29

Dec

Pain and anguish over continuing persecution of minorities in the country: Civil Society From Our Special Representative

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Today’s Edition

New Delhi, 29 December 2023

Satish Misra

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In the background of the rise of majoritarianismin the country since the assumption of power by the BJP in 2014, it is becoming increasingly difficult for minorities particularly the Muslims and Christians to give expression to the overt and covert persecution that are they are facing by a section of the majority community.

It was, therefore, heartening to note that few civil society and social activists took upon them to hold a press conference on 28 December at the Press Club of India to pour their anguish and concern over continuing persecution of minorities particularly the Christian community hoping that their statement would find space in media columns.     

While they highlighted the irony of the year 2023 where summer began with the burning of churches and the killing of Christians in the valley of Imphal in Manipur, and is ending with religious leaders felicitating the Prime Minister on Christmas for his great contribution to the welfare of this small community, and the county at large, the persecution of minorities continues unabated not only in Manipur but in several parts of the country.

Through the year, the Christian community, including its Bishops and clergy, had been pleading with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur, site of the greatest communal crimes and human tragedy since Gujarat 2002 and Kandhamal, Orissa 2008, a press statement issued at the interaction with media persons said.  

Perhaps he could not find the time, leaving to his Home Minister Amit Shah and the state’s Chief Minister N Biren Singh who the people allege has been casual in tackling the genocide, if not complicit it by patronising the criminal think private militias.

Despite the intervention of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of India  D Y Chandrachud, the only thing that has happened is the cremation and burial of the bodies of the Kuki Zo did which had been rotting in various Imphal hospital.  Fifty thousand Kuki-Zo-Hmar people continue to live in hard conditions in refugee camps run by various church groups.

As noted human rights activist Harsh Mander has noted in his letter to Members of Parliament this month after yet another visit to the state, the human disaster continues to loom large over especially women and children. Unemployment and malnourishment stalk the hills, and private armies rule the highways. There is no administration in the hills, the statement underscored.

But it is not about Manipur alone. The persecution of the community is rampant, hate towards it from the highest quarters of nationalist religious leadership as deep as it can be. The government seems keen to starve it out of existence by withdrawing the FCRAs of a vast number of churches and its NGOs, and using the investigating agencies against Cardinals and Bishops, Pastors and lay people, the statement pointed out.

In UP for instance, nearly 100 pastors and even ordinary men and women are in jail under charges of illegal conversions when all they were doing was celebrating birthdays or conducting Sunday prayers, civil rights activists said seeking to draw attention of the concerned people in the country.     

Every international and national human rights body has indicted India for its treatment of religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christian. The Indian group include Wada Na Todo Abhiyan, well respected coalition that audits the governments performance visa vie its promises.

The United Christian forum has in its annual report said here are two incidents of prosecution a day in the country.

Apart from Prosecution, arrests, the crisis of schools and other institutions, the massive social issue of the Dalit Christians remains. The Modi government’s spokespersons have been particularly harsh on it.

The Prime minister is not only free but duty bound to embrace the nation’s religious minorities and invite their leaders to functions at his house on Christmas and important days. We remember when Christmas carols were a part of the Rashtrapati Bhawan Calendar. Similarly, as citizens, Bishops and Cardinals and others too are duty bound to felicitate their political leaders and rulers.

But the Christmas spirit must not let us forget the condition and tribulations of our brothers and sisters who suffer because of government impunity and the brazen political elements who have no respect for the Constitution of India and its guarantees of freedoms to the citizens, they said.

The press conference was addressed by civil and human rights activists John Dayal, A C Michael, Prof Approvanand, Minakshi Singh, Sister Mary Scaria and Shabnam Hashmi. 

Words spoken at the press conference and picture presented by the noted Civil Rights activists leaves no doubt whatsoever that the ruling establishment is following the dictum of ‘running with the hare and hunting with the hounds’.    

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