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http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07050081.htm

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
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Monday, May 14, 2007

Indian News Captures Violent Attacks on Christians
Attacks Prompt National Appeal to Congress Party for Protection and Justice

From Dalit Freedom Network
In association with A.I.C.C./SC-ST Federations

For more information, contact:
Ben Marsh, Washington D.C. Coordinator, Dalit Freedom Network
bmarsh@dalitnetwork.org
(703) 974-1243

For immediate release

INDIA (ANS) — Two recent attacks on Christian leaders were captured by television film crews and have appeared on national news in the past week. The attacks have prompted a letter from Dr. Joseph D’souza, president of the Dalit Freedom Network and the All India Christian Council, and other prominent Christian leaders to appeal to the Congress party for protection for Christians and justice for those who have been attacked.
In the first attack, Pastor Walter Masih was beaten in his small house in Jaipur, Rajasthan following his Sunday morning service. He was hit repeatedly by Hindu youth as his daughter cowered behind a door on April 29, 2007. Video of this attack is available here: http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/39465/pastor-attack-media-under-scanner.html

In the second attack, two priests were beaten by a mob of Hindu extremists from the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist organization, on May 8, 2007. Claiming that the priests were trying to convert local Hindus, the mob beat the priests and then carried them to a local police station to register charges against them under anti-conversion legislation. The police detained the priest but took not action against the mob who had beaten them. Video of the attack is available here: http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/39994/vhp-activists-beat-up-two-priests.html

Dr. D’souza commented on these attacks in his letter:
“These images should have seared the conscience of the nation, but they have invited nothing more than a smug silence from all governments — the Congress chief minister in Maharashtra to the BJP chief minister in Rajasthan…. There is little doubt now that Hindutva extremists are running a series of planned attacks against the Christian community for over a year now.”

The intensity of these attacks is increasing

The attacks are seemingly part of a push by Hinduthva (nationalist Hindu) organizations to use violence and oppression as a means of growing support for the BJP party in coming elections. After losing six seats in the recent election, many BJP supporters have called on the party to again focus solely on a Hinduthva agenda of anti-conversion and anti-Christian and Muslim violence.

Dr. D’souza’s letter openly criticizes the Congress-rules government for not doing enough to protect Christian who supported the party in national elections. He writes:

“The fault indeed squarely lies with the Central Government which was voted to power by Dalits, minorities and the majority poor who hoped that the new UPA Government would at least insist upon the rule of the law and protect the minorities and Dalits. The lack of protection is all the more painful as the vast majority of Christian workers and communities in north India are Dalits, tribals or from the most backward castes. These are the communities which are bearing the brunt of the attacks.”

The Dalit Freedom Network’s mission is to partner with the Dalits (India’s Untouchables) in their quest for religious freedom, social justice, and human dignity by mobilizing human, informational, and financial resources. Their website is: www.dalitnetwork.org

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