The Hindu : National : Consider banning Hindutva terror groups: Harmony India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 06, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Consider banning Hindutva terror groups: Harmony India

Special Correspondent

Photo: R. Ragu

VOICING CONCERN: Participants at a Christians Condolence Meeting organised by Harmony India in Chennai on Sunday. Seen from left are Kanimozhi, Member of Parliament; Mohammed Abdul Ali, Prince of Arcot and Secretary General of Harmony India; A.M. Chinnappa, Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore; P.C. Alexander, the former Governor of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra; and Rev. V. Devasahayam, Church of South India’s Bishop in Madras. —

CHENNAI: The Central government must urgently examine all legal actions, possibly including a ban, against the extremist Hindutva groups that have unleashed terror against Christians in Orissa, Karnataka and other parts of the country, said a resolution adopted at a public meeting organised by Harmony India in Chennai on Sunday to protest the violence.

“The Central government must clarify and identify these groups as terrorist groups and ban them,” said the Catholic Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore A.M. Chinnappa, without naming any of the groups.

The Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali also demanded a “total ban on communal organisations trying to create disharmony” and undermining the secular structure of the Indian Constitution.

“These recent attacks are part of the overall strategy of the Sangh Parivar to convert India into a Hindu Rashtra,” he said. The resolution condemned the atrocities, the “shocking” response of the Orissa government, the silence and complicity of the police and the delayed intervention of the Central government.

A Cabinet meeting was called only after pressure caused by media reports and awkward questions asked in the U.S. and Europe, said N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu.

The meeting demanded that the State government hand over the case of the rape of a nun and assault of a priest on August 25 to the Central Bureau of Investigation and urged that tough disciplinary action, including criminal action, be taken against senior police officers guilty of dereliction of duty.

In an open letter addressed to Gandhiji, Father Vincent Chinnadurai, chairman of the State Minorities Commission, called for the Central government to take over or suspend the governments of Orissa and Karnataka, arrest those from the Bajrang Dal and VHP who have allegedly incited violence, allow relief and personnel to enter the affected areas, award compensation and rebuild and restore homes and property.

Member of Parliament Kanimozhi pointed out that this was not a “seven week story.” Tracing the recent history of violence against minority communities from the Graham Staines murder, the Gujarat riots and subsequent incidents, she said that the latest events were “not a reaction to something, but planned violence”.

“We have let Gujarat be the testing ground. We cannot be silent spectators now,” she said, noting that in Tamil Nadu, swift action had scotched any attempts at violence.

Former governor P.C. Alexander cautioned that silence would lead to a spread of the violence. “Take a warning: today, it may be Christians in Orissa, a few in Karnataka. Who knows what will happen the day after tomorrow,” he said.

The Church of South India’s Bishop in Madras V. Devasahayam dismissed the conversion conspiracy theories that have been blamed for the violence, offering demographic statistics as well as the history of the Christian community as proof.

“We are a serving minority, but we have not used our channels of service as opportunities for conversion…If we had used our educational institutions in such a way, half of India’s graduates would be Christians today,” he said.

Media Development Foundation chairman Sashikumar Menon said even bringing up conversion as a “reason” for the violence was unjustified. The attacks were an “insult to Hindus and an affront to Hinduism”.

Islamic Foundation Trust vice-president K.V.S. Habeeb Muhammad said that conversion was only brought in as a bogus excuse.

“First, they call it revenge against the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati. Then when the naxalites clearly claim responsibility for that, they bring up conversion,” he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National