Anti–Christian Propaganda Dampen Christmas Celebrations in Gujarat

Ahmedabad – Incendiary pamphlets and booklets circulated in many parts of Gujarat over the last 10 days have forced Christians to keep Christmas preparations on a low key.

The pamphlets, full of anti–Christian rhetoric and misquotes from the Bible, charge Christians with forcible conversion of poor Hindus and tribals in South Gujarat districts of Dangs, Surat, Navsari and Valsad. Similar pamphlets were distributed in these districts in the past also.

Police in the tribal–dominated Dangs district headquarters town of Ahwa arrested a man allegedly working for an organization affiliated to the Vishwa Hindu Parisad (VHP) on December 18 when he was found distributing such pamphlets.

“We booked one Prashant Borse under Sections 153 A and 295 A of the IPC. We’re looking for others,” said Dangs Superintendent of Police V Chandrashekhar.

Borse, a grocer and associate of Hindu Jagaran Manch (HJM)’s Dangs district president Janubhai A Pawar, was released on bail the next day. Ramubhai Mulubhai Chaurya, a farmer and tribal Christan in Koilipada village of Dangs said local VHP, RSS and HJM activists had been distributing pamphlets since last fortnight.

“They hand out these pamphlets to everyone on the streets and in remote villages and say: ‘Look what these Christians have been doing here.’ This has dampened the Christmas spirit,” he said.

Khalpabhai J Chaudhary, a Christian in Borigamtha village, said: “After the pamphlets surfaced, we’re afraid if we can move freely on Christmas day. We’ve decided to keep the lights and other decorations as low as possible.”

Father Cedric Prakash, a Jesuit priest and director of an Ahmedabad–based NGO working for human rights, said several pamphlets with “numerous outrageous misquotes” from the Bible were being openly distributed in several districts of Gujarat for nearly a month.

“During my recent visit to Vyara and other places in South Gujarat, I found a vicious propaganda like the one preceding the attacks on Christian places of worship had started. The government has remained largely inattentive to these incidents, saying there would be no communal disharmony,” said Prakash.

“There’re also booklets in Hindi and Marathi purportedly seeking to show how Christians were converting Hindus in districts bordering Maharashtra. The booklets bear the name of their publisher, Bharat Jagriti Morcha, an Ahmedabad–based organization. Inquiries to a telephone number to its office weren’t replied,” he said.

All–India Christian Council (AICC) joint secretary Samson Christian, who filed petitions in the Gujarat High Court four times in previous years seeking protection during Christmas celebrations, said: “We’ve been assured by officials that they’d ensure peaceful celebration this time. We hope they keep their word.”

The Adivasi Sanskriti Jatan Samiti (AJSS), a relatively new outfit headed by Janubhai Pawar, has announced organizing the “Dutt Jayanti and Pran Pratistha Mahotsav” at Naldadev in Dangs on Saturday. An “Akhand Harinam Saptah” is being organized by another reportedly VHP–affiliated organization at Salher village in Maharastra’s Nasik district on Gujarat border on Saturday and Sunday.

State Home Secretary K Nityanandam said there would be no trouble anywhere in the State during Christmas. “I don’t think there’ll be any trouble, but we’re prepared for any eventualities,” he said.

Surat Range IG Rakesh Asthana said security had been beefed up in all the four districts.

“We’ve beefed up security but we can’t deny permission to Hindu organizations from observing their pre–scheduled ceremonies,” said Asthana.

Surat and Dangs have got two companies of SRP each while Navsari and Valsad one each, he said. “Extra local police and home guard have been provided to these districts. There’ll also be round–the–clock patrolling and strategic deployment of security forces,” he said.

According to sources, a large gathering of Hindus is taking place at Vansda in Navsari district to observe “Vishal Hindu Mela” on Friday and Saturday. “Guru Dattatreya’s birth anniversary will be observed across South Gujarat on December 25. Why should we be denied permission?” asked Surat VHP general secretary Vimal Unadkat.