Christians submit joint statement on NIC meeting

The National Integration Council's 14th meeting began on Monday New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

In the backdrop of communal violence against Christians in Orissa and other states, the NIC will discuss the prevention of extremism, promotion of communal harmony and security among minorities.

Archbishop Vincent Concessao, Archbishop of Delhi, Dr John Dayal, Secretary General, All India Christian Council, Dr. Valson Thampu, Principal, St Stephen's College, Delhi, representing Christian communities in the country voiced their concern over the escalating violence and a joint statement was submitted to the Prime Minister and members of the NIC.

Its statement read:
"We know to our pain that for all practical purposes, Kandhamal district in Orissa seems not to be a part of India, as police and paramilitary could not enter it for weeks. The National Commission for Minorities in earlier two visits in 2007 and a recent visit in August – September 2008 gave clear findings about ineffectiveness of local police and administration, and even suggested connivance, in the carnage."

"Even as we meet here today, the embers still smoke in the ruins of more than 4,300 houses and 157 Churches burnt in the Kandhamal and 13 other districts of Orissa. In a meticulously planned and executed conspiracy, a frenzied and well armed band of political criminals has threatened our community as perhaps it has never been in its 2,000 year old history in India, one of the earliest homelands of the faith."

"We face a trial by gun, sword, fire and rapine, tantamount to ethnic cleansing. Over 50,000 who were forcibly purged from 300 villages now hide in forests as Internally Displaced persons, or cower in Government refugee camps in sub human conditions. They have been given a simple option – Convert to Hinduism or die."

Condemning the murder of VHP leader Laxmanananda Saraswati, the statement continued, "The Church condemned the murder unequivocally and called for a high powered enquiry. The guilty must be traced, arrested, tried and punished – whatever is their religion, or ideology. The Maoists have given TV interviews accepting responsibility for the assassination. And yet a Nun has been gang–raped, many men and women burnt alive or hacked to death."

Denouncing forcible and fraudulent conversions to Christianity, the statement called such acts as “illegal, immoral, unethical, and against the Teachings of Faith.”

"Five decades of Church documents, Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical, testify to this. Conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit. Repeated exercises by the National Minorities Commission and efforts by aggressive Governments have failed to provide a single proven case of forcible or fraudulent for forcible conversion," the statement said.

Latest reports from riot–hit Orissa state claim that Christians living in relief camps have been threatened to reconvert to Hinduism or face 'death'.

Police this week has also arrested three people in Kerala in connection with the rape of a Catholic nun in Orissa state on August 26.

The violence since the assasination of Saraswati, has claimed over 50 lives and rendered thousands homeless. At least 300 churches have been burnt during the mayhem.