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US state department indicts BJP in violence against Christians

The US state department's annual human rights report has identified the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and its affiliates for their role in the violence against Christian communities and Christian missionaries in the country last year.

The organisations include the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal. The report, released here yesterday, described the RSS as a Hindu extremist organisation and the VHP as a Hindu religious organisation affiliated to the RSS.

It said there were several attacks by "violent Hindu extremists" on Christian communities and Christian missionaries in 1998. At the end of the year, a wave of what were apparently organised attacks against Christians began, it added.

It quoted a member of the National Minorities Commission as having said, "We have got may more complaints regarding attacks on the Christian community and encroachment on church properties. There is a definite trend."

It reported that such attacks occurred in several states, including Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. In support, it quoted Indian media reports.

According to Indian human rights organisations, there were over 90 incidents, primarily of mob violence that took the form of destruction of churches and religious property and violent attacks on Christian pilgrims and leaders.

It quoted the VHP secretary general having publicly warned Christian missionaries to leave India. Local police and officials abetted the violence in several instances, it added.

In Gujarat, the state government threatened to cease giving aid to educational institutions that closed to observe the protest. However, there were no reports that the state government carried out this threat, it added.

It also noted that Hindu dalits lose their minority status upon conversion to Christianity, but not upon conversion to Budhhism or Sikhism.

Dealing with religious minorities, the report said fear of political violence drove most Hindus in the Kashmir valley to seek refuge in camps in Jammu or with relatives in New Delhi or elsewhere.

Throughout the year, separatist militants in Jammu and Kashmir targeted members of the state's remaining Hindu community with violence, it added.

The state department document said there continued to be "significant" human rights abuses, despite extensive constitutional and statutory safeguards.

"Many of these abuses are generated by intense social tensions, violent secessionist movements and the authorities' attempt to repress them, and deficient police methods of training," it added.

It said, "These problems are acute in Jammu and Kashmir, where judicial tolerance of the government's heavy-handed anti-militant tactics, the refusal of security forces to obey court orders and terrorist threats have disrupted the judicial system."

"Separatist insurgent violence in the North-Eastern states continued along with reported incidents of security force abuses," it added.

It lists serious human rights abuses, including extrajudicial executions and other political killings and excessive use of force by security forces combating active insurgeny in Jammu and Kashmir and several North-Eastern states.

It also listed cases of torture and rape by the police and other government agents, deaths of suspects in police custody throughout the country, poor prison conditions, arbitrary arrests and incommunicado detention in Jammu and Kashmir and the North-East, continued detention throughout the country of thousands arrested under special security legislation, lengthy pre-trial detention and prolonged detention of undertrails.

It cites occasional limits being placed on the freedom of the press and freedom of movement, legal and social discrimination against women, extensive societal violence against women and female bondage. Besides, it discusses discrimination and violence against indigenous people and scheduled castes and tribes, widespread inter-caste and communal violence, and widespread exploitation of indentured, bonded and child labour.

UNI

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