand Dongre from Moti Chowk, Shankar Nagar, Durg, was having a Sunday service at his place with Church members and visiting believers, when around 11 am they were suddenly attacked by about 200 activists from the Bajrang Dal (Youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad).

The Bajrang Dal people were fully armed and came with a planned strategy. According to eye witnesses they even had two police constables with them.

The activists roughed up the Church members especially the pastor and looted the place, taking away Bibles, Christian literature and Musical instruments.

From there the Christians were taken to the police station where seven men and two women (all Christians) were arrested and charged falsely with disturbing the peace in the area.

According to reports received, they were charged with Section 151 of the Indian Penal Code which says, “Whoever knowingly joins or continues in any assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace, after such assembly has been lawfully commanded to disperse, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.”

This charge was slapped on the Christians meeting peacefully for worship in full accordance with their fundamental right given in Article 19 and 25 of the Indian constitution. Articles 19 promises right to freedom of speech and expression, to assemble peaceably and without arms, while Article 25 provides for freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.

The Bajrang Dal had arranged for false witnesses and some women turned up who gave false witness that they were promised One Lakh rupees (About 2325 US Dollars) each by the Pastor. The Pastor denies even knowing the women.

According to reports received the Police station office Mr. Pandey slapped the Pastor several times and humiliated him. This beating was in addition to the one that the pastor got from the crowd that beat him up all the way to the police station.

When a representative of the minority commission of Madhya Pradesh, Patras Habil, contacted the police station, he was told blankly that the beatings and arrests were due to conversion activities carried on by the Christians and that they deserved it.

When the representative revealed his connection with the Minority Commission the tone of the police officer changed who then claimed to rescue the Christians from the mob who had gathered to kill them all.

Christians in the area met with the Superintendent of Police in the area who assured them of help, but still the Christians were arrested and put in prison for two days. The SP could not do anything because of the many charges leveled against the Christians.

Two days later they were released on Bail after paying a huge sum of money.

The situation in Shankar Nagar, continues to remain tense. The Bajrang Dal has mobilized people against the Christian community in the area. They are unable to take water out of the community hand pump and are also unable to buy food supplies as they face a mass social boycott.

3rd June 2005

Thirteen Christians in Hathod village, Balod, Distrist Durg were called by the Sarpanch (Village Head man) in consultation with the villagers for a meeting. During the meeting the Christians were told to renounce their faith or face the consequences. According the sources, Christians were threatened with grave consequences and were coerced to become Hindus.

According to reports received, the notable fact is that most of the Christians who were asked to renounce their faith have not accepted Christianity recently. They were Christians for quite some time, some of them are even involved in Christian service and having some sort of theological training.

Seven of the thirteen Christians declined the ruling of the Sarpanch and were taken to the police station and locked up in Balod jail. Sources have revealed that the police was hand in glove with the Sarpanch and Hindu fundamentalist leaders in the village. The Christians have been implicated under Sections 151, 107 and 116 of the Indian Penal Code.

I spoke to the lawyer of the Christians, Mr. Ram Kishore Sahu, who informed that this type of threatening is not new in the area. Two years ago Christians from the same area were implicated using identical tactics. They are still facing the consequence of choosing to stick to their faith as the case against them is still going on.

Mr. Sahu further said that these are tactics of harassment against simple Christians who are not well off economically to discourage them from following their faith. He did not rule out the influence and involvement of Hindu fundamentalist organizations like the RSS, VHP and the BJP.

Meanwhile the Christians still languish in prison. The orders for their bail have been given, but the Hindu fundamentalists made sure that they had a way of circumventing even this.

Mr. Sahu further informed that the Bail orders explicitly say that the bail security of Rupees 10,000 for each person has to come from within the village Hathod and that outsiders are not allowed to provide security for bail.

Due to the influence of the Sarpanch and fundamentalists this is currently not possible, for no one wants to help the Christians and risk their status in the village.

At the time of the writing of this report efforts continue to bail the Christians out while the situation in the area remains tense.

Only 1.9 percent (401,035) of the total population (20,833,803) of Chattisgarh are Christians according to the 2001 Census.

Response

Please send Faxes / letters of concern to the following:

1. Dr. Raman Singh
Chief Minister of Chattisgarh
Chief Minister Niwas, Raipur
E-mail: cm@cg.nic.in
Office Phone: 0091-771-2221000, 2221001, 2331001
Office Fax: 0091-771-2221306
Residence Phone: 0091-771-2331000

2. Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
Room No. 152, South Block,
New Delhi, 110001
Office Telephone: 0091-11- 23012312
Office Fax: 0091-11- 23016857

3. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) K.M. Seth,
Governor of Chattisgarh
Phone numbers: 0091-771-2331100, 2331105
Fax Number: 0091-771-2331104

Please also send emails of concerns to the Collector of Durg at durg@cg.nic.in