SECUNDERABAD, DECEMBER, 1, 2000

Anti-Christian violence erupts again in Gujarat and other States.

Sangh Parivar elements implicated.

Bishop Ezra Surgunam of Chennai goes on public fast at Vyara, Surat in protest against the desecration of an ECI Church by RSS/VHP activists.

The Prime Minister is once again being called upon to take immediate action and not to treat this as astray incidents.

The hands of the Sangh Parivar members and their political bosses is covered with the blood of innocent Christians, and their effort to divide the nation on religious lines is anti-national, says the Council.

Close on the heels of the diatribe and disinformation against the Christian Community by the RSS Chief SN Sudershan in Agra and Nagpur violence has once again broken out against the Christian Community in various parts of the nation. In a most blatant act of religious intolerance and hate the ECI Church in Chindia, Vyara Taluk, Surat Dist., Gujarat was forcibly occupied by some 400 sword and knife wielding RSS and VHP extremists on November 26th. The communal elements destroyed the Cross both from within and outside the Church and then planted Hindu idols in the Christian sanctuary. The Christian Community is completely shocked by the brazen desecration of a Christian place of worship in the BJP ruled Gujarat State and the attempt to take possession of a Christian house of worship.

Meanwhile the Bishop of the ECI has camped in Chindia and is on a public fast in protest and call to deal with this communal act of violence. And the Christians in Chennai joined by the local All India Christian Council leadership is going on a public protest on
1sDecember in front of Shastri Bhavan.

The Gujarat incident is one among major acts of violence against Christians in the last week. The first Vice President of the CBCI, Archbishop Vincent Concessao has written a letter to the Prime Minister on the following incidents and has asked for action and pointed out that these are not stray incidents.

On November 26 100 miscreants attacked and stoned Christian evangelists in Kolar, Karnataka.

On Novermber 26 armed miscreants looted the nuns of St. Mary's convent in Jwalapur in Meerut district , UP. A few of the miscreants then proceeded to attack the nuns dormitory and the nuns had to hide themselves in toilets, the godown and other places.

Fr. C. Alphonse (64) is admitted to the Medical College hospital in Gwalior after being brutally attacked by a mob who were wielding iron rods and sticks. Fr. Alphonse has serious head, hand and body injuries.

On 29th miscreants broke into a Church hall in Bokaro and ransacked the place of worship.

"The violence against Christians is true to the now all familiar pattern of hate and disinformation campaign followed by blatant criminals against Christians and their places of worship, " said the President of the Council, D.D'Souza. "Not one person in the Union government corrected or challenged the disruptive charges made by the RSS leader Sudershan in Agra and Nagpur where he equated patriotism with religion. The call was nothing less than blatant religious fascism and contrary to the Indian Constitution. History will condemn the silence of the present government in the face of open anti-Christian violence as their great act of sin."

The Christian community continues to live in fear and Christians in Gujarat in particular are horrified at the present outbreak of incidents including the Vyara incident even as once again Christmas approaches and they relieve the horrors of the past two years Christmas' week when they were openly terrorised by the VHP/RSS elements.

" It is time that the non communal leaders of the NDA alliance such as Mr. Chandrababu Naidu and Mr. Karunanidhi called a complete halt to the anti-national activities of the Sangh Parivar which is bent on dividing the nation on religious lines instead of strengthening the secular foundations of our great nation. It is the Christian workers of Andhra and Tamil Nadu and the other South Indian States that are often victimized even as they reach out in love and compassion to their fellow human being across the nation, " said Rev. Dr. G.Samuel, the President of the Council in Andhra Pradesh.

In the meantime an all India delegation led by John Dayal, the Secretary General of the Council will reach Vyara on the first of December to lend support to the Christians and the Bishop of Vyara. The delegation includes prominent leaders from Andhra, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Signed,
Dr. Joseph D'Souza

Rev. Dr. G.Samuel Pastor D.Mohan