[Reader-list] Fwd: Very important: signature campaign against attacks on Christians in Karnataka

rashneek kher rashneek at gmail.com
Mon Sep 22 15:10:24 IST 2008


Dear Ponni,

I sign.Is there an online petition which we need to sign.

Best Regards

Rashneek

On Mon, Sep 22, 2008 at 12:25 PM, ponni arasu <mailponni at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: ponni arasu <mailponni at gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 3:22 PM
> Subject: Very important: signature campaign against attacks on Christians
> in
> Karnataka
> To: Ponni Arasu <ponni at altlawforum.org>
>
>
> Sorry for cross-posting
>
>
> Read the letter below. Please feel free to send your own letter to
> whomsoever you see as the appropriate authorities. To sign this petition
> please revert back to me by *replying to this email* with your *name,
> organisation (if any) and place* *by Tuesday 23rd September. *
>
>
> To,
> The Honourable Prime Minister of India
> Dr. Manmohan Singh
> Prime Minister of India ,
> Prime Minister's Office, South Block,
> Raisina Hill, New Delhi , 110011, India
> Fax : (+) 91 -11- 2301 9545/23016857
> Email : manmohan at alpha.nic.in/pmosb at pmo.nic.in
>
>
>
> CC: National Human Rights Commission
>
> *Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg, *
>
> *New Delhi**, 110001 *
>
> *Tel.No. 23384012 *
>
> *Fax No. 23384863 *
>
> *E-Mail:** covdnhrc at nic.in, ionhrc at nic.in <ionhrc at nic.in>*
>
>
>
> CC: State Human Rights Commission, Karnataka
>
>       4th floor, 5th phase,
>
>       Multistoreyed building,
>
>       Bangalore-560 001.
>
>       Tel. no.  080-22392200
>
>       Fax:080-22392206, 22392207
>
> CC: National Commission for Minorities,
>       5th Floor,
>       Lok Nayak Bhavan,
>       Khan Market,
>       New Delhi 110 003
>       Tel. 24618349
>       Fax 24693302, 24642645, 24698410
>       E-mail:ncm-mma at nic.in <E-mail%3Ancm-mma at nic.in>
>
>
>
> *Appeal against the violence against Christians in Karnataka*
>
>
>
>   - *October 1998*: Convent schools in Karnataka and some other States
>   begin to receive threatening letters and in some cases visits by local
>   leaders of Hindu fundamentalist groups demanding that they stop their
>   alleged prosletysation activities.
>   - *June 8th   and 9th  2000*:  Bomb blasts in Wadi district of Gulbarga
>   near a church, at St.John's Lutheran church in Hubli- Gadag road, and in
>   St.Peter's and Paul's church, Bangalore, right after the 3000 people who
> had
>   come for the corpus Christi celebrations had begun to leave.
>   - *August 21st, 2007*: A large group attacked six female and twelve male
>   students from the Full Gospel Church, while they were at a picnic. Around
> 50
>   goons arrived on bicycles, motorbikes and cars and began to hit and kick
> the
>   students. They swore at them and insulted them, accusing them of
> 'forcible
>   conversions'. They then dragged the students identified as Parasuram,
>   Ramesh, Vani Jyothi, Pushpa, Vijay, Shilpa, Prasan, Nirmala and Chandra,
> to
>   the Vidyanagara Police Station where they filed a complaint of 'forcible
>   conversions' against them. Police claimed that they held the students
> 'for
>   keeping peace', and released them on 27 August. The case against the
>   students was officially closed and no known action was taken against the
>   attackers.
>   - *25th November, 2007*: In  Balupette village, Hassan district  three
>   Christians severely beaten by Hindu fundamentalists. About twenty Hindu
>   extremists stormed a worship service at Christ Vision Church in Balupette
>   village. They threatened the congregants and chased them away. After
> burning
>   the Bibles, the extremists then dragged out two pastors, C.J. Joemon and
>   C.J. Jojo, and another congregant, G. Anil, to the junction half a
> kilometer
>   away. They stripped them, tied them to a pole and beat them. When police
>   arrived, they took the three victims to the police station and charged
> them
>   with 'forcible conversions'. They were also initially refused medical
> aid.
>   The two pastors were later released on bail. No action is known to have
> been
>   taken against the attackers.
>   - *14th September, 2008:* 14 churches attacked in one day in Dakshina
>   Kannada, Udipi and Chikmangalur districts. Planned and almost
> simultaneous
>   attacks resulting in injuries to pastors and believers as well as damage
> to
>   church property include desecration of statues of Jesus.
>
>
>
> The above is merely an assortment of incidents over the past few years
>  where
> Christians in the state have been attacked brutally. The attack on 14
> churches in three districts in Karnataka is symbolic of this ongoing
> violence. The attacks are evidently well planned and are on the increase at
> a rapid pace. Apart from these incidents a number of areas are witnessing
> Christians living in fear of daily threats and violence. The violence has
> already had a profound impact on the mobility of these individuals and
> communities on a daily basis. The attack is as much on institutions such as
> churches as well as educational institutions who while being supported by
> Christianity are not those directed towards religious propagation. Various
> individuals and their families have been attacked in their homes and in
> public.
>
>
>
> The explanation given for most of this violence is that of 'forcible
> conversion'. The very concept is a fallacy and is not supported by
> individual stories of believers or within the law. There is not a single
> case of 'forcible conversion' that has been proved to have occurred in
> Karnataka. The statistics of the state speak volumes. The percentage of
> Christians in the state is 1.9% ,below the national average of 2.3%. Like
> in
> many other states, Christians institutions have existed in Karnataka, like
> in many other parts of the country for centuries. The question then is if
> the alleged 'forcible conversions' are actually taking place, the
> population
> of Christians in Karnataka and in India remaining abysmal is then absurd
> and
> inexplicable.
>
>
>
> Further, many Christians in Karnataka, like in other parts of the nation
> are
> practicing rituals in multiple religions. Many so-called 'converts' still
> visit Hindu temples and perform Hindu rituals at home and in public. The
> joining of a church congregation is often inspired by a certain faith which
> is often the basis for the practice of any religion.
>
>
>
> Christian institutions have been an integral part of the social fabric of
> Karnataka as in many other parts of India. They have played a substantive
> role in setting up of the well acclaimed primary and higher educational
> institutions. They have played a crucial role in provide access to social
> mobility through education and employment for many persons from
> underprivileged backgrounds.
>
>
>
> The disturbing trend in Karnataka is the passive role that the police and
> local administration has played in these incidents of violence. In some
> other cases they have actively participated in the violence and have gone
> on
> to abuse the provisions of law to file false cases against the victims.
>
>
>
> All of these factors have created and atmosphere of fear for the community
> in Karnataka  while Hindu fundamentalist forces are repeatedly going scot
> free and thus their actions.
>
>
>
> These incidents are a blatant violation of the right to life, liberty and
> religious freedom enshrined in our constitution. It is important that
> immediate action be taken in this regard so as to avoid planned violence
> against any one community among the citizens of the nation, as has been
> witnessed in India in the past.
>
>
>
> We hope that the Central Government and the Human Rights Commissions will
> reprimand the actions of Hindu fundamentalist forces as well as state
> actors
> while urging the state government to ensure protection for these
> communities
> throughout the state and pursue relevant action in all of these cases so as
> to restore law and order and protect the rights enshrined in our
> constitution. It is only by curbing this violence can India comply with the
> law of the land and live up to its image of being the largest democracy
> that
> ensures equality, freedom, respect and dignity to all its citizens.
>
>
>
> Thank you,
>
>
>
> Yours Sincerely,
>
>
>
> Maitreyi Krishnan, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
>
> Ponni Arasu, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
>
> Clifton D' Rozario, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
>
> Manoranjini, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
>
> Sowmya Bhat, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
>
> Mythri Bhat, Bangalore
>
>  Jiti Nichani, Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore
> Mamtha Nichani, Bangalore
> Manu Nichani, Bangalore
> Amith Makhija, Bangalore
> Naveen Nichani, Bangalore
> Samtha gopal, Bangalore,
> Gopal Mahadevan, Bangalore
> Ramakrishna Bhat, Bangalore
> Shashikala Bhat, Bangalore
> Ananya Bhat, Bangalore

   Rashneek Kher





>
>
> - --
> Calvin: I wonder if you can refuse to inherit the world...
> Hobbes: I think if your born its too late.
>
>
>
> - --
> Calvin: I wonder if you can refuse to inherit the world...
> Hobbes: I think if your born its too late.
>
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-- 
Rashneek Kher
Wandhama Massacre-The Forgotten Human Tragedy
http://www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com
http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com


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