The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Christian council says atrocities against community highest in Karnataka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 20, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Christian council says atrocities against community highest in Karnataka

Special Correspondent

Independent inquiry into incidents by specially empowered group sought

Karnataka has had 87 cases of atrocities in the last 20 months
‘Police refused to file FIRs in certain cases’

Bangalore: Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), which has documented atrocities against Christians in the last 20 months, said that Karnataka has the worst record in this period with 87 cases, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 30 cases. The council has submitted a memorandum to State Human Rights Commission (SHRC), seeking an independent inquiry into the incidents.

The memorandum links the rise in atrocities in Karnataka to the Bharatiya Janata Party coming to power in the State. “After the BJP came into the coalition, there has been a climate of impunity for any acts of violence that are committed in the name of Hindutva,” the memorandum stated.

Many of these attacks, GCIC claimed, “occurred inside homes in the places of worship of Christians, as people were worshipping within the privacy of their homes and churches”. GCIC has alleged that the police, in many cases, had refused to either file FIRs or pursue the matter with seriousness. In many instances, cases had been booked against the victims themselves. This had led to most cases remaining “invisible”, the council claimed. GCCI has sought an investigation into the incidents by a specially empowered group in a speedy and time-bound manner.

SHRC Chairperson S.R. Naik has sent copies of the memorandum to the Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, and directed him to submit his response within three weeks, after a dialogue with key officials of the State in charge of law and order.

Speaking to The Hindu, Sajan George, President, GCIC, said that the organisation had recorded 464 cases of atrocities against Christians throughout India over 20 months and submitted a memorandum to the National Human Rights Council as well. The incidents in Karnataka, he said, were a shame in a State known for peaceful coexistence of all communities.

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