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Italy to call Indian envoy over attacks
Rome, August 28
Italy’s foreign ministry will summon India’s ambassador to demand “incisive action” to prevent further attacks against Christians that have left 11 people dead in India so far, the government said today. A statement issued after a Cabinet meeting also said Italy would ask France, the current EU President, to take up the issue of attacks against Christians at a future meeting of foreign
ministers. — Reuters |
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NCM says state
negligent
National Commission for Minorities
(NCM), which sought the home minister to deploy additional forces in Kandhmal if needed, today said it was keeping a close vigil on the situation. Chairperson Mohd Shafi Qureishi told The Tribune that the state government had not been cautions enough. “They have been negligent. They should have ensured protection for
Swamiji. They knew the situation could precipitate any time,” Qureishi said. |
New Delhi, August 28
Top Christian leaders from the country today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to apprise him of the ground situation in Kandhmal, where Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal workers continue to lead attacks against Christians and their institutions. The leaders sought the Prime Minister to enact a law against communalism, on the lines of anti-terror laws, wherein perpetrators are made to compensate the victims for losses suffered.
Earlier in the day, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) called all Christian organisations to observe a total bandh tomorrow as a mark of solidarity for the victims of Kandhmal violence. At 10 am, the Christians of the capital will start a peace rally to Orissa Bhavan. About 50,000 Christian institutions will remain shut tomorrow.
The meeting with Manmohan Singh, Christian leaders said, was satisfactory, with the Prime Minister responding sympathetically to their demands. The Prime Minister reportedly termed the attacks shameful and offered relief to the affected families from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. He is also learnt to have told the delegation that the Centre would do
whatever it can to stop violence and deploy more force if needed. “He said he would immediately speak to the Chief Minister and the Governor,” Babu Joseph, spokesperson, CBCI told The Tribune after a 20-minute long meeting. The delegation was led by Raphaeal Cheenath, Archbishop, Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar and Vincent Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi. It further demanded a CBI enquiry into the events that led to the killing of the VHP leader Swami Laxmananad Saraswati and four of his disciples last week inside Jalaspeta ashram in the district.
“A probe is important to belie the allegations being hurled at Christians in the district. We also requested the Prime Minister to expedite the tracking down of assailants,” Joseph said, adding he favoured Army deployment in the area and even the declaration of President’s rule to ensure safety of people.
The Christian leaders, who also attended the dharna outside the Sacred Heart Cathedral here, earlier likened the situation in Kandhmal to “ethnic cleansing”. “It is the worst attack on Christians who have routinely been persecuted in Kandhmal,” Joseph said.
The last such attack happened around Christmas in 2007, when estimated damages were about Rs 3.5 crore. “The compensation given by the state government was only Rs 16 lakh, that too was meant to be shared by institutions damaged at eight locations,” Archbishop Cheenath told The Tribune today, adding that there was no possibility of a dialogue in Kandhmal as the majority was baying for the minority’s blood. He also said there was a need to investigate cases of cow slaughter in the area. “Such cases have always led to attack on the church,” he said.
Blaming the state government for lack of political will to contain the crisis, the Christian leaders said the political parties should help bridging the majority-minority divide. Archbishop Cheenath further explained that the Christians formed just 1.5 per cent of the population of Kandhmal, which is six lakh. “From 2 per cent in 1971, the percentage of traders has gone up to 18 per cent. Most of them are Christians,” Archbishop Cheenath said. As for the home ministry, it was silent on the issue today.
Meanwhile, John Dayal, member, National Integration Council, today urged UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to prevent ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Christians in Orissa. Slamming the state government for failure in protecting the Christians from the RSS and the VHP for the second consecutive year, Dayal, in a letter to Gandhi, requested the Centre to step in and make the state wake up to its constitutional obligations.
