wfn.org | NCC India e-Newsletter 14 April 2005

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

BEYOND THE HEADLINES

RT. REV. DR. S. JEYPAUL DAVID, President of National Council of Churches in
India (NCCI) led a delegation comprising of Prof. Z.C. Devadanam, Treasurer,
NCCI, Bishop D.K. Sahu, General Secretary, NCCI, Rt. Rev. Karam Masih,
Bishop of Delhi, Rev. Dr. James Massey among other to call upon the
President, Shri Abdul Kalam Azad on March 08, 2005. In the meeting which
took place in the President?s Chambers the leaders pointed out the
atrocities being committed on Christians in past few months. They also
highlighted the issue of the Dalit Christians.

The issue was also taken up in	an open evening with the Christian MPs on
March 08, 2005, the Hon?ble MPs were sensitized on other important merging
issues such the upcoming patent bill. Several local dignitaries were also
present.
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THE REPORTS OF HARASSMENTS meted out to some Meetei Christians and Rongmei
Christians in Manipur rocked the State Assembly on March 18, 2005. Raising a
call attention motion during the morning session of the Assembly, MLA BD
Behring said that the minority Christians have been at the receiving end of
the majority Hindu community in different parts of the State and questioned
what steps the SPF Government has taken up to protect the rights and
interest of the Christians in Manipur. He gave details of eight instances
where Christians were harassed and inconvenienced by the majority Hindus. At
Phumlou, the bodies of the deceased parents of a Meetei Christian were dug
up by the local people and placed at the court yard of the Christian family.
A local church was desecrated there. Other instances mentioned by the MLA
included the vandalisation of a Church at Wangjing Lamding the expulsion of
a family from Langthabal Khoupum for converting to Christianity, setting a
Church building aflame at Awang Yumnam Khunou and the desecration of the
Phaknung Baptist Church building.

Expressing deep anguish over the instances of Christians being harassed,
Chief Minister O Ibobi, who holds the additional portfolio of Home said that
seven persons have been arrested in connection with the case at Phumlou
adding that the police has also registered a case. He assured the Assembly
that the Government will do all it can to protect the interest and rights of
the Christian community.  (www.epao.net)
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ACCORDING TO A U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT Report on Human Rights in South Asia
AFGHANISTAN has emerged as one of the few countries in South Asia to make
progress in its human rights record during 2004. The report says that the
people of Afghanistan have worked to diminish terrorism and improve
security; to bridge traditional ethnic, religious, and tribal divides; to
craft a new constitution faithful to their values and way of life; to extend
fundamental rights to women and minorities; and to open their society to
unprecedented political competition and freedom of expression.

The report on PAKISTAN says that country has taken steps to protect women?s
rights by establishing all-female police stations in response to complaints
about abuse of women by male officers. It also praises Pakistan for adopting
legislation to help protect women from honor killings. Other positive
legislative developments noted in Pakistan?s report include revisions to
blasphemy laws and Hudood ordinances governing theft, armed robbery,
adultery, rape, false testimony and the use and sale of alcohol. The
adultery and rape laws have been considered particularly abusive of women?s
rights.

The report on INDIA criticized that country?s security forces for abusing
and killing civilians in Jammu, Kashmir and the northeastern states. The
report on NEPAL criticized its security forces for the use of arbitrary
violence in their campaign against the Maoist insurgency and for their
forced conscription of children. http://allamericanpatriots.com   )
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Delhi Archbishop Vincent Concessao met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on
March 11 to seek measures to curb violence against the Christian community.
Leading a delegation of Christian leaders, Archbishop Concessao narrated to
Dr Singh some of the major atrocities committed against the community in
recent times across the country. He also expressed his anguish at
non-recognition of the	work of the Christian community in improving the
lives of the poor which is often misinterpreted as means for religious
conversion. Archbishop Concessao urged Dr Singh to extend reservation to
Christians of Dalit origin. The Prime Minister affirmed that his government
was committed to safeguarding the secular character of the country and would
ensure the safety and security of minorities. The Prime Minister also
thanked the community for its contribution in nation building,''
(www.webindia.com)
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In a seminar titled ?DO DALITS HAVE FREEDOM OF FAITH? DO DALITS HAVE THE
PROTECTION OF THE LAW??, the Buddhist, Sikh and Hindu Dalit movements showed
strong support to the demand of equal right by their fellow Christian and
Muslim outcastes or untouchables. The seminar was jointly organised by the
Vaikalpik Dalit Muslim Kendra, the All India Pasmanda Muslim Samaj, the
Delhi Archdiocesan Justice and Peace Commission, the Satyashodhak Samaj, the
All India Christian Council and the All India Catholic Union.
(www.asianews.it )
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IN KOCHI, a gaggle of Hindu fundamentalists assaulted Christians who were
watching a screening of The Passion of the Christ inside the Kanai Church,
the oldest church in the state of Kerala . One Christian was seriously
wounded and scores of others were beaten and injured, including women and
children. The incident occurred on Easter Eve in Chalakud Taluna when 25
militants from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)?the paramilitary wing
of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)?disrupted the viewing of Mel Gibson?s
movie and started attacking the spectators, one of whom George Kutty, was
seriously hurt. (www.asianews.it )
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THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT?S economic plan includes aid for young Muslims, but
nothing for young Christians. India?s 2005-2006 Union budget singles out
social discrimination as an ill to be tackled but does little for
Christians. The budget which Finance Minister PC Chidambaram presented to
the Parliament on February 28 lays out plans for the development of rural
areas, encourages foreign investment but does not allocate any money for
rural Christians, ?the poorest among the poor?. The budget has provisions
for the advancement of Muslim youth, but there is nothing for Christian
youth in spite of the 2001 Census reports that Christians living in rural
areas live in wretched conditions particularly Tribal (Adivasi) and Dalit
youth professing the Christian faith. (www.asianews.it)
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WOMAN LEADS ISLAMIC PRAYER SERVICE IN NY : A woman led a mixed-gender
Islamic prayer service on March 19, 2005, with organisers of the event
saying they are "ushering Islam into the 21st Century." Muslim religious
leaders in the Middle East argued that only men are empowered to lead other
men in prayer. Amina Wadud, a professor of Islamic studies at Virginia
Commonwealth University, said the service she was leading "is only one
aspect of emphasizing the belief in the reality that women are equal" under
Islam. www.indiatimes.com/Woman leads Islamic prayer service in NY- The
Times of India.htm
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ABORTION IS NOT A RIGHT: The Bush administration wants a U.N. document on
women's equality to make clear that abortion is not a fundamental right and
accused activists of trying to distort the issue. Even U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his opening speech to a high-level review
session of the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women, came in for criticism for
using the term "sexual rights" which the U.S. delegates said was undefined.
The U.N. meeting, with at least 100 government delegations, 80 ministers
from Afghanistan to Peru, and some 6,000 advocates of women's rights, was
called to review progress since the landmark global conference in Beijing 10
years ago. In Beijing, abortion was treated as a health issue, with the
150-page platform saying it should be safe where it was legal and criminal
action should not be taken against women who underwent the procedure.  The
Bush administration does not disagree with this position but has instituted
a variety of policies to make sure any U.S. foreign assistance is not used
for abortions. (www.reuters.com)
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JESUIT FATHER PRASAD GONSALVES was arrested on March 08, 2005 on the basis
of the trumped-up charges leveled against him by a middle-aged woman,
Shantaben Gulabbhai. The priest managed a project to build some 300 houses
for homeless tribal people in Radhanpur North Gujarat. Some time ago,
Gulabbhai approached Father Gonsalves demanding that she too should have a
new house in Anand, almost 300 kilometers (185 miles) away, where she also
apparently lives. The priest expressed his inability to grant her request.
The woman then approached police with a complaint against him. Under
interrogation, she admitted she lied. But she later claimed to other
officials that the priest made an improper request of her. On Tuesday,
following pressure by Hindu fundamentalists in the area, Father Gonsalves
was summoned to the court in Radhanpur. The priest was interrogated and the
magistrates then decided to send him to judicial custody. (www.zenit.org
Code: ZE05030906)

THE FRUSTRATIONS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS of adopting a child in India as a US
based couple found to their peril. The complexities involved in giving a
decent home to an Indian orphan are multiple. Adoptions in India are
governed by two laws. The Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (HAMA), 1956,
provides adoption rights to Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists. The
estimated number of orphans in India 12.4 million orphans and only 5,000
adoptions take place per year. (Indo-Asian News Service  www.newkerala.com)
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RSS CALL FOR END TO MINORITYSM: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on
Friday, March 11, 2005 said Muslims and Christians in India cannot be
treated as minorities as they have not come from outside the country. It
also called for an early end to what it termed as 'minorityism'. Addressing
the Akhil Bharat Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest policy-making body of the
Sangh that began its three-day conclave in Mangalore, RSS general secretary
Mohan Rao Bhagawat said the forefathers of 99.9 per cent of Muslims and
Christians in India were Hindus. The British had introduced the
minority-majority schism to divide the society. The Supreme Court, Bhagawat
said, had in a judgment categorically stated that Hindu did not denote any
religion and it was a way and view of life encompassing several ways of
worship.  (www.newkerala.com)
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ANTI CONVERSION LAWS STRENGTENED : The government of Chhattisgarh, India,
intends to strengthen the state?s anti-conversion law 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. Under current provisions, a
conversion offense is punishable with imprisonment for a maximum of two
years, and a maximum fine of 10,000 rupees ($220). If proposed changes take
effect, ?An offense under the law will be non-bailable and punishable by
imprisonment of up to four years and a fine up to 100,000 rupees ($2,175).
A person wishing to convert will be required to contact district officials
30 days before the conversion. Religious leaders are also required to send a
list of would-be converts to district officials 30 days in advance.
Officials must approve the conversions before they take place. The new
provisions apply only to adults aged 18 years or older and only senior
police inspectors are permitted to handle these cases. (Vishal Arora,
Compass Direct Feature News)

Similar moves are afoot in Rajasthan as well. The Rajasthan Government is
trying to bring into force an anti-conversion bill in the state. Three
bishops and a Christian organisation have submitted two memoranda to Chief
Minister Vasundhara Raje urging her not to implement the proposed
legislation. They fear that the law would be used as a tool by
fundamentalists to "harass" minorities. (PTI)
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BREAKING NEWS:

The Supreme Court on Monday April 11, 2005 has issued notice to the
Government on a Public Interest Litigation petition seeking extension of
reservation to the Scheduled Caste people even after their conversion to
Christianity. A bench comprising Chief Justice RC Lahoti and Justice GP
Mathur directed the listing of the matter for final disposal in August. (The
Hindu, April 12)
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Today is Baba Saheb Ambedkar?s J 110th birth Anniversary.

(This is an e-newsletter brought to you by the National Council of Churches
in India. It is based on information gathered from various newspapers and
websites between March 01-31, 2005. The e-newsletter does not claim to be an
exhaustive account of all the happenings)

Compiled by

Amelia Andrews
Associate Executive Secretary, Communication
National Council of Churches in India
16, Pandit Pant Marg,
New Delhi-110001
Ph: +91-11-55428662
Email: ami_andrews@yahoo.com

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News letter : N C C India