By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, May 8, 2023: A Catholic archbishop and two groups have urged the Supreme Court of India to appoint an agency to monitor attacks against Christians in the country.
The request came from Archbishop Peter Macho of Bangalore, the National Solidarity Forum and the Evangelical Fellowship of India, who had earlier filed a petition in the apex court alleging widespread attacks against Christians in the country, reports livelaw.in.
The three also pointed out a counter report from the government has disclosed that political groups linked to it were involved in the communal crimes. Hence, the government cannot be relied upon or trusted with monitoring or reporting to the apex court, they said.
The three want the agency to effectively supervise the criminal investigations taking place in “troubled spots” in India.
The request was made in the petitioners’ rejoinder to the federal government’s counter affidavit that refuted petitioners.
The government has denied any persecution has taken place against Christians in India and alleged that the petition has relied on baseless and unverified reports. The petitioners, the government added, have presented certain personal disputes as communal crimes.
The petitioners disputed the government and stated that the state machinery has failed in taking immediate and necessary stringent actions against groups that caused widespread violence such as attacks at Christian places of worship and disruption of prayer meetings. The groups also indulged in hate speeches against Christians, they alleged.
The petitioners also expressed lack of confidence with the government and requested for a retired Supreme Court judge to head the monitoring agency with a mandate to appoint distinguished police officers who can effectively supervise the investigation of the cases.
Their rejoinder further noted that the attacks against Christians became widespread in several states from 2021. These attacks coincided with the enactment or amendments of anti-conversion laws passed in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Haryana.
The petitioners alleged that they are part of a well-planned strategy.
The archbishop and others also noted that the attacks against Christians accelerated after the apex court’s September 1, 2022, order asking the states to file compliance reports.
They also said that as many as 505 instances of assault were reported in 2021, 598 in 2022 and 123 instances during January-February this year.
The petitioners say that 90 percent of the cases follow a similar modus operandi.
If a prayer meeting is taking place in a private residence or a church, a large group of people suddenly gather there, as if on a cue, and forcefully enter the premises, disrupt the meeting, assault the members, drag the pastor away and register a first information report alleging illegal conversion.
Even where the FIRs are registered against assailants, counter-FIRs are filed against Christians. While Christians and their priests are forced to remain a long time in jail without bail, no instance has been reported where the assailants had to spend any time under detentions. The petitioners further allege that there are several instances of police forcing the community members to not lodge FIRs.
(LiveLaw is an Independent media, engaged in fact- based, non-sensational journalism. It believes that a strong and independent Judiciary is the foundation of a fair, meaningful, democracy and Independent Judiciary that in turn creates vibrant a democracy.)