In a rare show of unity, various Christian churches joined together to voice their concern on the increasing violence in many parts of India, especially in Orissa.
The occasion was the visit of Mar Rafael Cheenath, Archbishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar and the head of the Catholic Church in the state.
Various church groups formed a network called ‘India Peace Initiative’ for the reception and also to work together in the coming days to show the unity and solidarity of Christians from India in the US.
The reception was held at the American Martyrs Catholic Church in Queens, New York, which was attended by representatives from all churches including Bishop TN Ninan of the CSI Church.
The archbishop had earlier visited Washington, DC and met with church leaders and federal officials.
The meeting also passed a resolution asking the Indian and US governments to ensure the safety of the minorities and ‘treat terrorism against minorities at an equal footing with that of international terrorism and human right violations. The resolution also called upon the Govt to protect the lives and properties of Christians In India and to provide immediate relief and adequate compensation to the victims.’
NY State senator Frank Padavan, who attended the meeting noted that it was a sad occasion. During partition many were killed and displaced. But that is history now, he noted. The world is troubled by the attacks against Christians. Gandhi’s idea of peace is the solution. He prayed that such attacks will never happen again and all will return to sanity.
NY State Assemblyman Mark Weprin said violence or discrimination based on religion, skin color, sex etc are not acceptable. “At the kindergarten the children live in harmony with others. When did they learn to hate others,” he wondered. He said all people are god’s children and he opposed all forms of hate.
The meeting began with a Mass celebrated by the archbishop and several priests from the NY-tristate area.
Mar Cheenath commented the Christian community for coming together to protest the attacks in India. “It is high time that we work together. We are people with the common faith in Christ though we may have differences in many other areas,” he said.
Mar Cheenath recounted the horrific events in Orissa. He said the basic reason for all this lies in the move of Hindu fundamentalist groups to transform India as a Hindu Rashtra. In such a state Christians and Muslims will be only subservient to the majority community. With this aim they spread hatred against the minorities and many people believe in such a propaganda too.
The immediate cause cited for the attack on Christians in Kandhamal district was the murder of Swami Laxmananada Saraswati. The Maoists had warned the Swami thrice earlier to stop the hate campaign. This is historically correct. The swami had complained about this to the police.
Yet, when he was murdered there were no policemen.
The next two days, the officials and media confirmed that the attack was committed by the Maoists. But on the third day things changed. Around thousand people marched to small villages and attacked Christians and their institutions. “The attacks were well planned. It was not the fury of a mob at the murder of the swami. The brutality of the attacks too show this. They were not mere attacks but diabolic in its brutality. Why wasthere such brutality,” he asked.
A retired high police official was among those spread lies. “One allegation was that I ordered the murder of the swami and a meeting was held at the Veticola parish for this. They even published the minutes of the meeting.
When we contacted the persons who were alleged to have attended the meeting, they did not know anything about such a meeting.”
Only after the court intervened, the retired official stopped his propaganda.
He said his house was attacked when the problems began. He was not there as he had gone to attend the death anniversary of his brother.
Soon there were death threats against him.
He said police and the CRP men stood spectators when the mob attacked the people and set on fire the Christian institutions. When one church was being burned, 22 policemen were simply watching it.
When the nun, who was raped was being paraded half naked, 12 policemen were there. She ran to them for help and stood in the middle of the policemen.
But the mob pulled her away from there.
Just like in Gujarat, the excuse for the police was that they had no orders to protect the Christians.
Though there was an order of 144 to prevent people gathering together, the Hindutva groups took out a procession with the swami’s body and attacked all Christian institutions on then way. They were planning for statewide procession with the mud taken from the grave of the swami. Fearing more violence, he said he approached the Supreme Court as it was the only remedy available.
Currently people in the refugee camps are not going back fearing for their lives. They also fear forcible conversion to Hinduism. Moreover, they have no house or property left in their villages.
Bishop Ninan said the persecution is an opportunity given to the Christians to become true Christians. Instead of resisting the attacks, Christians should show the other cheek as the master taught and show the Christian spirit, he said.
George Abraham, one of the main organizers in his welcome speech expressed his concerns at the attacks on the helpless in India. Organizations like VHP and Bjarang Dal which spearheaded the attacks work freely in the US also, he said. They even try to intimidate the India media in the US against publishing items or advertisements against them. The propaganda that conversion is the cause of the attacks truly masquerades the true intention of these fundamentalists that is to continue subjugation of the lower castes and Dalits and practice a form of apartheid. The whole issue is a matter of human rights, he noted.
The attacks are not a law and order problem, but the attackers want to bring back the days of unsociability and caste system, Rev Nehmeiah Thompson, who represented the Tamil churches said.
If we don’t protest the attacks who will protest for us, asked Thomas T Oommen.
Attorney Stanley Kalthara, Fr Jose Kandathikudy, Fr John Thomas, Abraham Mammen, Rev Wilson Jose, Michel D’Sousa, KJ Gregory, Fr Jose Nedumakkal, Sabu Lukose, Joseph Barnard, Alex Vilanilam Victor Joseph and Rev. Bernard Malik spoke. Mary Philip and Abraham Thomas were the emcees.
Innocent Olahannan proposed a vote of thanks.
Asked what prompted the assembling of a new coalition, one of the organizers mentioned that the mainline Indian organizations who claim to represent all Indians, do not speak in defending the rights of the minorities in face of increasing onslaught by the Hindutva extremists.
‘Their silence is deafening. We need to come together and speak in unison to get our word across to the political establishment and to the American community at large about the growing injustice done to a hapless minority as in the case of Orissa.’
