Minorities Commission on "attacks on Christians" - Venkaiah appeals to Opposition

The Bharatiya Janata Party commends the National Commission for Minorities for its prompt And factual report on some of the recent incidents relating to Christian minority educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh. Reports in a section of media on these incidents had sought to portray them as acts of communal violence targeted at the Christian community. Worse still, some reports sought to project these incidents as part of a broader "gameplan" of the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh to "persecute" the Christian community. Predictably, based on these reports, the Congress and other opposition parties launched a tirade against the BJP, both within and outside Parliament, to buttress their familiar propaganda against us.

"It is in this context that the report, based on an on-the-spot survey, by members of the National Commission for Minorities serves to set the record straight. The Commission has met all the people concerned at Kosi, Mathura and Agra (where the incidents took place) and concluded that the incidents reported in the media were ordinary law and order events with no communal color whatsoever. This conclusion of the Commission has been corroborated by the nuns and authorities of the educational institutions which became the unfortunate targets of certain anti-social and disgruntled elements in their neighborhood.

"It may be noted that in the case of similar happenings in Haryana recently, nuns of the concerned missionary institution had expressed deep dismay at attempts to communalize and politicize a routine road accident.

"The BJP wishes to reiterate that protection of the rights of the minorities is the fundamental duty of any Government. It is indeed the test of any civilized society. Those indulging in communal violence must be punished, irrespective of their affiliations. However, routine law and order incidents involving members of any community should not be given a communal color.

"Our opponents do not seem to realize that in seeking to discredit our party and the Government with their false propaganda, they are actually helping to discredit India in the eyes of international community. We appeal to them to stop this negative approach. We also appeal to the media to exercise greater caution, responsibility, and respect for the truth before publishing such incidents in sensational terms.

"The BJP notes with deep concern the repeated statements of Shri John Dayal, spokesman of the All India Catholic Union, making allegations of a political nature against our Party and the Government. It is well-known that Shri Dayal is the editor of Mid-Day, an afternoon tabloid newspaper in New Delhi with open sympathy for the Congress. We have no quarrel with any newspaper or its editor having political leanings towards our adversaries. After all, it is a basic democratic freedom of the press and the individual editor concerned. We welcome any such person to come out openly to deal with us on a political level.

"But we are baffled why Shri Dayal should be using the cover of a religious organization to carry on his strident tirade against the BJP and the Government. We appeal to the All India Catholic Union not to allow itself be used for political purposes.

Some revealing media reports

Reports in some local and national publications, published after the unwarranted furore in Parliament, have brought out the truth that there is no communal angle to the incidents in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. We would like to cite a few relevant passages"

From the Hindi edition of India Today, in its issue of April 26, 2000

"On March 31, there was an increase in the fees of the Dominic Convent School. Under the presidentship of a local Communist Party leader, there was a tiff with the school administration. On the Principal's complained, cases were filed against the demonstrators. On March 31 itself, the Sacred High School in Mathura did not allow students to sit for ninth class examinations as they got less marks. A local leader threatened to set fire to the school. On April 3, about fifty parents offered dharna in the school. The school authorities filed a complaint aginst them. On March 3, on a complaint filed by a lady employee of St. Paul's Convent school Agra, the Father and staff member were summoned to the Hari Parvat police station and detained. The two were released on instructions, in writing from the D.I.G. On the night of April 10, about a dozen anti-socials looted the St. Theresa's Church and School in Kosi Kalan.

Father Thomas of this Church feels that this a matter of theft as there were frequent thefts in the area in which the school is located. D.I.G., Shri Jain also says. This incident cannot be related to any religious community. This is an incident of looting. Now four police teams are searching for the looters in Haryana and nearby areas".

The local people feet that the incidents are the results of skirmishes between the school authorities with parents."

From Ainar Ujala, a largely circulated Hindi daily, in its edition of April 26, 2000

"The leaders sitting in Delhi astonishingly enough look upon the events of Mathura and Agra from a single angle and are intent on dubbing them as Hindu-Christian fights and are propagating this theory in order to raise the tension between the communities. The Delhi media which seems to print everything purely on the basis of statements is also towing the same line.

The incidents that occurred in Mathura were 'either disputes between the Christians and the school managers or pertain to a purely criminal act of robbery in which violence was also done. Criminals do not bother about the religious following of their victims. Yet, these incidents were classified as events of Christians' persecution."

From Dainik Jagaran, a Hindi daily having one of the highest circulations in the country, in its issue of April 27, 2000

"The news carried by national dailies on April 23 under the headlines "Attack on Rewari nuns" not only reverberated throughout the country, but drew the attention to this city of Haryana. Indeed, it has compelled Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to proclaim that the persons guilty of this incident will be dealt with most harshly. However, when this news trickled into Rewari and reached the nuns as well as the local Catholic Church it baffled Father Philip as much as it did the nuns. Neither the Christian nuns nor Father Philip could ever have dreamt that a mere road accident could be blown out of proportions in such a manner.

"Consequent on the publication in the papers and the furore in Parliament, phones began ringing in Chandigarh. The district administration was asked to go into the depth of its event and the police party rushed to Deepti Ashram situated on the Bhadavas Road (the Ashram of the nuns). When the nuns were told about the news they were all quite stunned."

From Navbharat Times, Hindi daily from the Times of India Group in its issue of April 26, 2000

"A normal minor scooter accident was given a communal color by converting it as a brutal attach on nuns.

The whole area of Rewari including nuns and the prominent people of the local Church is surprised by the headlines of the Television and Newspapers regarding the so called attack on Christian nuns by Hindu fundamentalists. They appeal to the media and politicians to always act responsibly on such types of sensitive issues".
 

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