Christians demand safety
Nationwide protest day observed

NEW DELHI, Dec 4 (PTI) — Members of the Christian community today took out marches and held prayer meetings in different parts of the country in protest against the "growing incidents of violence against the community" and demanding concrete action from the Central and state governments to ensure the security and honour of all minorities.

Educational institutions run by Christian managements remained closed across the country in response to the call for observance of protest day given by the United Christians Forum for Human Rights (UCFHR).

In Delhi, the observance was marked by a rally outside Parliament, a fast at Rajghat and a relay prayer, led by UCFHR President Alan de Lastic.

The rally was attended by Congress leaders, including Ajit Jogi, Margret Alva and P. Shiv Shankar, who said the party supported the cause of the minorities and asked the BJP-led government to stop attacks on the Christians.

In a memorandum to Lok Sabha speaker G.M.C. Balayogi, the forum demanded that the Centre and state governments give "categorical assurances" for the safety, security and honour of the minorities, their religious personnel, and institutions.

Claiming that incidents of violence against Christians in 1998 had been highest in the country’s history, the forum said Parliament should put pressure on the Centre and state governments to take urgent steps to stop assault on India’s tradition of democracy, pluralism and religious tolerance.

Parliament should enact urgently legislation to give to the Dalit Christians the constitutional rights that were taken away from them in 1950, the memorandum said.

The forum demanded a ‘white paper’ with full details of the violence inflicted on the Christian community, specially in 1998.

Rallies were held in state Capitals and other places as part of the protest by nearly 23 million Christians, supported by all denominations, human rights groups and leaders of other minorities and representatives of the majority community, it claimed.

Schools, colleges and other Christian institutions run by various denominations and congregations remained closed for the day. Those working in hospitals and essential services would wear black badges, Mr Lastic said.

The UFHCR claimed that Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa headed the list of states with the most number of violent incidents against the Christians with Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Punjab close behind.

Meanwhile Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Manmohan Singh on Friday regretted BJP’s alleged attempt to tacitly justify reported atrocities on the minorities, particularly Christians, and demanded the Centre institute an inquiry into such heinous crimes.

Mr Singh’s comment came after BJP member Prafull Goradia alleged there was more resistance now to alleged efforts of the Christian missionaries to convert people and that the incidents of violence should not be seen in isolation.

The issue was raised through a special mention by C.O. Poulouse and Nilotpal Basu (both CPM) who charged the BJP and some of the front organisations of the Sangh Parivar with making systematic attempts to commit atrocities on the minorities, especially the Christians.

Noting that the atrocities on the Christians had increased considerably since the BJP came to power at the Centre, the members demanded the government come out with a white paper on the atrocities perpetrated on the minorities.

They quoted statistics to say that atrocities on Christians were on the increase because of the alleged militancy of the protagonists of the Hindutva, particularly the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.