India: BJP governmentt's police survey Gujarat Christians

The Gujarat Police have reportedly started a discreet survey of Christians in some parts of the state, seeking information on family sizes, job profiles and sources of foreign funds. The All-India Christian Council, which submitted a memorandum to the state police chief on Friday, is planning to move the High Court over the issue next week.

State Director General of Police K. Chakravarthy told the Hindustan Times that no statewide survey had been ordered. He added, however, that some information might have been sought from some people on the orders of district police chiefs.

A senior home department official echoed the state police chief. He told the Hindustan Times that no survey of Christians had been ordered. "It may be a survey about foreign funds and its use, but that is applicable for institutions of all communities," he said.

But despite official denials, community leaders alleged that policemen came calling at some houses in Ahmedabad, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha and Kutch districts over the past few days and asked about the antecedents and assets of Christian families.

Community leaders also said at least 25 Christian institutions and families had been questioned over the past few days. Police personnel who visited Christian institutions, they said, wanted information on the number of Christians in the area and other details, like the sources of their funds.

Bishop Gregory of Rajkot, who was questioned by the police on Friday, said: "I was asked about the number of Christians and institutions here." The police also asked him to contact the nearest police station if he needed help, Bishop Gregory told this correspondent.

The police have also asked some Christians whether they converted voluntarily or under pressure, and whether they were first-generation Christians.

"This survey may be a build-up to the anti-conversion bill the government wants to introduce in the state assembly during this session," said Father Cedric Prakash of the United Christian Forum for Human Rights.

One church leader in Saurashtra was asked whether Christians would hold demonstrations if the anti-conversion bill is introduced in the assembly, sources said.

Individual Christians are scared to speak to the press as many of them are in government employment.

In the wake of the attack on Christians and the burning of churches in the Dangs district around Christmas 1998, the state intelligence department had ordered a similar survey, but abandoned it after a petition was filed in the Gujarat High Court.

Since Christmas 1998 especially, Christians have been the favorite targets of the militant Hindu nationalists who are in charge of India. This targeting has included murdering priests, raping nuns, burning churches, and attacking Christian schools, prayer halls, and other places. Missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burned to death while they slept in their jeep, according to Indian news reports at the time, while the killers surrounded the jeep and chanted "Victory to Hannuman." Hannuman is a Hindu god with the face of a monkey. Only one person has even been charged with this crime, and he's a scapegoat. Then the Indian government expelled Mrs. Staines from teh country.

An American missionary anmed Joseph Cooper (from Pennsylvania) was recently beaten so badly that he had to spend a week in a hospital, after which he wsa expelled from the country for the serious crime of preaching. Real religious freedom there.

In predominantly Christian Nagaland, government forces have murdered over 200,000 Christians.

In 1997, police broke up a Christian religious festival with gunfire.

Thousands of low-caste Hindus are converting to Christianity and other faiths from Hinduism. The government is now working state-by-state to ban conversions to any faith other than Hinduism.

India is a major violator of religious freedom. It is effectively a Hindu theocracy.

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