Writing a letter to elected or appointed representatives is powerful and a valuable contribution! Below are some suggestions for writing about the issues the aicc stands for. We encourage you to use your own words to express your concern, but these ideas will help you focus your letter.

Letter on Anti-Christian Violence

1. Choose who you will write to. You can write to Indian officials like the Prime Minister, India's High Commission or Consulate in your country, or your elected officials.

2. Choose a few of these points to include in the first part of your letter. "I have recently become aware of the increasing violence and threats against Christians in India. As you probably know..."

• Despite some outbreaks of religious intolerance, India has largely upheld the freedom for people to seek the Divine in whatever way they choose. The majority Hindu society, in general, has remained tolerant and peaceful toward minorities.
• However, attacks in the state of Orissa over Christmas 2007 killed at least four Christians and destroyed at least 105 churches and 730 Christian homes. About 40 businesses were destroyed and dozens of women assaulted. Most of the victims were Dalits, formerly known as untouchables. Previously, the largest attack on Christians was in The Dangs District, Gujarat, when approximately 30 churches were burned over Christmas 1998.
• More attacks in Orissa, which began in mid-August 2008, killed more than 60 Christians. The violence spread to  Karnataka and other states and destroyed hundreds of churches and thousands of Christian properties. Aicc estimated: 315 villages damaged, 4,640 Christian houses burnt, 54,000 Christians displaced, at least 6 pastors and one Roman Catholic priest killed, 10 priests/pastors/nuns seriously injured, 18,000 Christians injured, at least two women (including a nun) raped, 149 churches destroyed, 13 Christian schools and colleges damaged.
• Most Indian Christians are Dalits, formerly known as untouchables, whose socio-economic empowerment and growth is reportedly not tolerated by the upper caste Hindus.
  The attackers in various parts of India have shouted slogans that identify them as members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) or its affiliate organisations such as the Bajrang Dal.
• Leaders of these right wing, fundamentalist Hindu organisations have made public statements blaming Christians for various crimes, from murder of a controversial swami on Aug. 23, 2008, to ‘forced conversions’. However, all of these allegations are unsubstantiated.
  Leaders of these extremist Hindu organisations have refused to unconditionally condemn violence by their members and routinely call for a debate on whether conversions are good.
  The Constitution of India guarantees, under Article 25, that every Indian citizen can "profess, practise and propagate religion".
• As a member of the United Nations, India has agreed to abide by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, which says everyone has the “freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
• Five states in India have an active “Freedom of Religion Act” (often called anti-conversion laws) which require people to get permission from a judge before they change their religion. If they don’t they risk fines and imprisonment. These states are Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Orissa. Two other states have passed laws but haven’t implemented them yet: Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• Mahatma Gandhi said, “The idea of conversion, I assure you is the deadliest poison that ever sapped the fountain of truth."  However, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a famous Dalit leader and author of India’s Constitution, said, “In my opinion, conversion is the only way to eternal bliss. So nobody should be afraid of it.”
• When Dalits choose a religion other than Buddhism, Sikhism, or Hinduism, they lose the benefits given to Dalits under Indian law due to Presidential Order of 1950 (officially called, Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950).
  

3. Choose a few of these requests for action. Include them in the second part of your letter.

• State governments, under Indian Penal Code 295A or other appropriate laws, should prosecute Hindu fundamentalist leaders who made inflammatory remarks to media which trigger the spread of violence.
• There should be full and adequate compensation and justice for all the victims, including funding for rebuilding businesses and places of worship as well as covering the loss of livestock and employment.
• Every state, especially Orissa, should establish a state commission for minorities which could investigate incidents of discrimination or religious-motivated attacks.
• I’m concerned about reports that police have refused to help Christian victims file complaints. These police officers should be prosecuted for failing to register cases espeically in light of India's Supreme Court opinion given on Aug. 8, 2008, in Writ Petition (CRL) 68 of 2008.
• In each place were a large number of Christian attacks occurred, the state government should provide investigating officers and public prosecutors to assist victims. The government should consider setting up a fast track court.
• India’s Prime Minister must do more than call attacks on Christians “a national shame”. He should lead a delegation to visit the victims in Orissa, or the epicenter of any future anti-Christian attacks.
• Forcible conversions of Christians to Hinduism should be publicly and unconditionally condemned by state and federal government spokespeople. These cases should be prosecuted under the Indian Penal Code.
• The government should amend the presidential order, officially titled Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950, to give legal recognition to Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims as “Scheduled Castes”. This would allow assaults on these communities to be prosecuted under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
• Any commissions established to investigate the violence should be headed by active, not retired, judges with a record of non-sectarian rulings.
• There should be research and the prompt release of findings on conversions by state governments in each state with “Freedom of Religion” laws (Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa) and, due to attacks in Sept. 2008, Karnataka.
• If state governments insist on investigation into foreign funding of Christian groups and organisations despite records already maintained by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, then studies must examine all non-profit organisations, regardless of religious affiliation.

4. Send the letter by email, fax, or postal mail. Again, here is the contact information for Indian officials like the Prime Minister and India's High Commission or Consulate in your country.

Letter on the Plight of India's Dalits

1. Choose who you will write to. You can write to Indian officials like the Prime Minister, India's High Commission or Consulate in your country, or your elected officials.

2. Choose a few of these points to include in the first part of your letter. "I have recently become aware of the plight of India's Dalits. As you must know..."

• The `Untouchables', now known as the Dalits, and the people of the forest tribes of India, called Tribals or Adivasis, are the main victims of caste discrimination in India.
• Many Dalits do not report crimes because of fear of the dominant castes. In spite of this, India's national police statistics show that an average of 13 Dalits are murdered every week, five Dalits' homes or possessions are burnt every week, six Dalits are kidnapped or abducted every week, three Dalit women are raped every day, 11 Dalits are beaten every day and a crime is committed against a Dalit every 18 minutes.
• Article 17 of the Constitution of India outlaws untouchability but not caste.
• Dalits and other low-caste people often suffer from discrimination and segregation in government primary schools. This leads to low enrollment, high drop-out, and low literacy rates.
• Despite many good laws to protect and assist Dalits and Tribals, they are still treated by many in India's society as outcasts.
• The National Commission on Scheduled Castes and the National Commission on Scheduled Tribes have said that many of the reported cases of atrocities against Dalits and Tribals end in acquittals.
• Most of India's bonded laborers, or modern day slaves, are Dalits.
• Dalit women suffer both caste and gender discrimination as a result of the deficient administration of justice and are often raped and attacked with impunity. Many Dalit girls are forced to become temple prostitutes and are then unable to marry and may be auctioned to urban brothels. Also, many women trafficked in India are Dalit women.
• When Dalits choose a religion other than Buddhism, Sikhism, or Hinduism, they lose the benefits given to Dalits under Indian law.

3. Choose a few of these requests for action. Include them in the second part of your letter.

• I request that you include the needs of Dalit organizations in the planning and implementation of any development projects.
• Please make sure that projects which are effective in helping Dalit and Tribal communities, especially Dalit women, are developed and implemented.
• I ask that research programs on rural health care, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and rural technology have an appropriate focus on the Dalits and Tribals.
• I believe that you must encourage businesses to hire qualified Dalits and that transparent and fair recruitment, selection, and career development processes should be implemented.
• I request that you establish and enhance procedures to detect and stop any caste discrimination in employment conditions, wages, benefits or job security.
• I ask that you encourage multi-national companies to implement the "Ambedkar Principles" (Employment and Additional Principles on Economic and Social Exclusion Formulated to assist All Foreign Investors in South Asia to Address Caste Discrimination) drafted by the International Dalit Solidarity Network.
• Please make sure there is equal access for Dalits to police stations and all other public facilities.
• Please urge the Indian government to engage with relevant UN human rights bodies on the elimination of caste-based discrimination. These include the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and UN Special Rapporteurs developing guidelines for the elimination of discrimination based on work and descent.
• Please do everything in your power to make sure that Indian society knows that caste discrimination is unacceptable, and you are committed to eliminating it.

4. Send the letter by email, fax, or postal mail. Again, here is the contact information for Indian officials like the Prime Minister and India's High Commission or Consulate in your country.

Coming Soon: Suggestions for letters the plight of Dalit Christians, and other campaigns!