ALL INDIA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL
President: Dr. Joseph D’souza Secretary General: Dr. John Dayal
Address for Correspondence:
johndayal@vsnl.com
Mobile: 09811021072
Website: http://www.aiccindia.org
PRESS STATEMENT
NEW DELHI, 14 JUNE 2007
CHRISTIAN COUNCIL HAILS `HISTORIC’ ST STEPHENS QUOTA FOR DALIT CHRISTIANS; WELCOME NEW CATHOLIC EDUCATION POLICY FOR MARGINALISED
All India Christian Council president Dr Joseph D’souza and Secretary General Dr John Dayal have welcomed as ‘historic’ the move by the St Stephen’s College to give preferential admissions to brilliant students from the Dalit Christian community in the prestigious institution of higher learning.
St Stephen’s College, they noted, has become the first Church-constituted Institution to take this long-due affirmative action which will go far in undoing prejudices against Christians from the erstwhile depressed classes and scheduled castes in north and south India.
Dr D’souza and Dr Dayal have also welcomed the Education Policy announced by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India which reaffirms the commitment of the Church to the education of the marginalised.
“These revolutionary measures will go a long way in the empowerment of 60 per cent of the Indian Christian community who had fallen out of the development net of the church and were also ignored by the State,” the Christian Council leaders said.
These steps are also in keeping with the recent recommendations of the Justice Rangnath Misra National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities which recently said Dalit Christians [and Dalit Muslims] must be given scheduled caste status and privileges given to Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist Dalits. “Religion cannot come in the way of empowerment and development of a people subjugated for three millennia,” the Council said.
Dalit Christians and Muslims are in the Supreme Court through a PIL seeking Scheduled caste status denied them by a government order that communalised affirmative action and reserves it for favoured religion.
The Council called upon both the State and the Church to ensure quality education through well equipped schools and modern curricula in districts, towns and Dioceses where Dalit Christians were in reasonable numbers. This will also be in keeping with the spirit of the recommendations made for the Muslim community by the Prime Minster’s Special committee on Minorities headed by Justice Rajendra Sachchar which gave its report some months ago.
Associates of the All India Christian Council already run scores of high quality English-medium schools in several states in India and are planning more schools.
“The move by St Stephen’s college Officer on Special Duty Rev Valson Thampu will help remove the impression that the Church runs only elite schools and colleges for the rich and powerful without concern for the poor,” the Council said.
Dr D’souza and Dr Dayal also challenged statements that the affirmative action for Dalit Christians will in any way dilute academic standards for which the historic Institution is noted. St Stephens’ doors are now open to the brilliant students of the Dalit community who otherwise find such institutions beyond their reach for various reasons. It will sharpen the competition among the children of the elite who had so far found it easy to get admission.”
It may be recalled that yesterday Rev. Valson Thampu had announced that 40 per cent of the seats in St Stephen’s College will be reserved for Christian students as against the earlier 32 per cent and 25 per cent of these will be kept aside for Dalit Christians. Ten per cent of the total 400 seats will now be effectively reserved for Dalit Christians as per the new reservation formula that will be implemented from the coming academic session. The college, that has around 400 seats, will also have 15 per cent reservation for the students of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, disabled and children of defence personnel killed in war, while five per cent seats will be meant for the sportspersons.
Released to the media for Publication
St. Stephens announces 40 pc quota for Christians
New Delhi, June. 13 (PTI): [The Hindu]
The prestigious St. Stephens College here today announced a new reservation formula for Christians, introducing a separate quota for Dalit Christians and enhancing the overall share of seats earmarked for the community to 40 per cent.
Now, 40 per cent of the seats in the college will be reserved for Christian students as against the earlier 32 per cent and 25 per cent of these will be kept aside for Dalit Christians, Principal of the college Rev. Valson Thampu told reporters today.
Ten per cent of the total 400 seats will now be effectively reserved for Dalit Christians as per the new reservation formula that will be implemented from the coming academic session.
"The quest for social justice prompted the college to have the reservation system in place. Besides, the bulk of the Christians in North India belong to the Dalit community and they can now take advantage of the facility," Thampu said.
The college, that has around 400 seats, will also have 15 per cent reservation for the students of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, disabled and children of defence personnel killed in war, while five per cent seats will be meant for the sportspersons.
About 40 per cent of the seats will be filled up on the basis of merit from the general category.
NEW DELHI: [Agencies]
Despite strong opposition from faculty members, St Stephen’s College will reserve 10% seats for Dalit Christians this year. The cut-off for students from the category will be 60% — the lowest in the college, and usually applicable only to Sanskrit — for all courses. There will also be some financial assistance extended to them.
The 40% quota for Christians — which will include the 10% seats reserved for Dalit Christians — will now be filled up ‘‘at all costs’’ and for that the college is ready to give students from the community more than the usual 15% relaxation in cut-off. However, to allay fears of faculty members that the elite institution’s academic standards may be compromised, the college proposes to start a regular ‘‘merit audit’’.
‘‘We will explore all avenues to make the stint of Dalit Christian students in the college burden-free. But we are yet to decide whether that should be in the form of scholarships or fee waivers. All financial assistance will be need-based,’’ said the college’s officiating principal, Valson Thampu.
As per the admission policy cleared by the Supreme Council of the college on Tuesday, 40% seats are to be reserved for Christian students — and mandatorily filled — out of which 25% will be reserved for Dalits of the same category, that is, 10% of the total seats. Forty per cent will be reserved for non-minority groups and 15% for underprivileged non-minority students, including SCs, STs, OBCs, wards of war victims and physically challenged students. The remaining 5% will be reserved for admission through the sports quota.
This year, for the first time, the college will admit at least 40 Dalit Christians out of a total of 400 students to be admitted to courses at the undergraduate level. Christian students who qualify on merit will also be counted in the 40% quota.
In 1992, when the college got minority status, it was directed by the apex court to reserve at least 50% seats for Christians. However, it has so far been able to admit only 30-32% students from the category, with 70% seats open to general category students who are admitted solely on the basis of merit.
The latest proposal will cut general category seats by 30%, leaving only 196 seats up for grabs.’ It is now mandatory for us to fill the 40% seats meant for Christian students. If the quota doesn’t get filled by providing the usual relaxation in the cut-off by 15%, we will lower the cut-off further,’’ said Thampu. The 15% relaxation given to SC/ST students till last year will continue this year. All candidates though will need to appear for interviews regardless of their caste status, Thampu added.
---------------
Stephen’s faculty members object increase in quota
Pallavi Singh
New Delhi, June 11 [Times of India]
: THE meeting called to discuss the new admission policy at St Stephen’s College led to no consensus on Monday after its faculty objected to the proposal to reserve more than 50 per cent seats.
The policy, formulated by Officer on Special Duty Rev. Valson Thampu who is officiating as St Stephen’s principal, proposes to increase the quota for Christians from 30 to 40 per cent. The policy proposes 10 seats be reserved for ‘Dalit Christians’.
With this, the number of seats available to general category students is set to come down by 40.
The proposal also sets aside 20 per cent seats for ‘other categories’: 5 per cent for sports quota and 15 per cent for SC/ST, disabled and children/widows/wives of soldiers killed or disabled. Sources said faculty members, especially Heads of Department, objected to the idea of reserving more than half the seats. “We don’t want the college to disturb 50 per cent of seats open to general category students,” said a faculty member who was part of the meeting. “Our argument was that the college must not take regressive steps that dilute its excellent academic record.”
Objection was also raised on the college prospectus for this year carrying no mention of the proposed policy for students. “This matter was raised by a few teachers,” said Prof Vinod Chowdhury, media advisor to the principal. “But they were told that our prospectus never carried any details on reservations, so why (include them) now?”
The policy that invited objection from several teachers could not get a unanimous nod from the 33 teachers present even after Rajshekhar Rao, legal advisor to the college, discussed with them the probable legal implications of the policy.
“There was no voting on the policy, nor was any resolution passed,” Chowdhury said. “After a discussion for about two hours, we found that though there was no fundamental objection, concerns were expressed about maintaining academic excellence of the college. The teachers have been asked to submit their objections, if any, by 1 pm on Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, the college also put up a notice in its staff room, asking faculty members to not talk to the media. The policy is expected to be tabled at the college’s Supreme Council meeting on Tuesday for final approval.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Quite a Comment on India’s Silicon Valley, and the Sangh Parivar
Hindutva Mob in India Beats, Strips, Parades Pastor
During assault, they douse him with kerosene and toss burning Bible at him.
by Vishal Arora
NEW DELHI, June 12 (Compass Direct News) – A mob of Hindutva extremists on Friday (June 8) beat a pastor and tried to set him on fire before parading him naked in the suburbs of Bangalore, capital of Karnataka state.
Laxmi Narayan Gowda, an independent pastor and representative of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), was recovering in a hospital at press time with swelling and numerous bruises.
The incident took place at about 7 p.m. in Hessarghatta, about 30 kilometers from Bangalore, when a group of about 50 people barged into the pastor’s house and threatened him with violence unless he moved out of the area, said Sam Joseph, a Karnataka-based leader of the All India Christian Council (AICC).
The group returned with 100 more people shortly after, cornered Pastor Gowda in a room in his house, and began assaulting him in front of his wife and two small children.
Extremists of the Bajrang Dal, youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council), allegedly led the mob.
One of the assailants threw kerosene on the pastor, and others started burning Bibles. Someone tossed a burning Bible onto Pastor Gowda, but miraculously he did not catch fire, Joseph told Compass.
The extremists then stripped the pastor naked and hung a board around his neck that said, “I am the one who was converting people,” before parading him through the area.
“By this time, the mob had swollen to about 1,000, as more people joined in to harass and torture the pastor,” Joseph added.
Local police arrived about an hour later, after one of the pastor’s relatives called them by telephone. The assailants burned at least 250 Bibles and also vandalized furniture and equipment.
Police had not registered a case against the attackers at press time. When Compass spoke to Inspector R. Malesh of the Soladevanhalli police station, he said the victim did not want to file a complaint.
“We have requested the Christians to give us a complaint in writing, but they do not want to press charges against the attackers,” he said.
Malesh claimed that the mob consisted of local people who did not belong to any Hindu extremist groups. Some of Pastor Gowda’s neighbors attacked, he said, because they do not want Christian prayers and meetings to take place in his house.
A local source, however, told Compass on condition of anonymity that the attack was pre-planned and directed by an unidentified lawyer. The lawyer suggested to the crowd that if they hit the pastor as a mob, then there would be no possibility of prosecution, said the source.
Before Pastor Gowda accepted Christ about 15 years ago, the source said, he was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organization of numerous Hindu extremist groups in India.
“The attackers seemingly wanted to punish Pastor Gowda for converting to Christianity from their Hindu nationalistic ideology, and warn others against doing so,” added the source.
Pastor Gowda has been working in the area for the last 12 years. The source also said the pastor was firm in his faith following the attack.
Dr. Sam Paul, AICC’s public affairs secretary, said that although Karnataka was known for anti-Christian attacks, the situation has become more volatile in the state since the Janata Dal-Secular party, in coalition with the Hindu nationalistic Bharatiya Janata Party, took power from the Congress Party in February 2006.
“Extremists in Karnataka are emboldened as the police usually turn up after the incident,” he said. “There are also times when the police encourage anti-social elements to harass Christians.”
Paul also stressed the need to educate India’s people about true conversion, in particular that it does not mean that one becomes anti-national.
Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the GCIC, told Compass that he was thankful to God for saving the life of one of his organization’s representatives.
END**********Copyright 2007 Compass Direct News
Compass Direct Flash News is distributed as available to raise awareness of Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Articles may be reprinted by active subscribers only.
For subscription information, contact:
Compass Direct NewsP.O. Box 27250Santa Ana CA 92799-7250USATEL: 949-862-0304E-mail: info@compassdirect.orgwww.compassdirect.org
During assault, they douse him with kerosene and toss burning Bible at him.
by Vishal Arora
NEW DELHI, June 12 (Compass Direct News) – A mob of Hindutva extremists on Friday (June 8) beat a pastor and tried to set him on fire before parading him naked in the suburbs of Bangalore, capital of Karnataka state.
Laxmi Narayan Gowda, an independent pastor and representative of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), was recovering in a hospital at press time with swelling and numerous bruises.
The incident took place at about 7 p.m. in Hessarghatta, about 30 kilometers from Bangalore, when a group of about 50 people barged into the pastor’s house and threatened him with violence unless he moved out of the area, said Sam Joseph, a Karnataka-based leader of the All India Christian Council (AICC).
The group returned with 100 more people shortly after, cornered Pastor Gowda in a room in his house, and began assaulting him in front of his wife and two small children.
Extremists of the Bajrang Dal, youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council), allegedly led the mob.
One of the assailants threw kerosene on the pastor, and others started burning Bibles. Someone tossed a burning Bible onto Pastor Gowda, but miraculously he did not catch fire, Joseph told Compass.
The extremists then stripped the pastor naked and hung a board around his neck that said, “I am the one who was converting people,” before parading him through the area.
“By this time, the mob had swollen to about 1,000, as more people joined in to harass and torture the pastor,” Joseph added.
Local police arrived about an hour later, after one of the pastor’s relatives called them by telephone. The assailants burned at least 250 Bibles and also vandalized furniture and equipment.
Police had not registered a case against the attackers at press time. When Compass spoke to Inspector R. Malesh of the Soladevanhalli police station, he said the victim did not want to file a complaint.
“We have requested the Christians to give us a complaint in writing, but they do not want to press charges against the attackers,” he said.
Malesh claimed that the mob consisted of local people who did not belong to any Hindu extremist groups. Some of Pastor Gowda’s neighbors attacked, he said, because they do not want Christian prayers and meetings to take place in his house.
A local source, however, told Compass on condition of anonymity that the attack was pre-planned and directed by an unidentified lawyer. The lawyer suggested to the crowd that if they hit the pastor as a mob, then there would be no possibility of prosecution, said the source.
Before Pastor Gowda accepted Christ about 15 years ago, the source said, he was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organization of numerous Hindu extremist groups in India.
“The attackers seemingly wanted to punish Pastor Gowda for converting to Christianity from their Hindu nationalistic ideology, and warn others against doing so,” added the source.
Pastor Gowda has been working in the area for the last 12 years. The source also said the pastor was firm in his faith following the attack.
Dr. Sam Paul, AICC’s public affairs secretary, said that although Karnataka was known for anti-Christian attacks, the situation has become more volatile in the state since the Janata Dal-Secular party, in coalition with the Hindu nationalistic Bharatiya Janata Party, took power from the Congress Party in February 2006.
“Extremists in Karnataka are emboldened as the police usually turn up after the incident,” he said. “There are also times when the police encourage anti-social elements to harass Christians.”
Paul also stressed the need to educate India’s people about true conversion, in particular that it does not mean that one becomes anti-national.
Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the GCIC, told Compass that he was thankful to God for saving the life of one of his organization’s representatives.
END**********Copyright 2007 Compass Direct News
Compass Direct Flash News is distributed as available to raise awareness of Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Articles may be reprinted by active subscribers only.
For subscription information, contact:
Compass Direct NewsP.O. Box 27250Santa Ana CA 92799-7250USATEL: 949-862-0304E-mail: info@compassdirect.orgwww.compassdirect.org
Friday, June 8, 2007
No Freedom of Faith in Seven Hiklls in Andhra !!
After Special Economic Zones, it is the turn of Special Religious Zones, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Rajshekhar Reddy shows the way
[John Dayal’s Note: Without meaning any disrespect to the Deity of Tirumalla, and in full solidarity with the devotees and their reverence to Lord Venkateswara, one must n articulate the several questions that have been raised by the controversial decision of the Congress government of Andhra Pradesh, led by Chief minister Rajshekhar Reddy, in the hasty Ordnance, or backdoor law, which effectively bans all non Hindu activity – worship, social work, educational institutions, freedom of religion and religious profession, presumably also Wakf – in the seven hills of the Tirumalla range in the south of the State, and close to its borders with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Mr. Reddy now joins Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in becoming one of two Congress leaders who defy their party ideology to pander to the tastes of micro-minority fundamentalists within the majority religious group in their States. One understands the pressures on Mr. Reddy. One understands Mr. Reddy’s compulsions and his survival instincts. He is the only Christian ruler of a predominantly Hindu province. The other Christians of the North East have an electorate majority from their community. That is a signal pressure. Secondly, the RSS and its organisations have nationally and internationally targeted Mr. Reddy in a hate campaign that picks on his religion. He is routinely branded the son of a Pentecost or Protestant father. He is always called by his presumably Christian name, Samuel, and not Rajshekhar, when RSS journals write about him. He is accused, absolutely falsely of course, of supporting, even encouraging Christians. And during his recent visit to the United States, Hindu Non Resident Indian organisations with their loyalty to the RSS staged ugly protests against him, one of which became physical.All that is part of Indian reality. But the Ordinance may be violative of the Constitution of India and may go against t the Supreme Court ruling in the Hindutva case [by chief justice J S Varma} which held that Hinduism was a way of life, that it did not have a single Book or a single founder, and that any person could see the Lord in his or her own way, even in a stone. No other religion in the world has a place entirely its own, where no else can enter. The Vatican, a model for many upstarts, allows anyone to worship in his or her own way, and indeed one can see many Hare Krishna devotees on its streets. Rome has a mosque and of Hindus wanted it, or Sikhs for that matter, they could have temple or a Gurudwara. Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and Jerusalem, his `Karma Bhoomi and punya Bhoomi’ is holy to three religions, including Islam. Nankana Sahib, which I had the immense pleasure to visit some years ago, is holy to the Sikhs, but is open to all religions’. Even fundamentalist and military dictatorships in Pakistan have maintained the secular environ of Nankana sahib. Amritsar, the Holy Sikhs home for the lovely Golden Temple Har Mandir, is open to all, despite a few terrorists occasionally demanding a purge of all non Sikh activity, mercifully not sponsored by the Akali Dal or the Akal Takht. Mecca and Medina, now in the Islamic kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following a Wahabi theology, is barred to non-Muslims. But this is historically a comparatively recent phenomenon. Many Sufi Indian saints and Central Asian scholars in earlier centuries visited Mecca, according to their songs and writings. Guru Nanak Dev Ji had good things to say of Mecca. He wanted to be told if there was a place without God.But India is a secular state, and this fact is enshrined in the Constitution. If Tirumalla is holy to one Deity, Guruvayur is holy to another. Madurai and Thanjavur are also holy places. So is Benares. Gaya and Sanchi are holy to the Buddhists. Ajmer Sharif is a holy Sufi Islamic Shrine. Hazratbal in Srinagar makes the city holy, and the entire Himalayan range is the abode of the Gods, literally. And then there is Kurukhshetra, the place where the Lord Krishna personally revealed the Gita to Arjuna. The great thing about India is that this list is endless. Should they be barred to non Hindus, or Non Muslims, or to Non Sikhs, or to Non Buddhists. What happens to Freedom of faith in Tirumalla? What happens to Article 30? What happens to a lot of many other things, including the right of the Hindus themselves to get medical assistance and education from anyone they chose? What happens to the freedom of faith of the Dalits, OBCs, Christians and others who live in the area to practice the faith of their choice? What happens to the concept of India if one art of it is not rally a part of it? We are opposing Special Economic Zones – because the writ of India does not run in those territories.I oppose Special Religious Zones.]
Tirumalla Hills only for Hindus: Ordinance
HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHI, JUNE 9, 2007
Responding to the outcry from Hindu religious groups who have been protesting over recent attempts to preach other faiths at the holy shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumalla, the Andhra Pradesh government has notified that the seven hills of Tirumalla would remain a place of worship only for Hindus and has prohibited propagation of other religions.Chief Minister Dr YS Rajshekhar Reddy told a news conference on Friday evening that his government has issued an Ordinance on June 2 in this regard and the order comes into effect immediately. The Ordinance also recognised the jurisdiction of Lord Venkateswara, popularly known as "Lord of the Seven Hills" and declared the seven hills surrounding the temple as a place of worship and thus banned all political activities including conduct of local bodies polls."Against the backdrop of a long history of cherished cultural legacy and sanctified Hindu tradition, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has decided that the sanctity of the Seven hills and the Temple of Lord Venkateswara needs to be preserved as a unique religious area where the Hindu traditions shall be preserved and allowed to be nurtured as they have continuously been over the last two millennium. In order to achieve this objective, it has been felt appropriate to accord to all the Seven Hills and the Temple Town of Tirumalla a special status as a place of religious importance by giving it a special dispensation and nomenclature," Reddy said."Accordingly, the Tirumalla Hills area comprising all the seven hills, the holy teerthams and the central shrine of Lord Venkateswara will henceforth be called Tirumalla Divya Kshetram," Reddy said and added that this special dispensation would ensure that only spiritual and religious activity went on in the seven hills area. No elections or political activity was permitted. The Tirumalla Divya Kshetram shall comprise all the seven hills called Seshadri, Garudadri, Venkatadri, Narayanadri, Vrishabhadri, Vrishadri and Anjanadri right from the foothills on all sides, the GO stated. "It shall be the primary duty of the Tirumalla Tirupathi Devasthanams management to continue uninterruptedly with utmost devotion the traditional rituals and practices and no other religion shall be allowed to be propagated in Tirumalla Divya Kshetram area by words, either spoken or written or by signs or visible representation or by distributing any printed material or other forms of religious literature in terms of Section 2(1) of AP Propagation of Other Religions in the Places of Worship or Prayer (Prohibition) Ordinance 2007 promulgated on May 22, 2007," the Government order pointed out. The Executive Officer of Tirumalla Tirupathi Devasthanams have been empowered under Section 114 of the AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 to take action to prevent begging, consumption of intoxicating liquor, drugs or cigarettes, meat or meat products. Slaughter of animals or birds, gaming and gambling are expressly prohibited under this Act. All these provisions are intended to ensure that the entire Tirumalla Hills area continues to be a spiritual sanctuary that it has been all through," the GO added.The Ordinance also covers 19 other places of worship.
The HINDUDate:09/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/09/stories/2007060903390600.htm
Special Correspondent Temple town and seven hills declared holy place HYDERABAD: The temple town of Tirumalla, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, and the seven hills surrounding it have been accorded special status by the State Government as a place of religious importance by declaring them a holy place. Through an order, the Government said the "Tirumalla Divya Kshetram", the name of the holy place, shall comprise the seven hills of Seshadri, Garudadri, Venkatadri, Narayanadri, Vrishabhadri, Vrishadri and Anjanadri, right from the foothills, the holy teerthams to the main shrine. Roads and footpaths leading up to the temple, including the first and second ghat roads between Tirupathi and Tirumalla, and the motorable road from Tirumalla to Papavinasanam were declared part of the Kshetram. Ordinance promulgated An Ordinance was promulgated earlier by the Government on May 22 prohibiting the propagation of any religion other than what was traditionally practiced in places of worship. As a follow-up, the Government notified the places of worship covered by the Ordinance — the Kshetram area, 10 teerthams within the Tirumalla Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) limits and 20 temples elsewhere in the State. The order designated the TTD Executive Officer as in-charge of the civic administration of the hills area. He will have the authority normally exercised by a sarpanch or the executive authority under the Panchayat Raj Act. No elections or political activity shall be permitted. © Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu
[John Dayal’s Note: Without meaning any disrespect to the Deity of Tirumalla, and in full solidarity with the devotees and their reverence to Lord Venkateswara, one must n articulate the several questions that have been raised by the controversial decision of the Congress government of Andhra Pradesh, led by Chief minister Rajshekhar Reddy, in the hasty Ordnance, or backdoor law, which effectively bans all non Hindu activity – worship, social work, educational institutions, freedom of religion and religious profession, presumably also Wakf – in the seven hills of the Tirumalla range in the south of the State, and close to its borders with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Mr. Reddy now joins Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in becoming one of two Congress leaders who defy their party ideology to pander to the tastes of micro-minority fundamentalists within the majority religious group in their States. One understands the pressures on Mr. Reddy. One understands Mr. Reddy’s compulsions and his survival instincts. He is the only Christian ruler of a predominantly Hindu province. The other Christians of the North East have an electorate majority from their community. That is a signal pressure. Secondly, the RSS and its organisations have nationally and internationally targeted Mr. Reddy in a hate campaign that picks on his religion. He is routinely branded the son of a Pentecost or Protestant father. He is always called by his presumably Christian name, Samuel, and not Rajshekhar, when RSS journals write about him. He is accused, absolutely falsely of course, of supporting, even encouraging Christians. And during his recent visit to the United States, Hindu Non Resident Indian organisations with their loyalty to the RSS staged ugly protests against him, one of which became physical.All that is part of Indian reality. But the Ordinance may be violative of the Constitution of India and may go against t the Supreme Court ruling in the Hindutva case [by chief justice J S Varma} which held that Hinduism was a way of life, that it did not have a single Book or a single founder, and that any person could see the Lord in his or her own way, even in a stone. No other religion in the world has a place entirely its own, where no else can enter. The Vatican, a model for many upstarts, allows anyone to worship in his or her own way, and indeed one can see many Hare Krishna devotees on its streets. Rome has a mosque and of Hindus wanted it, or Sikhs for that matter, they could have temple or a Gurudwara. Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, and Jerusalem, his `Karma Bhoomi and punya Bhoomi’ is holy to three religions, including Islam. Nankana Sahib, which I had the immense pleasure to visit some years ago, is holy to the Sikhs, but is open to all religions’. Even fundamentalist and military dictatorships in Pakistan have maintained the secular environ of Nankana sahib. Amritsar, the Holy Sikhs home for the lovely Golden Temple Har Mandir, is open to all, despite a few terrorists occasionally demanding a purge of all non Sikh activity, mercifully not sponsored by the Akali Dal or the Akal Takht. Mecca and Medina, now in the Islamic kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following a Wahabi theology, is barred to non-Muslims. But this is historically a comparatively recent phenomenon. Many Sufi Indian saints and Central Asian scholars in earlier centuries visited Mecca, according to their songs and writings. Guru Nanak Dev Ji had good things to say of Mecca. He wanted to be told if there was a place without God.But India is a secular state, and this fact is enshrined in the Constitution. If Tirumalla is holy to one Deity, Guruvayur is holy to another. Madurai and Thanjavur are also holy places. So is Benares. Gaya and Sanchi are holy to the Buddhists. Ajmer Sharif is a holy Sufi Islamic Shrine. Hazratbal in Srinagar makes the city holy, and the entire Himalayan range is the abode of the Gods, literally. And then there is Kurukhshetra, the place where the Lord Krishna personally revealed the Gita to Arjuna. The great thing about India is that this list is endless. Should they be barred to non Hindus, or Non Muslims, or to Non Sikhs, or to Non Buddhists. What happens to Freedom of faith in Tirumalla? What happens to Article 30? What happens to a lot of many other things, including the right of the Hindus themselves to get medical assistance and education from anyone they chose? What happens to the freedom of faith of the Dalits, OBCs, Christians and others who live in the area to practice the faith of their choice? What happens to the concept of India if one art of it is not rally a part of it? We are opposing Special Economic Zones – because the writ of India does not run in those territories.I oppose Special Religious Zones.]
Tirumalla Hills only for Hindus: Ordinance
HINDUSTAN TIMES, NEW DELHI, JUNE 9, 2007
Responding to the outcry from Hindu religious groups who have been protesting over recent attempts to preach other faiths at the holy shrine of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumalla, the Andhra Pradesh government has notified that the seven hills of Tirumalla would remain a place of worship only for Hindus and has prohibited propagation of other religions.Chief Minister Dr YS Rajshekhar Reddy told a news conference on Friday evening that his government has issued an Ordinance on June 2 in this regard and the order comes into effect immediately. The Ordinance also recognised the jurisdiction of Lord Venkateswara, popularly known as "Lord of the Seven Hills" and declared the seven hills surrounding the temple as a place of worship and thus banned all political activities including conduct of local bodies polls."Against the backdrop of a long history of cherished cultural legacy and sanctified Hindu tradition, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has decided that the sanctity of the Seven hills and the Temple of Lord Venkateswara needs to be preserved as a unique religious area where the Hindu traditions shall be preserved and allowed to be nurtured as they have continuously been over the last two millennium. In order to achieve this objective, it has been felt appropriate to accord to all the Seven Hills and the Temple Town of Tirumalla a special status as a place of religious importance by giving it a special dispensation and nomenclature," Reddy said."Accordingly, the Tirumalla Hills area comprising all the seven hills, the holy teerthams and the central shrine of Lord Venkateswara will henceforth be called Tirumalla Divya Kshetram," Reddy said and added that this special dispensation would ensure that only spiritual and religious activity went on in the seven hills area. No elections or political activity was permitted. The Tirumalla Divya Kshetram shall comprise all the seven hills called Seshadri, Garudadri, Venkatadri, Narayanadri, Vrishabhadri, Vrishadri and Anjanadri right from the foothills on all sides, the GO stated. "It shall be the primary duty of the Tirumalla Tirupathi Devasthanams management to continue uninterruptedly with utmost devotion the traditional rituals and practices and no other religion shall be allowed to be propagated in Tirumalla Divya Kshetram area by words, either spoken or written or by signs or visible representation or by distributing any printed material or other forms of religious literature in terms of Section 2(1) of AP Propagation of Other Religions in the Places of Worship or Prayer (Prohibition) Ordinance 2007 promulgated on May 22, 2007," the Government order pointed out. The Executive Officer of Tirumalla Tirupathi Devasthanams have been empowered under Section 114 of the AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments Act, 1987 to take action to prevent begging, consumption of intoxicating liquor, drugs or cigarettes, meat or meat products. Slaughter of animals or birds, gaming and gambling are expressly prohibited under this Act. All these provisions are intended to ensure that the entire Tirumalla Hills area continues to be a spiritual sanctuary that it has been all through," the GO added.The Ordinance also covers 19 other places of worship.
The HINDUDate:09/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/09/stories/2007060903390600.htm
Special Correspondent Temple town and seven hills declared holy place HYDERABAD: The temple town of Tirumalla, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, and the seven hills surrounding it have been accorded special status by the State Government as a place of religious importance by declaring them a holy place. Through an order, the Government said the "Tirumalla Divya Kshetram", the name of the holy place, shall comprise the seven hills of Seshadri, Garudadri, Venkatadri, Narayanadri, Vrishabhadri, Vrishadri and Anjanadri, right from the foothills, the holy teerthams to the main shrine. Roads and footpaths leading up to the temple, including the first and second ghat roads between Tirupathi and Tirumalla, and the motorable road from Tirumalla to Papavinasanam were declared part of the Kshetram. Ordinance promulgated An Ordinance was promulgated earlier by the Government on May 22 prohibiting the propagation of any religion other than what was traditionally practiced in places of worship. As a follow-up, the Government notified the places of worship covered by the Ordinance — the Kshetram area, 10 teerthams within the Tirumalla Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) limits and 20 temples elsewhere in the State. The order designated the TTD Executive Officer as in-charge of the civic administration of the hills area. He will have the authority normally exercised by a sarpanch or the executive authority under the Panchayat Raj Act. No elections or political activity shall be permitted. © Copyright 2000 - 2006 The Hindu
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Tipnis asks RSS to stand as bulwark against fundamentalism
Lt Gen Rawat of Uttarakhand Joins BJP
Indian Express Thursday June 7, 01:36 AM
Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis (retd) has called upon the Rashtriya Swayasevak Sangh(RSS) to be a bulwark against forces of fundamentalism and communalism and change itself keeping fresh Indian realities in mind.
"The Preamble to the Constitution and the declaration of citizens' Fundamental Rights assure to each and everyone of us liberty of faith and worship. How is it then that places of worship have been attacked and desecrated? How is it that the family of a foreign missionary engaged in laudable humanitarian work was attacked with murderous violence? The RSS can render great service by standing up as a bulwark against forces of fundamentalism, communalism and religious prejudice and intolerance," Tipnis said at an RSS function here on Tuesday.
He said that despite an inspiring Constitution, the country was full of overt and hidden violence. It was reflected in the organised attacks on minorities, Dalits and tribals, and also on the majority. There was the need for a social organisation to carry the torch of non-violence and communal harmony and to find non-violent solutions to problems.
"I urge the RSS to take note of Indian realities and find ways to respond constructively to them without causing alarm or apprehension in any section of the society," Tipnis said while calling on the Sangh to play a role in fighting corruption and pioneer a civic movement to ensure public cleanliness. "The RSS, I believe, is a dynamic organisation and I hope it is reviewing its agenda regularly to ensure that it addresses the existing challenges and not those of yesteryear," he said.
Speaking at the function, RSS chief K S Sudershan called for altering the statute to base it on "Indian realities". "Ambedkar himself had said in 1953 that he would have burnt the Constitution if he had his wish. The statute is based on the Government of India Act of 1935 which was a tool of British exploitation of India. There is no harm in changing the Constitution. France is having its fifth constitution," Sudershan said.
"We first divided the nation into various states and then reunited as a nation under the Constitution. We adopted an election system that has led to division of the society along caste lines. The Western model of economy based on struggle for existence and survival of the fittest was adopted. We need to adopt the Hindu model that takes care of weaker sections, protection of nature and individual duties. Also, it is due to basic Constitutional problems that we can't take action against Naxalites whom every state tackles in its own way rather than putting up a united fight," the RSS chief said.
He said the RSS had always been protective of Dalits, tribals and the oppressed classes, but Christian missionaries and Communists had been instigating them against their own brethren. "Missionaries were alluring tribals to convert. Today, symbols of Hindu pride like Ram temple, Ram Setu are being attacked. Hence Hindus need to become strong," he said.
Lt Gen T P S Rawat quits Congress
Dehradun, June 07: In a setback to Congress in Uttarakhand, senior party leader Lt Gen (Retd) T P S Rawat today resigned from his Dhumakot Assembly seat, raising speculation that he would join BJP. Rawat has tendered his resignation and Speaker Harbans Kapoor has accepted it, Vidhan Sabha Secretary Mahesh Chandra said. notification in this regard is also being issued, he said.
The resignation of Rawat, a former state Tourism Minister, also raised speculation that he is vacating his seat for Chief Minister B C Khanduri to enable him to be elected to the assembly. BJP sources said that if Khanduri contests from Dhumakot, then the party would field Rawat from Pauri Lok Sabha seat which is presently being represented by the Chief Minister. Rawat was not immediately available for comments. With the resignation of Rawat, the strength of Congress has come down to 18 in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly.
At present, BJP has a strength of 35 in the house which is one less than the figure for a simple majority. The sources said that Khanduri has left for New Delhi to meet the party's central leadership. "The Chief Minister has gone to New Delhi. All his engagements for today and tomorrow have been cancelled," an aide to Khanduri said.
Lt Gen Rawat of Uttarakhand Joins BJP
Indian Express Thursday June 7, 01:36 AM
Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis (retd) has called upon the Rashtriya Swayasevak Sangh(RSS) to be a bulwark against forces of fundamentalism and communalism and change itself keeping fresh Indian realities in mind.
"The Preamble to the Constitution and the declaration of citizens' Fundamental Rights assure to each and everyone of us liberty of faith and worship. How is it then that places of worship have been attacked and desecrated? How is it that the family of a foreign missionary engaged in laudable humanitarian work was attacked with murderous violence? The RSS can render great service by standing up as a bulwark against forces of fundamentalism, communalism and religious prejudice and intolerance," Tipnis said at an RSS function here on Tuesday.
He said that despite an inspiring Constitution, the country was full of overt and hidden violence. It was reflected in the organised attacks on minorities, Dalits and tribals, and also on the majority. There was the need for a social organisation to carry the torch of non-violence and communal harmony and to find non-violent solutions to problems.
"I urge the RSS to take note of Indian realities and find ways to respond constructively to them without causing alarm or apprehension in any section of the society," Tipnis said while calling on the Sangh to play a role in fighting corruption and pioneer a civic movement to ensure public cleanliness. "The RSS, I believe, is a dynamic organisation and I hope it is reviewing its agenda regularly to ensure that it addresses the existing challenges and not those of yesteryear," he said.
Speaking at the function, RSS chief K S Sudershan called for altering the statute to base it on "Indian realities". "Ambedkar himself had said in 1953 that he would have burnt the Constitution if he had his wish. The statute is based on the Government of India Act of 1935 which was a tool of British exploitation of India. There is no harm in changing the Constitution. France is having its fifth constitution," Sudershan said.
"We first divided the nation into various states and then reunited as a nation under the Constitution. We adopted an election system that has led to division of the society along caste lines. The Western model of economy based on struggle for existence and survival of the fittest was adopted. We need to adopt the Hindu model that takes care of weaker sections, protection of nature and individual duties. Also, it is due to basic Constitutional problems that we can't take action against Naxalites whom every state tackles in its own way rather than putting up a united fight," the RSS chief said.
He said the RSS had always been protective of Dalits, tribals and the oppressed classes, but Christian missionaries and Communists had been instigating them against their own brethren. "Missionaries were alluring tribals to convert. Today, symbols of Hindu pride like Ram temple, Ram Setu are being attacked. Hence Hindus need to become strong," he said.
Lt Gen T P S Rawat quits Congress
Dehradun, June 07: In a setback to Congress in Uttarakhand, senior party leader Lt Gen (Retd) T P S Rawat today resigned from his Dhumakot Assembly seat, raising speculation that he would join BJP. Rawat has tendered his resignation and Speaker Harbans Kapoor has accepted it, Vidhan Sabha Secretary Mahesh Chandra said. notification in this regard is also being issued, he said.
The resignation of Rawat, a former state Tourism Minister, also raised speculation that he is vacating his seat for Chief Minister B C Khanduri to enable him to be elected to the assembly. BJP sources said that if Khanduri contests from Dhumakot, then the party would field Rawat from Pauri Lok Sabha seat which is presently being represented by the Chief Minister. Rawat was not immediately available for comments. With the resignation of Rawat, the strength of Congress has come down to 18 in the 70-member Uttarakhand Assembly.
At present, BJP has a strength of 35 in the house which is one less than the figure for a simple majority. The sources said that Khanduri has left for New Delhi to meet the party's central leadership. "The Chief Minister has gone to New Delhi. All his engagements for today and tomorrow have been cancelled," an aide to Khanduri said.
How Pakistan Christians face Fubdamentalism
Testimony of a Brave Bishop of Pakistan
[John Dayal’s note: Bishop Coutts, whose family is from Goa, is a Pakistani Bishop. He is first cousin of Bishop Anil Couto, Catholic Bishop of Jullundhar and formerly Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi. Bishop Coutts is a friend of mine, who I first met in Katmandu to tell us about the circumstances in which his predecessor, Bishop John Joseph of Faisalabad, died in his Cathedral, unable to face the persecution of Christians in Pakistan. Bishop Coutts told me then: When we are face to face with the Burning Bush, it does scar us a little”. Words I have quoted often in my interactions in India and abroad to explain why men and women become Human Rights activists, or Priests, and sometimes, unfortunately, some pick up a weapon. Another Bishop at the same meeting – he was from Sri Lanka – explained how innocent Christians become victims when two other groups clash. “When the Sinhala attack the Tamils, they kill many Tigers, and many of my people, Tamil Christians. And then the Tigers counter-attack, and kill many Sinhala, including many of my people, Sinhala Christians.” That Bishop is a strong voice for peace, as indeed are many Bishops in various parts of India, who find their people caught in the crossfire between ethnic groups, or sometimes between the majority community and the largest minority, or in synthetic tension created by vested interests between Dalits and Tribals, disadvantaged people both. I want to share Bishop’s Coutts’ testimony with all my friends and readers]
06/07/2007 ASIANET.IT
PAKISTANMsgr. Coutts: “We brave terrorism with our heads held high by witnessing the Gospel”
By Vincenzo Faccioli Pintozzi
In an interview with AsiaNews, the Bishop of Faisalabad president of the local Caritas speaks of the difficult situation of Christians in Pakistan and of their desire not to hide the Christian faith, or at least, not to cede to the violence of new Islamic extremists.
Rome (AsiaNews) – Pakistan’s Christian community “has no intention of giving in to violence or rising Islamic fundamentalism, moreover it aims to maintain a strong presence in the country and to guarantee that social and spiritual help which has earned it the respect of the great majority of the nation. It’s all about witnessing the Gospel and braving terrorism with our heads held high”.
This was the firm message of the Bishop of Faisalabad, Msgr. Joseph Coutts, who in an interview with AsiaNews speaks of the life of the Church in a large Muslim Country, where the Christian community counts for only 2% of the population, but at the same time, carries out work of fundamental importance in the fields of education and healthcare.
In the face of the many difficulties which plague this small community, Msgr. Coutts maintains that “we must avoid being ghettoized but at the same time we must not loose sight of the general situation in Pakistan. In order to understand the nature of the violence against Christians we have to take into account the difficult social and political climate there, fruit of a government backed into a corner by Islamic fundamentalism and the silence of moderate Muslims”.
Above all, “one must never loose sight of the many rays of hope that come form various sources: on the one hand our peoples tenacity, who amount to 3 million out of 150 million Pakistanis, but who will not be bent by this wave of discrimination, and on the other the moderate Muslim majority who like us, feel the weight of fundamentalism”:
The Bishop, head of the local Caritas, is currently in Rome for the Catholic organisations general Assembly. He continues: “The Church and Pakistan’s Christian Community are involved in social projects on many different levels: education, health care, the fight against drug abuse and support to society’s weakest categories. Our services are free and without ulterior motives: we don’t take into consideration the religion of the sick we cure, or the students we teach, and we are even less interested in their bank accounts”.
In the many Christian schools, clinics and hospitals spread throughout the country, “we have never, ever, not even for a second thought of removing our sacred symbols: the cross is hung in all the rooms, and the Bible can be found everywhere. This is not proselytism; this is simply love and respect for Christ’s witness, which must become ours too”.
The main aim, he adds, “is to try to changes people’s mentality through acts of love, justice and peace. We must bring these values to bear, without distinctions of sex or belief, because these are the cardinal principals of Christ our Saviour’s teachings. The results can already be seen: often Muslims participate in our celebrations, praying with us, despite the threat of these new Taliban”.
These, underline Msgr. Coutts, “are a recent ‘product’. Pakistan has become a battle field for foreign powers that we cannot seem to identify. What I am certain of is that the violence, persecution and threats against the minorities are not congenial to the people of Pakistan, it is imported from abroad”.
The Bishop maintains that this theory can also be applied “to current difficulties our community is experiencing: discrimination, laws against the minorities and sectarian violence. These phenomenon which have grown in recent years, are the result of the military dictatorship: the current government while not being fully in favour, supports it because it is being blackmailed by radical groups that are both powerful and dangerous”. This “is a sign of the hardships that does not only affect us but the entire nation. We must clearly avoid generalising statements such as “Muslim equals terrorist”, but we must also reinforce that we will not be frightened by these threats and moreover, that we will not be bowed by violence”.
The so-called Talibanization of Pakistan, the increase in violent Islamic extremist attacks, “is not only aimed at the minorities: it also affects most part of the country’s people who have nothing whatsoever to do with Islamic extremism. Naturally, they have a certain responsibility and must be rebuked because they fail to voice their opposition to this phenomenon and the grave damage it creates”.
Only by uniting this moderate majority to an effective desire for change “will Pakistan be able to defeat the open wound of violence and discrimination. We are hopeful, and we will continue to do all in our power to facilitate this process of change, not only because it affects us directly but also because it is the fulcrum of Christ’s teaching”.
[John Dayal’s note: Bishop Coutts, whose family is from Goa, is a Pakistani Bishop. He is first cousin of Bishop Anil Couto, Catholic Bishop of Jullundhar and formerly Auxiliary Bishop of Delhi. Bishop Coutts is a friend of mine, who I first met in Katmandu to tell us about the circumstances in which his predecessor, Bishop John Joseph of Faisalabad, died in his Cathedral, unable to face the persecution of Christians in Pakistan. Bishop Coutts told me then: When we are face to face with the Burning Bush, it does scar us a little”. Words I have quoted often in my interactions in India and abroad to explain why men and women become Human Rights activists, or Priests, and sometimes, unfortunately, some pick up a weapon. Another Bishop at the same meeting – he was from Sri Lanka – explained how innocent Christians become victims when two other groups clash. “When the Sinhala attack the Tamils, they kill many Tigers, and many of my people, Tamil Christians. And then the Tigers counter-attack, and kill many Sinhala, including many of my people, Sinhala Christians.” That Bishop is a strong voice for peace, as indeed are many Bishops in various parts of India, who find their people caught in the crossfire between ethnic groups, or sometimes between the majority community and the largest minority, or in synthetic tension created by vested interests between Dalits and Tribals, disadvantaged people both. I want to share Bishop’s Coutts’ testimony with all my friends and readers]
06/07/2007 ASIANET.IT
PAKISTANMsgr. Coutts: “We brave terrorism with our heads held high by witnessing the Gospel”
By Vincenzo Faccioli Pintozzi
In an interview with AsiaNews, the Bishop of Faisalabad president of the local Caritas speaks of the difficult situation of Christians in Pakistan and of their desire not to hide the Christian faith, or at least, not to cede to the violence of new Islamic extremists.
Rome (AsiaNews) – Pakistan’s Christian community “has no intention of giving in to violence or rising Islamic fundamentalism, moreover it aims to maintain a strong presence in the country and to guarantee that social and spiritual help which has earned it the respect of the great majority of the nation. It’s all about witnessing the Gospel and braving terrorism with our heads held high”.
This was the firm message of the Bishop of Faisalabad, Msgr. Joseph Coutts, who in an interview with AsiaNews speaks of the life of the Church in a large Muslim Country, where the Christian community counts for only 2% of the population, but at the same time, carries out work of fundamental importance in the fields of education and healthcare.
In the face of the many difficulties which plague this small community, Msgr. Coutts maintains that “we must avoid being ghettoized but at the same time we must not loose sight of the general situation in Pakistan. In order to understand the nature of the violence against Christians we have to take into account the difficult social and political climate there, fruit of a government backed into a corner by Islamic fundamentalism and the silence of moderate Muslims”.
Above all, “one must never loose sight of the many rays of hope that come form various sources: on the one hand our peoples tenacity, who amount to 3 million out of 150 million Pakistanis, but who will not be bent by this wave of discrimination, and on the other the moderate Muslim majority who like us, feel the weight of fundamentalism”:
The Bishop, head of the local Caritas, is currently in Rome for the Catholic organisations general Assembly. He continues: “The Church and Pakistan’s Christian Community are involved in social projects on many different levels: education, health care, the fight against drug abuse and support to society’s weakest categories. Our services are free and without ulterior motives: we don’t take into consideration the religion of the sick we cure, or the students we teach, and we are even less interested in their bank accounts”.
In the many Christian schools, clinics and hospitals spread throughout the country, “we have never, ever, not even for a second thought of removing our sacred symbols: the cross is hung in all the rooms, and the Bible can be found everywhere. This is not proselytism; this is simply love and respect for Christ’s witness, which must become ours too”.
The main aim, he adds, “is to try to changes people’s mentality through acts of love, justice and peace. We must bring these values to bear, without distinctions of sex or belief, because these are the cardinal principals of Christ our Saviour’s teachings. The results can already be seen: often Muslims participate in our celebrations, praying with us, despite the threat of these new Taliban”.
These, underline Msgr. Coutts, “are a recent ‘product’. Pakistan has become a battle field for foreign powers that we cannot seem to identify. What I am certain of is that the violence, persecution and threats against the minorities are not congenial to the people of Pakistan, it is imported from abroad”.
The Bishop maintains that this theory can also be applied “to current difficulties our community is experiencing: discrimination, laws against the minorities and sectarian violence. These phenomenon which have grown in recent years, are the result of the military dictatorship: the current government while not being fully in favour, supports it because it is being blackmailed by radical groups that are both powerful and dangerous”. This “is a sign of the hardships that does not only affect us but the entire nation. We must clearly avoid generalising statements such as “Muslim equals terrorist”, but we must also reinforce that we will not be frightened by these threats and moreover, that we will not be bowed by violence”.
The so-called Talibanization of Pakistan, the increase in violent Islamic extremist attacks, “is not only aimed at the minorities: it also affects most part of the country’s people who have nothing whatsoever to do with Islamic extremism. Naturally, they have a certain responsibility and must be rebuked because they fail to voice their opposition to this phenomenon and the grave damage it creates”.
Only by uniting this moderate majority to an effective desire for change “will Pakistan be able to defeat the open wound of violence and discrimination. We are hopeful, and we will continue to do all in our power to facilitate this process of change, not only because it affects us directly but also because it is the fulcrum of Christ’s teaching”.
Hindutva card fails Himachal chief minsiter Virbhadra Singh
ALL INDIA CHRISTIAN COUNCILPresident: Dr. Joseph D’souza Secretary General: Dr. John Dayal
Hindu card fails Himachal Chief Minister as BJP Wins Parliament Sabha seat inHimalaya stateChurch must caution Goa government not to abuse land, environment
PRESS STATEMENTNew Delhi, June 7, 2007
[The following is the text of the Press statement issued by National Integration Council member Dr. John Dayal, President, All India catholic Union, and Secretary General Dr John Dayal All India Christian Council on the Assembly Elections in Goa and the Lok Sabha bye-elections in Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh had last year passed an odious Freedom of Religion Bill targeting Church activity in the small state where Christians are barely visible on the religious radar]
The efforts of Congress Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of Himachal Pradesh to try to outdo the Bharatiya Janata Party on pandering to the Hindutva ideology has backfired, with his party losing the prestigious Hamirpur Lok Sabha bye-election to arch-rival Prem Kumar Dumal, former Chief minister and BJP leader.This should be a signal to the Congress in the Himalayan State which goes to the polls early next year to elect its legislature. Although he has bravely said the “Hamirpur result will have no impact on assembly polls”, Virbhadra Singh must wonder why bringing forth with much fanfare a new law banning religious conversions has not helped him. The BJP now controls the other mountain state of Uttaranchal in the neighborhood and is eyeing Himachal, which it has ruled several times since it was created.The BJP agenda for the entire foothills of the Himalayas, stretching from near Kashmir to Uttaranchal has been repeatedly affirmed. It calls this region a holy or divine abode of deities of the Hindu pantheon and wants to curb all religious activity other than of various Hindu cults.The Congress in both Uttaranchal and Himachal has sought to ape the BJP by also trying to appeal to religious sentiments of the people, spreading its largesse to chosen religious groups. The dire Religious Freedom Bill was the latest in this series.With Christians constituting less than one per cent of the population, the Freedom of Religion Act was widely seen as an empty gesture with no other purpose other than to try to match the Hindutva of the BJP.The law, which has now been given the Governors’ sanction, has been criticised by civil rights groups, and of course by Christian groups as unnecessarily stigmatizing them, and opening church workers to personal assault and official restraints. The All India Christian Council and others have already announced they are challenging the Act in the Himachal court after the Summer vacations of the court.It should be clear to the Congress that it cannot, and must not, compete with the BJP in this manner for narrow sectarian political goals. It tradition of secularism and its appeal cutting across communities will take a body blow unless it distances such maverick acts as those of Mr. Virbhadra Singh. In the same context, there is alarm that the Congress Working Committee at the behest of some short sighted members may chose to delay giving Constitutional citizen rights to Muslims and Dalits of Scheduled Caste origin, a step strongly recommended by the Justice Rangnath Misra Commission.The party will also help itself if it listens to the voice from the ground in Goa where it has managed to scrape through the corm a government. It came close to disaster because of policies which the people correctly perceive as being injurious to the environment and to the land. The Church has done well by its leadership in the interests of integrity and the environment, and its unceasing campaign for honesty in public life. We must salute the people of Goa who have been vigilant at multiple levels – the environment, economy, political and personal integrity, and ideology. Released for publication
Address for Correspondence:johndayal@vsnl.comMobile: 09811021072Website: http://www.aiccindia.org
Hindu card fails Himachal Chief Minister as BJP Wins Parliament Sabha seat inHimalaya stateChurch must caution Goa government not to abuse land, environment
PRESS STATEMENTNew Delhi, June 7, 2007
[The following is the text of the Press statement issued by National Integration Council member Dr. John Dayal, President, All India catholic Union, and Secretary General Dr John Dayal All India Christian Council on the Assembly Elections in Goa and the Lok Sabha bye-elections in Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh had last year passed an odious Freedom of Religion Bill targeting Church activity in the small state where Christians are barely visible on the religious radar]
The efforts of Congress Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of Himachal Pradesh to try to outdo the Bharatiya Janata Party on pandering to the Hindutva ideology has backfired, with his party losing the prestigious Hamirpur Lok Sabha bye-election to arch-rival Prem Kumar Dumal, former Chief minister and BJP leader.This should be a signal to the Congress in the Himalayan State which goes to the polls early next year to elect its legislature. Although he has bravely said the “Hamirpur result will have no impact on assembly polls”, Virbhadra Singh must wonder why bringing forth with much fanfare a new law banning religious conversions has not helped him. The BJP now controls the other mountain state of Uttaranchal in the neighborhood and is eyeing Himachal, which it has ruled several times since it was created.The BJP agenda for the entire foothills of the Himalayas, stretching from near Kashmir to Uttaranchal has been repeatedly affirmed. It calls this region a holy or divine abode of deities of the Hindu pantheon and wants to curb all religious activity other than of various Hindu cults.The Congress in both Uttaranchal and Himachal has sought to ape the BJP by also trying to appeal to religious sentiments of the people, spreading its largesse to chosen religious groups. The dire Religious Freedom Bill was the latest in this series.With Christians constituting less than one per cent of the population, the Freedom of Religion Act was widely seen as an empty gesture with no other purpose other than to try to match the Hindutva of the BJP.The law, which has now been given the Governors’ sanction, has been criticised by civil rights groups, and of course by Christian groups as unnecessarily stigmatizing them, and opening church workers to personal assault and official restraints. The All India Christian Council and others have already announced they are challenging the Act in the Himachal court after the Summer vacations of the court.It should be clear to the Congress that it cannot, and must not, compete with the BJP in this manner for narrow sectarian political goals. It tradition of secularism and its appeal cutting across communities will take a body blow unless it distances such maverick acts as those of Mr. Virbhadra Singh. In the same context, there is alarm that the Congress Working Committee at the behest of some short sighted members may chose to delay giving Constitutional citizen rights to Muslims and Dalits of Scheduled Caste origin, a step strongly recommended by the Justice Rangnath Misra Commission.The party will also help itself if it listens to the voice from the ground in Goa where it has managed to scrape through the corm a government. It came close to disaster because of policies which the people correctly perceive as being injurious to the environment and to the land. The Church has done well by its leadership in the interests of integrity and the environment, and its unceasing campaign for honesty in public life. We must salute the people of Goa who have been vigilant at multiple levels – the environment, economy, political and personal integrity, and ideology. Released for publication
Address for Correspondence:johndayal@vsnl.comMobile: 09811021072Website: http://www.aiccindia.org
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Voice of Asia, Chicago reviews John Dayal's new book
From Voice of Asia, Chicago
Book Review
A Matter of Equity –Freedom of Faith In Secular India
Freedom of Faith in Secular India
Once someone successfully screens through the multifaceted personality of the social-religious-political activist Dr. John Dayal, he/ she would find his latest publication “A Matter of Equity: Freedom of Faith in Secular India” - a 500 page collection of critical essays, to be a masterpiece of an exegetical analysis of freedom, faith, and human rights issues in India. The book by Dr. Dayal is a landmark study which helps the reader tune into one of Universe’s most powerful tools of thought and introspection.
It is a fascinating reading divided in two sections of forty chapters, revealing the fabric of the Church since the Third Millennium to the present day political atmosphere in India. It is a brilliant and original outlook that challenges century old assumptions of race and religious superiority. The contents present a tour de force of pseudo secularism and false nationalism. The book should help not only to stop the powerful Saffron vigilantes, but also the political obscenity of the Rashtriya Syawamsevak Sangh and its goons.
A Matter of Equity presents a provocative and deeply absorbing statement of cultural history and racial bigotry. It is also a gentle reminder of the forgotten role of the Christian minority and the Church in India’s progress in the fields of education, social work and upliftment of the downtrodden classes.
John Dayal emphasizes on the unity of religion and one’s civic/ social duty. One need not detract from the other. People cannot fully develop if they have not taken into account their social, economic, political and spiritual aspects. The book also warns us of the dangers of stereotyping, which in a sinister way tries to give legitimacy to personal agendas or motives. There are plenty of fringe political groups and individuals trying to turn the tide of secularism to fundamentalism in India.
A Matter of Equity exposes the Sangh Parivar’s vile agenda to spread bigotry and intolerance for different groups of people in India following other religions, with their never changing mantra that India should follow the Hindutva philosophy and that all other religions have no place in it. The book reveals how Hindutva’s supporters in the west finance the Parivar’s killers in India. Dr. Dayal reminds us of our faith and freedoms, which not only make us who we are, but what India as a country is. With its history, India is indeed a very special place to be in. It is up to us as its citizens to rid ourselves of the taints of prejudice and mindless bigotry.
A Matter of Equity has plenty of warnings about the slow destruction of secular India. Nevertheless, Dr. John Dayal offers hope in the strength of the Indian polity and its people, while at the same time being clear of the trials and tribulations of the Christian community. Dr. John Dayal has spoken loud and clear for his faith and for the community. The book will leave an imprint on the mind, heart and soul. The essence of Dr. Dayal’s book can be expressed through Tagore’s poem:
Where the mind is without fear,
Where the spirit is free,
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way in the dreary desert sands of dead habits,
Into that haven of freedom, Father,
Let my country awake.
The 500 page book is priced at Rs.800.00 or $75.00, and can be ordered on Catholicunion@gmail.com or aicu@vsnl.com
Book Review
A Matter of Equity –Freedom of Faith In Secular India
Freedom of Faith in Secular India
Once someone successfully screens through the multifaceted personality of the social-religious-political activist Dr. John Dayal, he/ she would find his latest publication “A Matter of Equity: Freedom of Faith in Secular India” - a 500 page collection of critical essays, to be a masterpiece of an exegetical analysis of freedom, faith, and human rights issues in India. The book by Dr. Dayal is a landmark study which helps the reader tune into one of Universe’s most powerful tools of thought and introspection.
It is a fascinating reading divided in two sections of forty chapters, revealing the fabric of the Church since the Third Millennium to the present day political atmosphere in India. It is a brilliant and original outlook that challenges century old assumptions of race and religious superiority. The contents present a tour de force of pseudo secularism and false nationalism. The book should help not only to stop the powerful Saffron vigilantes, but also the political obscenity of the Rashtriya Syawamsevak Sangh and its goons.
A Matter of Equity presents a provocative and deeply absorbing statement of cultural history and racial bigotry. It is also a gentle reminder of the forgotten role of the Christian minority and the Church in India’s progress in the fields of education, social work and upliftment of the downtrodden classes.
John Dayal emphasizes on the unity of religion and one’s civic/ social duty. One need not detract from the other. People cannot fully develop if they have not taken into account their social, economic, political and spiritual aspects. The book also warns us of the dangers of stereotyping, which in a sinister way tries to give legitimacy to personal agendas or motives. There are plenty of fringe political groups and individuals trying to turn the tide of secularism to fundamentalism in India.
A Matter of Equity exposes the Sangh Parivar’s vile agenda to spread bigotry and intolerance for different groups of people in India following other religions, with their never changing mantra that India should follow the Hindutva philosophy and that all other religions have no place in it. The book reveals how Hindutva’s supporters in the west finance the Parivar’s killers in India. Dr. Dayal reminds us of our faith and freedoms, which not only make us who we are, but what India as a country is. With its history, India is indeed a very special place to be in. It is up to us as its citizens to rid ourselves of the taints of prejudice and mindless bigotry.
A Matter of Equity has plenty of warnings about the slow destruction of secular India. Nevertheless, Dr. John Dayal offers hope in the strength of the Indian polity and its people, while at the same time being clear of the trials and tribulations of the Christian community. Dr. John Dayal has spoken loud and clear for his faith and for the community. The book will leave an imprint on the mind, heart and soul. The essence of Dr. Dayal’s book can be expressed through Tagore’s poem:
Where the mind is without fear,
Where the spirit is free,
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way in the dreary desert sands of dead habits,
Into that haven of freedom, Father,
Let my country awake.
The 500 page book is priced at Rs.800.00 or $75.00, and can be ordered on Catholicunion@gmail.com or aicu@vsnl.com
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