Christian forum seeks commissions to redress anti-minority violence

By Matters India Reporter

New Delhi, June 16, 2022: Setting up national and state redressal commissions and strengthening India’s human rights monitoring mechanisms were among the demands an ecumenical body made to the federal minister of minority affairs.

A delegation of the United Christian Forum on June 16 submitted to Minister John Barla a memorandum expressed their deep pain at the targeted violence and hostility Christians and those believing in Jesus Christ face in various parts of India.

“The narrative of religious intolerance and hatred has swept the country unfortunately,” laments the forum, a human rights group based in New Delhi that monitors atrocities against Christians in India.

The forum, says it has recorded a total of 505 incidents of violence against Christians from 21 states in 2021 and 107 incidents in the first five months of this year.

The memorandum further says the forum has recorded a total of 1,112 incidents of violence against Christians or against persons with faith in Lord Jesus Christ during 2019-2021. Most cases were reported from Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, it explains.

The forum told the minister that in almost all incidents reported across the states, vigilante mobs comprising religious extremists either barge into a prayer gathering or round up individuals who they believe are involved in forcible religious conversions.

“With impunity, such mobs criminally threaten, physically assault such individuals, before handing them over to the police on of forcible conversions. Often communal sloganeering is witnessed outside police stations, where the police stand as mute spectators,” the forum bemoans.

The forum wants the redressal commissions to be led by retired Supreme Court judges and their members consist of senior members of Christian community and civil society.

It also demands speedy closure of cases “where false has been levied against Christians.” The forum cited the case of Jesuit tribal activist Father Stan Swamy who died in prison, and others who continue to face wrongful detention and prosecutions.

Other demands include reconstruction of illegally demolished churches across the country, and appropriate and adequate compensation to Christians and their institutions targeted for their religious identity, under the central and state victim compensation schemes.

The form also wants the government to take strict action against vigilante mobs that round up individuals, trespass private property belonging to churches, Christians or persons of other religions who also have their faith in Christ .

It also demands action against those raising communal slogans outside police station premises, on the pretext of forcible religious conversions. It wants police to conduct basic preliminary investigation in cases alleging religious conversions before the registration of First Information Reports.

Installation of CCTV cameras in local police stations across India and registration of FIRs on receipt of complaints by victims of religion-based violence or discrimination, the memorandum further demands.

Text of the memorandum:

June 16, 2022
To,

Shri John Barla Ji
Hon’ble Minister of State
Ministry of Minority Affairs
Government of India
New Delhi

Respected Sir

SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM PERTAINING TO THE RECENT INCREASE IN TARGETED VIOLENCE AND HOSTILITY AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY

We are representatives from the Christian community in India who are deeply pained by the targeted violence and hostility being faced by Christian citizens in the state or those citizens of other faith who also hold a belief in Lord Jesus Christ.

The narrative of religious intolerance and hatred has swept the country unfortunately. United Christian Forum (UCF), a human rights group based in New Delhi that monitors atrocities against Christians in India, has recorded a total of 505 incidents of violence against Christians from 21 states last year alone till the end of December 2021 . By 31 stMay, 2022, that is 150 days of this year, 207 incidents were reported with United Christian Forum.

A total of 1112 incidents of violence against Christians or against persons with faith in Lord Jesus Christ have been recorded in the last three years (2019-2021) , 170 incidents this year till end of May 2022 alone being from states of particular concern in UCF’s report such as Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh , , Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka .We have additionally collated documents and information from many victims from our community, when an incident of violence has come to our knowledge. Some such data has been referenced in this memorandum for your kind perusal.

Mob violence continuing unabated
In almost all incidents reported across the states, vigilante mobs comprising of religious extremists have been seen to either barge into a prayer gathering or round up individuals that they believe are involved in forcible religious conversions. With impunity, such mobs criminally threaten, physically assault such individuals, before handing them over to the police on of forcible conversions. Often communal sloganeering is witnessed outside police stations, where the police stand as mute spectators.
Violence and incidents instigated by such mobs in the state includes: (1) physical and verbal assaults on religious leaders and members; (2) damage to and desecration of places of worship, including arson; (3) disruption of prayer services and restrictions on religious gatherings; (4) false allegations of forced and fraudulent religious conversions; (5) forced or coerced gharwapsi ceremonies; (6) refusals of permission for religious minorities to establish and run places of worship. It is deplorable that mob violence continues in Uttar Pradesh unchecked and unabated.

Registration of malicious FIRs
About 81 FIRs have been registered in 2021 alone against persons espousing the Christian faith or against those persons of other religions who simultaneously also hold their faith Lord Jesus Christ. The informants in such complaints cite that the accused threatened, verbally abused, physically beat up individuals, tore up images of deities of other religions to coerce people to convert their faith, and in some cases the accused are said to have tried all these measures together.

It is absurd to believe that such tactics by any evangelist of any faith would actually result in religious conversions. However, the police across several states in India seem to believe such preposterous claims are true and have registered FIRs on the basis of such or complaints. We submit that the police in such cases are acting without any application of mind. It is apparent that such complaints being filed by religious extremists are politically motivated to polarize the society, often for obvious electoral gains like in the upcoming elections in a few states. We urge the police to conduct a preliminary investigation which is well within the powers of the police, before proceeding with the registration of FIRs in such whimsical complaints.

We also submit that FIRs registered under the Anti-conversion laws enacted in 11 out of the 29 states across India are also illegally registered as the mandate of provisions of the said law requires that only an aggrieved person or his/her relative by blood, marriage or adoption shall only initiate a complaint under law. A cursory examination of the identity of informants or complaints in most FIRs registered under the Anti-conversion laws would reveal that they have been filed by persons who are not eligible to file such complaints, in most cases by persons who are members of religious extremist organizations. It is obvious that such FIRs have been illegally registered by the police without any application of mind.

A few such instances are described below:
• In FIR bearing no. 0998/2020 dated 19.12.2020 registered at Surajpur Police station, Gautam Budh Nagar under Section 295- A IPC on against 4 accused, it is stated that while the accused were visiting a family, the religious extremists were called upon and after they were allegedly accused of religious conversion activities.
• In FIR bearing no. 0209/2020 dated 20.12.2020 registered at Deedarganj Police Station, Azamgarh u/s 3&5 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021 against three accused on false of religious conversion activities.
• In FIR bearing no. 0083/2021 dated 26.01.2021 registered at Bhanwarkuan Police Station, Indore u/s 3 &5 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021 against 11 accused while they were conducting a prayer meeting on false of religious conversion activities.
• In FIR bearing no. 231/2021 registered at Salon police station, Rae Bareily , u/s 295A IPC, 3/5(1) UP PUCRA on 02.07.2021, the allegation against the accused is that they tore the pictures of certain deities and compelled people to convert their religion to Christianity.
• In FIR bearing no. 129/2021 registered at Sikandarpur Vaishya police station, Kasganj u/s 147, 352, 504, 506, 427, 295A IPC on 18.07.2021, it is stated that the accused who had come to preach about Christianity in a village threatened to kill people, verbally abused them and physically assaulted the people present there.
• In FIR bearing no. 0236/2021 dated 04.08.2021 registered u/s 153A, 295A IPC, 3/5(1) UP PUCRA at Phoolpur police station, Varanasi, the informant on whose complaint the said FIR was registered, holds a designation with the RashtriyaSwayamsewak Sangh (RSS).
• In a more recent incident with FIR bearing no. 0644/2021 dated 03.10.2021 registered at kotwali Roorkee Police station u/s 395,354,323,120-B,153-A,384, 504 IPC, 3(1)(x) SC/ST Act against 11 accused, it is stated that a mob of religious extremists disrupted a Sunday prayer meeting threatening and intimidating the accused to discontinue the prayer meeting.

Non-registration of FIRs inspite of complaints filed by victims
Violence against the Christian community is sadly, compounded by the failure of the police to investigate and prosecute mobs and perpetrators. According to cases monitored by UCF , between 2019 – 2021, while Christians or persons of other religions who also hold their faith in Lord Jesus Christ, filed 349 complaints in response to religiously motivated violence, the police registered FIRs in only 129 cases. It is further submitted that this year alone till December 2021, more than 357 Christians or persons of other religions having faith in Lord Jesus also, were arbitrarily arrested for purported “breach of peace” based on pressure from mobs or on an apprehension of commission of a cognisable offence. As with all of the reported data, actual numbers are likely to be significantly higher.

The Hon’ble Supreme Court in its constitution bench decision titled Lalita Kumari vs. State of UP [(2014) 2 SCC 1] has emphatically stated:
“110. Therefore, in view of various counter claims regarding registration or non-registration, what is necessary is only that the information given to the police must disclose the commission of a cognizable offence. In such a situation, registration of an FIR is mandatory. ***, if the information given clearly mentions the commission of a cognizable offence, there is no other option but to register an FIR forthwith. *** At the stage of registration of FIR, what is to be seen is merely whether the information given ex facie discloses the commission of a cognizable offence.”

It is our request that FIRs may immediately be registered on receipt of complaints by victims of religion-based violence or discrimination.

Lack of CCTVs in police stations & illegal detentions
District administration in various states across the country, frequently arrest Christians or persons of other religions who also hold their faith in Lord Jesus Christ on the pretext that their religious activities are likely to breach the peace in a region. These detentions are carried out under the aegis of Sections 107, 116 and 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 ( Cr.PC .), are plagued by grave procedural flaws, that deny detainees rights granted to them in law.

We are aware of cases where individuals have been kept in custody ranging from 2 days to 12 days under the preventive detention law. This is outrightly illegal as held by the Hon’ble Allahabad High Court repeatedly.

We also bring to your attention the illegality being perpetuated in the police stations across many states by detaining persons in the police station premises for more than 24 hours in many instances. It is our utmost request that immediate steps should be taken to install CCTV cameras in local police stations within your jurisdiction to prevent violation of any fundamental rights of the citizens of the state. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as recently as July 2021 has already issued guidelines to all States and Union Territories (UTs) for the installation of CCTV cameras in all police stations .

In the light of the various submissions made in this memorandum, it is humbly submitted that:
a. Strengthen human rights monitoring mechanisms, including the National Commission for Minorities and the National Human Rights Commission.
b. Constitute a National/State Redressal Commission/s led by the retired Supreme Court Judges and senior members of the community and civil society to address the issues of targeted violence against minorities.
c. Speedy closure of cases where false has been levied against Christians, for instance in the case of Late Fr. Stan Swamy who died in prison and many others who continue to face wrongful detentions and prosecutions.
d. Reconstruction of illegally demolished churches across the country.
e. Appropriate and adequate compensation to Christian individuals and institutions who are targeted for their religious identity, under the central and state victim compensation schemes.
f. Strict action may be taken against vigilante mobs who round up individuals, trespass private property belonging to churches, Christians or persons of other religions who also have their faith in Lord Jesus Christ or raise communal slogans outside police station premises, on the pretext of forcible religious conversions.
g. Basic preliminary investigation may necessarily be conducted by the police in cases alleging religious conversions before the registration of FIRs.
h. Installation of CCTV cameras in local police stations across India
i. FIRs may immediately be registered on receipt of complaints by victims of religion-based violence or discrimination.

Looking forward to your favorable response,

Yours sincerely,

A C Michael
National Coordinator – United Christian Forum
+91-9818155290 I acmichael60@gmail.com
Postal address: AG1/167C, Vikaspuri, New Delhi – 110018
 
Incident list of some important cases
1. On 4th August 2021, Pastor Shyamand from Nijhamabad , Gambhirpur , Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh informed that some religious extremists from his village came to his house and started abusing and threatening him and his family. They threatened them to return to Hinduism and go to the temple and offer water to their gods. After the Christians refused to comply, the religious extremists along with some villagers gave a complaint to the local police. Subsequently, the Police came and took Pastor’s brother Joginder into custody at Gambhirpur police station.
2. On 26th October 2021, Father Augustine, manager of Christ Jyoti School, Satna, MP received a notice from a 30-member delegation of the religious extremist group who met him and gave 15 days’ notice to install an idol of goddess Saraswati on campus or face protests in front of the school. The mob vandalised the school building.
3. On 3rd February 2022, Pastor Vijaykumar from Christ Seva Mission Church in Bagepalli , Chikkaballapura , Karnataka was threatened by 3 religious extremists who came and enquired about the Church to Pastors son Daniel and accused Pastor of religious conversion and physically assaulted his son Daniel. The extremists later left the place and threatened the Pastor through phone.
4. On 11th and 14th July 2021, Raja Podiyam and 17 other Christians were targeted for their faith in Devarpalli village, Dornapal PS, Sukma , Chhattisgarh. Some villagers destroyed the harvest of the Christians and threatened that the Christians should leave their faith to be able to farm in the village. The Christians have been ostracized, prohibited to take water, walk on the streets, buy from the local store, and take government ration. The Christians have been threatened and abused on multiple occasions.
5. On 13th February 2021, Pastor Shankar from Jangla village, Bijapur, Chhattisgarh was threatened by the villagers to leave if he continues to follow Jesus. Pastor Shankar and the Christians have built his house on a government land as the other villagers. But pastor is being targeted by the village council committee because of his faith. The leaders in the village have also organized a ceremony for the Christians to return to their previous faith or leave the village with all their belongings.
6. On 3rd February 2021, Asha Devi and her husband SukendraKorwa and their 2 daughters were threatened by some religious extremists in Durkhi village, Khala , Garhwa district, Jharkhand because they had recently accepted Jesus as their God. The villagers have also socially ostracized the Christians from the village. She was also previously threatened on 22nd January and physically assaulted but situation escalated on 3rd February when the perpetrators gave a complaint to the SDO alleging that the Christians are involved in forceful religious conversion of the Korwa tribal community. The incident was also covered by some national media houses in a biased manner.
7. On 23rd September 2021, a series of incidents were reported from Balliguda Block, village Ladakia from Kandhamal district, Odisha. The incidents began from 17th September 2021, when four Christian families of Sushant Digal , GouraDigal , SanuraDigal & Prashant Digal were excommunicated from the village for their faith in Jesus. Thereafter, on 21st September 2021, their houses were attacked and burnt by a mob of religious extremists. Next, on 23rd September 2021, a house of another Christian family of GouraDigal was also burnt. Subsequently, an FIR was lodged at Balliguda police station, but no action was taken.
8. “On 24th July 2021, Pastor Madhu Hatpaik informed that he and four Christian families namely of LakhmanHatpaik , Sadhu Hatpaik , KhogeshHatpaik and BhagwanHatpaik from Balda , PoPadau , Koraput, Odisha are being persecuted for their Christian faith. They have been ostracized from their village and have be en sent out forcefully from their homes. The religious extremists have taken over the property and threatening them to return to their previous faith to get their land back. The police intervened and brought them to the police station for compromise, but the religious extremists did not want to compromise and return the land.
9. On 6th September 2021, Pastor Mohan Naik informed that Ps Sandeep Kamble from Gadhinglaj , Kolhapur district, Maharashtra has been threatened since last 2 days by a person named Gayingde to stop prayers. The perpetrator threw a rock into the Pastor’s house which shattered the glass and hit the Pastor’s son.
10. On 1st August 2021, Santosh Kumar from Semmadai , Kadapparai panchayat, Karur district, Karur AG Church member did not come to Church on 1 Aug 2021 (Sunday), Pastor paid him a visit and gave him Rs.500 as he needed money. After Pastor left, Santosh went out of his home, was suddenly attacked by 4 people, taken to a bushy area and severely beat him saying he is involved in Christian conversion. He lay unconscious for a while and called the Police who asked him to call the Ambulance. Ambulance arrived in 30 minutes and medics admitted him in Karur Government Hospital. He is still admitted in Hospital. One Manoj, main accused, with 16 criminal cases pending against him has been arrested by Vengamedu police. A counter case no 501/2021 has been filed against victim Santhosh Kumar that he molested a mentally ill girl, by the accused Manoj.
11. On 20th June 2021, a Christian widow named Munesh Devi and her three daughters namely Meenu (23), Harpreet Kaur (27), Gurpreet Kaur (30) were severely physically assaulted by their neighbor Manjeet Singh and his son Monu Singh and another Sikandar Singh . They have been targeted for their faith on several occasions over the last six months. The neighbors were unhappy that Munesh Delhi and her daughters had converted to Christianity and would constantly harass them and use caste based abusive words against them. All the daughters and the mother have sustained severe injuries, the youngest had to be admitted in the ICU, the older daughters were sexually assaulted as well and their clothes were torn by the perpetrators.
12. On 19th March 2021, two catholic nuns namely Libiya and Hemlata boarded a train from Delhi to Rourkela along with two trainee nuns namely Shweta and Preeti . During the course of their journey, some co passengers enquired about the ladies and accused them of conversion and allurement of the trainees nuns, they harassed the 4 women for their identification documents. Despite the trainee nuns stating that they were born Christians and have chosen to be nuns, the perpetrators paid no heed to them and informed some religious extremists at Jhansi to come with police. At Jhansi railway station, the women were forced to get off the train by the religious extremists and the police. The mob alleged that the younger girls were being taken by the nuns for religious conversion. But later upon scrutiny of legal and baptism documents, the women were released. The trainee nuns were sent back to their homes in Rourkela by a different train the next day and the other two nuns returned to Delhi.
13. On 21st November 2021, Kalyani Devi w/o Deepak Chaudhary from ward no 17, near Sankar mill, Barhiya village, Lakkhisarai district, Bihar was conducting a prayer meeting along with 20 Christians, while the prayer was going on some villagers came with religious extremists and started abusing and assaulting them. The extremists threatened Kalyani to leave her faith or she would not be allowed to live in the village. The victim was targeted for her faith on 14th November 2021 also, when a group of villagers along with religious extremists barged in a prayer meeting that was being conducted by Kalyani. They abused and assaulted some women present there. One woman Nirmala was severely beaten. The police from Barhiya PS arrived to enquire, if she has permission to conduct prayer meetings, the police then took Kalyani Devi and her daughter Jyoti, and later released them after enquiry.
14. On 13th June 2021, it was informed that Pastor Sanjay Kumar from Shyamnagar , Haridwar, Uttarakhand was detained by the local police. Pastor Sanjay has been serving the community in Haridwar for 10 years. On 13th June when he was leading a Sunday church meeting with around 20 Christians, the neighbors informed the police and accused the Pastor of forceful conversion. Thereafter, the police arrived in the house and stopped the prayer and forcefully took him and his wife and children to the police station. The Pastor was severely assaulted by various police officials who interrogated and accused him of conversion by allurement of the villagers. The pastor sustained severe injuries, including internal injuries on his legs.
15. On 20th June 2021, Gobind Dutta informed that few of his church members were severely physically assaulted after they had buried their dead by Christian rituals. The incident took place in Prabhatipur village, Hooghly, West Bengal. The family has been in Christian faith, but their extended relatives and villagers are not Christians.
16. On 25th December 2021, Pastor Ravi from Pataudi, Gurgaon, Haryana while celebrating their Christmas program in the church was disrupted by a group of religious extremists who allegedly barged into the premises of a church and raised “Jai Shree Ram” and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ slogans. They allegedly pushed the choir members down the stage and snatched the mike.
17. “On 11th September 2021, Pastor Veeru from Ladraur village, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh was harassed and physically assaulted when he was in the market. They made false against the pastor that he is alluring the locals into Christianity and forcefully took him to his home and searched his house for Christian books and cash. The perpetrators then forced the Pastor and his wife to sit on the road and sing Hindu devotional songs.
18. On 5th November 2021, Ronald Fernandes from Bicholim , North Goa district, Goa along with his family were sitting in their house when a group of religious extremists came and placed a giant Bakasur statue near their house on the occasion of Diwali, and celebrated with dance till 2 am. Due to their loud noise, the victim requested to lower the volume of the music and lights to the group due to which they argued and assaulted Ronaldo and pelted stones at their house and used bad words for their family. The religious extremists also threatened the victim by saying that Christians are minorities, and they will see how they celebrate Christmas in Goa. The police were called by Ronald and his wife Adv. Sheffie . The Police came and tried to settle the matter, but the extremists were threatening Ronald in front of police.
19. On 27th June 2021, it was informed by Ankur from Ambedkar Nagar that Pastor Ram Ujagir and two others of Good Shepherd Church from Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh were arrested by the Malipur Police while they were conducting a prayer meeting in the village. It was alleged by the police that the pastor is involved in forceful religious conversion. The police booked him under CrPC 151, 107 & 116 and kept in jail for 9 days.
20. On 16th January 2022, Bishop Paul Munia informed that Pastor RansinghBhabor from Bedli village, Jhabua , Madhya Pradesh while conducting a prayer service was disrupted by a few religious extremists who came and accused them of religious conversion and physically assaulted the pastor and other believers present in the church. Pastor somehow managed to escape from the place and hid at a believer’s house. The rest of the Church members were locked inside the Church by the mob. Out of fear, one of the church members called the police who came and dispersed the mob. The police reached at the incident place and dispersed the mob. On 27th January 2022, Pastor RansinghBhabor’s church was locked by police.
21. On 14th January 2022, Ramesh Garwal from Meghnagar , Jhabua , Madhya Pradesh while on his way for a prayer meeting in a nearby village was brutally attacked on his head with an axe by a group of religious extremists. He was immediately admitted to the nearby hospital. The victim survived with 16 stitches on his head. The Police upon being informed about this incident acted against the perpetrators filed an FIR against them under non-stringent sections and later released the perpetrators. Subsequently, an FIR was charged against the victim.
22. On 23rd December 2021, a school named Nirmala convent school in Pandavapura , Mandya District of Karnataka managed by Salesian sisters was conducting a Christmas program in school when suddenly a group of religious extremists barged in and disrupted their programme. Thereafter, the sister’s complaint against the incident to the police and police took Suo moto cognisance and registered NCR. Later school received the notice from the Commission of Child Rights for religious conversion of children studying in school.
23. On 24th October 2021, 5 Christians from Gadchiroli , Maharashtra, were badly beaten up including a woman named Shital Talandi to renounce their faith or to leave the village by a religious extremist group.
24. On 2nd April 2021, Pastor Daniel John from Aman Vihar , Sultanpuri , Delhi was conducting a Good Friday prayer meeting with around 100 Christians when some religious extremists barged in and abused and threatened the pastor and the Christians present there. The pastor informed the local police about the incident, but the perpetrators fled before the police arrived.
25. On 28th September 2021, Pastor Raj Masih from Simari , Buxar district, Bihar was harassed by some religious extremists when he was in the market with one of his church members. The religious extremists forcefully took the Pastor to a secluded area and physically and verbally assaulted him, threatening to not conduct any church gatherings as well as accused him of forceful religious conversion. The victim since then has received several threats over phone calls and WhatsApp messages from many different people. On 1st October 2021 a complaint to the SHO.On 2nd Oct, the victims met the SP, who instructed the SHO to take action . On 3rd Oct 2021, during Sunday worship, two policemen were present in the church for the protection.
26. On 2nd December 2021, Pastor Karam Singh who runs a house church at Chatru village, Balh Tehsil, Mandi District, Himachal Pradesh informed that his neighbor Manoj Kumar and his son Pradeep have threatened him and his family for their faith in Jesus Christ. They threatened him of dire consequences if they continue to follow Christianity. They also filed a false complaint against the Pastor to the District Collector. A complaint was filed at the local police station and obtained the receiving.