NHRC begins investigation on Karnataka, Orissa violence

Following a petition filed by the Bangalore based Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) requesting for a special investigation on the Mangalore and Orissa anti-Christian violence, the National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday constituted a special team who have begun the probe.

The week long investigation will see the members of the constituted team visiting affected districts and hearing witnesses on the violence.

While meeting with the GCIC representatives on Nov. 12, the six-member team led by Superintendent of Police Mukesh Singh, was apprised of the events and attacks that were carried out by the Sangh Parivar members.

"We were able to establish with documentary evidence, 96 major attacks against Christians in Karnataka and over 80 martyrdoms of Christians for their faith in Orissa, along with grave violations of human rights," a GCIC statement said.

GCIC expressed strong faith in the NHRC investigations, saying, "It would bring out the truth and ensure the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion mentioned in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

GCIC President Sajan George alleged that "Christians in India are paying a high price for their spiritual freedom."

He lamented that, "Pastors, nuns, priests and churchgoers were burnt alive, a nun gang-raped and churches, schools and orphanages burnt."

"The rampaging mobs destroyed businesses owned by Christians and forced people to convert to Hinduism on pain of death," he said.