U.N. apprised of 'discriminations' in India

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, SEPT. 5. Leaders of the All-India Christian Council, apart from raising the issue of ``discriminations'' shown to religious minorities and dalits in India at the anti-racism world conference at Durban, have submitted a memorandum to the U.N., blaming the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad for this and seeking an enquiry by the UN and other international bodies against such ``ultra right wing and fanatical religious groups''.

With the entry into the inter-governmental meeting being limited to official delegates, the AICC president, secretary-general and secretary, Mr. Joseph D' Souza, Mr. Johan Dayal, Mr. Sam Paul, and other Christian leaders like Rev. Fr. S. Lourdu Swamy who heads the SC Cell in Catholic Bishops Conference of India, and Rev Fr Don Bosco, a Jesuit social worker, could take part only in thematic commissions, working groups and NGO fora through various interventions.

However, the AICC leaders were able to present the nine-page memorandum to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Mary Robinson, the Chairman of UN Working Group on Minorities, Mr. Pfo Asbjorn Eide, and the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, Mr. Abdelfattah, tracing the origin of the caste system in India and explaining how the majority, based on this, was harassing the minority groups like dalits, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs etc.

Mr. Joseph D' Souza and Mr. John Dayal, who returned here from Durban, said on Wednesday that they were happy that they and other dalit/minority organisations were able to focus on the issue of discrimination based on caste and religion, notwithstanding the official side bid to thwart any such attempt.

For the first time, the UN and the international community came around and acknowledged the existence of caste and the suffering which the minorities were subjected to, because of this. ``This itself is an achievement'', they said.

The memorandum, copies of which were released to the press, says that ``Hindutwa pariwar'' is a threat to religious minorities and dalits and complains that a hate-campaign is on against the minorities in the country today.

It urges the UN to question the ``bigoted laws'' enacted by the BJP Government and the application by the Viswa Hindu Parishad seeking recognition by UN bodies like ECOSOC for getting foreign funds.

A religious outfit which preached hatred against another religion was not eligible to receive such funds, it contended.

Mr. Joseph D'Souza and Mr. John Dayal said they had complained to the UN that the Christian community was particularly targetted since 1998 by the Hindutwa forces, recalling destruction of more than 30 churches since then, 400 odd recorded cases of attacks/violence, killings, including that of Graham Stuart Staines and his two sons, speeches of leaders, literature distributed and training held for the cadre. He told the UN that attempts were on now to rewrite the history with the ``tacit Government consent'' and said, this was sure to further incite violence against Christians and Muslims.

The minority groups had no protection because their representation in the Government, especially in the police and judicial cadre, was inadequate. Mr. Dayal objected to Christianity being described as ``alien'' to India, stating that it was born on Asian soil.

The Hindutwa forces, he said, spread lies about conversions and funds flow to missionaries and the Indian government only kept quiet without giving any statistics even when demanded to substantiate the charge. Christians were feeling more insecure with Mr. A. B. Vajpayee continuing as the Prime Minister because he had proclaimed his loyalty to the RSS.

Mr. Dayal alleged that visa regulations and the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act were being used to disallow even sincere foreign Christian social workers and the funds flow meant for the improvement of the poor.

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Section  : Southern States
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