Indian Christians in US condemn atrocities on religious minorities in India, demand more protection

New York, USA – In the wake of the latest atrocities perpetrated by extremist groups on religious minorities in India, the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America (FIACONA) based in Washington D.C., USA, has appealed to the Indian government to intervene and provide protection for the Christian community living in states like Rajasthan, Bihar, Orissa, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, Christian Today has confirmed.

In an urgent appeal to the central government of India, the Christian organization has highlighted the continuing instances of attacks on Christians in India by extreme factions of Indian society. The Federation, whose mission is to “help safeguard the religious freedom of Christian population of India, to preserve the secular nature of the Indian Constitution and to seek ways to preserve the pluralism and equality of all citizens under law regardless of ones affiliation to a particular faith, race, caste or gender,” has said that the Government of India has failed in its constitutional duty to protect Christian populations in states where Hindu extremist outfits are committing acts of communal violence with gross impunity.

Pointing to a stream of attacks in the last two months, Rev. Bernard Malik, president, FIACONA, said, "We are grieved to note the recent atrocity against a church and its worshipping congregation in Karnataka on the weekend of Pentecost, when dozens of Hindu militants attacked during a worship service, injuring the pastor and his associate. The attack reportedly took place right after the Sunday worship at an Assembly of God congregation in Shrirangapattana taluka near Mysore allegedly by members of the Bajrang Dal."

Rev. Malik expressed his disappointment at the dubious role of the local police in addressing the situation. Apparently a written assurance was extracted from the pastor and his associate that they would not hold any more services in that place of worship.

This attack was the latest in a series of reported violent incidents against the Assembly of God church and other believers. The pastor and his associate were also attacked in April last year and allegedly beaten inside their church before being taken to the same police station where they claimed they were kept for the whole night.

Another reported attack took place against members of the Christian organization 'Youth With A Mission' on May 5 in Kalkari village in Karnataka's northern district of Dharwad. The youth members were apparently dragged to a nearby Hindu temple and made to bow down before an idol. They were then taken by some Hindu militants to the Police station where they were accused of "disturbing the peace." Fortunately there were no serious injuries in this episode.

Recently, in Kerala, eight students of Beersheba Bible College, run by the India Pentecostal Church at Chettimukku, near Kozhencherry, were injured when they were attacked allegedly by a group of armed people on motor–cycles, owing allegiance to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The incident took place when the victims were waiting at a bus–stop to attend a funeral. According to the police, the Bible College students were attacked without any provocation.

FIACONA also expressed its grief over the passing away of Catholic priest, Fr. Mathew Uzhuthal at Patna's Kurji Holy Family Hospital on May 1. Fr. Uzhuthal succumbed to the stab injuries he suffered from an attack on him by a criminal youth at Mokama on April 11.

Mr. Abraham Mammen, national vice president, FIACONA, said, "We do not take much comfort from the fact that the attack was apparently not motivated by anti–Christian sentiments but was a case of criminal intimidation and assault for extortion of money. Father Uzhuthal was a distinguished and learned man of God with a long record of service to his diocese in Bihar."

Noting that hate campaigns against Christian institutions in certain states of India are spreading like wildfire, Mr. Mammen said, "The great expectation that the Congress led UPA coalition would take strong action against those who would disrupt the right of religious freedom in India has not been borne out. The legacy of the BJP led government still casts a big shadow over the nation.”

However, Mr. Mammen expressed satisfaction about the improvement in the “reporting on these violations of human rights and the rights of religious freedom in India by the local and national media.”