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[[Image:Girl sufferedwithburnwounds.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A [[Christianity in India|Christian]] girl who was burned during [[religious violence in Orissa]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://in.reuters.com/news/pictures/cslideshow?sj=200809011203145.js&sn=Violence|title=Voilence in Orisssa ( slide 8 of 30 - A Christian girl whose face was burnt during the recent religious violence, sits in a shelter at Raikia village in Orissa August 31, 2008. )|accessdate=2008-10-10}}</ref> ]]
[[Image:Girl sufferedwithburnwounds.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A [[Christianity in India|Christian]] girl who was burned during [[religious violence in Orissa]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://in.reuters.com/news/pictures/cslideshow?sj=200809011203145.js&sn=Violence|title=Voilence in Orisssa ( slide 8 of 30 - A Christian girl whose face was burnt during the recent religious violence, sits in a shelter at Raikia village in Orissa August 31, 2008. )|accessdate=2008-10-10}}</ref> ]]


The '''Anti-Christian violence in India''' has increased in recent years and is often perpetrated by [[Hindu Nationalists]]. There have been multiple incidents of such violence since the BJP began its rule at the center in [[March 1998]].<ref name="HRW">{{cite web|title=Anti-Christian Violence on the Rise in India|url=http://hrw.org/english/docs/1999/09/30/india1626.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1698533,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics|title=A Christian-Hindu Clash in India (time.com)|accessdate=2008-09-25}}</ref> In the same year, [[Sonia Gandhi]], an Italian Catholic became Leader of the Opposition in the Indian parliament. The acts of violence include [[arson]] of churches, re-conversion of Christians to [[Hinduism]], distribution of threatening literature, burning of [[Bible]]s, [[Rape|raping]] of nuns, murder of Christian priests and destruction of Christian schools, colleges, and cemeteries.<ref name="MANAS">{{cite web|title=Anti-Christian Violence in India|url=http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Current_Affairs/Current_affairs.html}}</ref><ref name="HRW"/>
The '''Anti-Christian violence in India''' has increased in recent years and is often perpetrated by [[Hindu Nationalists]]. There have been multiple incidents of such violence since the BJP began its rule at the center in [[March 1998]].<ref name="HRW">{{cite web|title=Anti-Christian Violence on the Rise in India|url=http://hrw.org/english/docs/1999/09/30/india1626.htm}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1698533,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics|title=A Christian-Hindu Clash in India (time.com)|accessdate=2008-09-25}}</ref> In the same year, [[Sonia Gandhi]], an Italian Catholic became Leader of the Opposition in the Indian parliament. The acts of violence include [[arson]] of churches, re-conversion of Christians to [[Hinduism]], distribution of threatening literature, burning of [[Bible]]s, [[Rape|raping]] of nuns <ref>http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Jhabua_nuns_rape_case</ref>, murder of Christian priests and destruction of Christian schools, colleges, and cemeteries.<ref name="MANAS">{{cite web|title=Anti-Christian Violence in India|url=http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Current_Affairs/Current_affairs.html}}</ref><ref name="HRW"/>


==Background==
==Background==

Revision as of 00:02, 30 October 2008

A Christian girl who was burned during religious violence in Orissa[1]

The Anti-Christian violence in India has increased in recent years and is often perpetrated by Hindu Nationalists. There have been multiple incidents of such violence since the BJP began its rule at the center in March 1998.[2][3] In the same year, Sonia Gandhi, an Italian Catholic became Leader of the Opposition in the Indian parliament. The acts of violence include arson of churches, re-conversion of Christians to Hinduism, distribution of threatening literature, burning of Bibles, raping of nuns [4], murder of Christian priests and destruction of Christian schools, colleges, and cemeteries.[5][2]

Background

In short, the most common rationale offered for violence against Christians in India, is that the community is growing at an alarming rate through forced conversions. Partisan politics, and the Hindu awakening by various Hindu organizations contribute to anti-Christian violence.

From 1964 to 1996, 38 incidents of violence against Christians were reported. In 1997, 24 such incidents were reported. Since 1998, Christians in India have faced a wave of violence.[6] In 1998 alone, 90 incidents were reported.[5]

The Sangh Parivar and related organisations have stated that the violence is an expression of "spontaneous anger" of "vanvasis" against "forcible conversion" activities undertaken by missionaries,[7][5] [8]

Overview

Incidents of violence against Christians have occurred in nearly all parts of India, it has largely been confined to north, central, and western India, in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and the capital area of New Delhi - not coincidentally, while these areas have been under BJP rule.[5] In June 2000, four churches around India were bombed. In Andhra Pradesh, church graves were desecrated. A church in Maharashtra was ransacked.[5] In September 2008, two churches were partly damaged in Kerala. [9][10]. Christian leaders described the events of September 2008 as deliberate acts by anti-socials and denied any religious motive in the attacks.[11]

Karnataka

Main article: Anti-Christian violence in Karnataka

The 2008 wave of attacks against Christians in Karnataka includes attacks directed against Christian churches and prayer halls in Karnataka by the Bajrang Dal, with the ruling BJP government accused of involvement. The violence started from 14 September 2008 when about 20 churches were vandalized in Mangalore, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, and in other districts of Karnataka. Minor violence was later reported from the border state of Kerala. The continuing distribution of literature depicting Hindu gods in a vulgar fashion by the New Light Church, a fringe proselytizer group ignited the retaliation.

Orissa

Main article: Religious violence in Orissa

After Graham Staines murder in 1999, outbreak of violence started on 24 December, 2007 at Bamunigam village of Kandhamal District. Some Hindu activists forcefully removed a Christmas decoration, put up on a site traditionally used by Hindus during Durga Puja. Swami Lakshmanananda, a Hindu monk, was attacked and killed. Violence followed resulting in the death of one Christian and two Hindus. The violence later affected in 14 districts out of 30 and 300 Villages, 4,400 Houses burnt, 50,000 Homeless, 59 People killed including at least 2 pastors, 10 Priests/Pastors/Nuns injured, 18,000 Men, women, children injured, 2 women gang-raped including a Christian nun, 151 Churches destroyed and 13 Schools and colleges damaged.

Gujarat

In 1997 in Gujarat, 22 churches were burnt or destroyed, and another 16 damaged.[5] Recently, there has been a sharp increase in violent attacks on Christians. A Hindu group claims to have converted 2,000 tribal Christians to Hinduism. The attackers had vandalized places of worship and thus caused strike terror among the tribals. On 18 September, the Central Government issued an advisory under Article 355 of the constitution to the Orissa government along with Karnataka. [12] [13]

Murder of Graham Staines

In a well-publicised case, Graham Staines, an Australian Christian missionary was burnt to death along with his two sons Timothy (aged 9) and Philip (aged 7), while they were sleeping in his station wagon at Manoharpur village in Keonjhar district in Orissa in January 1999. He was running the Evangelical Missionary Society of Mayurbhanj, an Australian missionary society.[2] In 2003, Dara Singh was convicted of leading the gang responsible.[14]

Politics

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are the most accused Hindu organizations for violence against Christians in India.[2] Sangh Parivar and local media were involved in promoting anti-Christian propaganda in Gujrat.[2] It is evident from the ruling BJP governments in Gujarat, Orissa and Karnataka that serious lapses in handling the violence against minorities as the police failed to solve the issue effectively and the BJP was found directly responsible for allowing bloodshed to spread. [15][16]

Response

US State Department

In its annual human rights reports for 1999, the United States Department of State criticised India for "increasing societal violence against Christians."[17] The report on anti-Christian violence listed over 90 incidents of anti-Christian violence, ranging from damage of religious property to violence against Christians pilgrims. The incidents listed in the report were attributed to local media reports and information gathered by Christian groups in India, and was not independently verified.[17]

National Commission for Minorities

In light of recent Anti-Christian violence in Karnataka by the Bajrang Dal activists, the National Commission for Minorities have said that the Karnataka government of serious lapses in handling the situation and they found directly responsible for allowing violence to spread, and said the police failed to solve the issue effectively as the violence continues. They also clarified that there were no reported complaints of forced conversion registered in the state. [18][19]

National Integration Council of India

On 13 October 2008, the National Integration Council of India called a special meeting chaired by Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and raised the voice against spreading anti-Christian violence in India. The Prime minister strongly condemned the violence supported by the hands of Hindu militant Hindu organizations such as Bajrang Dal, VHP etc. [20] The prime minister had earlier publicly admitted that the ongoing violence against the Christian communities was a matter of great national shame. [21]

Pope Benedict XVI

On 12 October 2008, Pope Benedict XVI criticized the continuing Anti-Christian violence in India.

I invite you to pray for peace and reconciliation as situations cause concern and great suffering... I think of violence against Christians in Iraq and India," [22]

— Pope Benedict XVI

On 28 October, the Vatican called upon the memory of Mahatma Gandhi for an end to the religious violence in Orissa. In a written address to Hindus, the Vatican office said Christian and Hindu leaders needed to foster a belief in non-violence among followers. [23]

References

  1. ^ "Voilence in Orisssa ( slide 8 of 30 - A Christian girl whose face was burnt during the recent religious violence, sits in a shelter at Raikia village in Orissa August 31, 2008. )". Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Anti-Christian Violence on the Rise in India".
  3. ^ "A Christian-Hindu Clash in India (time.com)". Retrieved 2008-09-25.
  4. ^ http://wiki.riteme.site/wiki/Jhabua_nuns_rape_case
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Anti-Christian Violence in India". Cite error: The named reference "MANAS" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Pope Lands in India Amid Rise in Anti-Christian Violence".
  7. ^ Low, Alaine M.; Brown, Judith M.; Frykenberg, Robert Eric (eds.) (2002). Christians, Cultural Interactions, and India's Religious Traditions. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans. p. 134. ISBN 0-7007-1601-7. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. ^ Subba, Tanka Bahadur; Som, Sujit; Baral, K. C (eds.) (2005). Between Ethnography and Fiction: Verrier Elwin and the Tribal Question in India. New Delhi: Orient Longman. ISBN 8125028129. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/printArticle.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=244991&version=1&template_id=40&parent_id=22
  10. ^ "Police recover bike used during church attacks".
  11. ^ http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/30/stories/2008093054120400.htm
  12. ^ "Gujarat : More anti-Christian violence".
  13. ^ "Hindu extremists convert 2,000 Christians in India".
  14. ^ The Staines case verdict V. Venkatesan, Frontline Magazine, Oct 11-23, 2003
  15. ^ [http://www.ptinews.com/pti\ptisite.nsf/0/5365C77C003E62FC652574CB00232C24?OpenDocument NCM blames Bajrang Dal for Karnataka, Orissa violence] Press Trust of India - September 21, 2008
  16. ^ http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=93531
  17. ^ a b "US rights report slams India for anti-Christian violence". 1999-02-27. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
  18. ^ [http://www.ptinews.com/pti\ptisite.nsf/0/5365C77C003E62FC652574CB00232C24?OpenDocument NCM blames Bajrang Dal for Karnataka, Orissa violence] Press Trust of India - September 21, 2008
  19. ^ http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=93531
  20. ^ http://newsblaze.com/story/20081013160550zzzz.nb/topstory.html
  21. ^ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Editorial/India_under_siege_/articleshow/3610403.cms
  22. ^ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/PoliticsNation/Pope_condemns_anti-Christian_violence_Indian_nun_canonised/articleshow/3587923.cms
  23. ^ http://in.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-36186520081028

See also

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