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Sina 2015 - Day 2: Report - Amid violence, a Resolution for Peace

Patna, Jan 29: On Wednesday, Signis India, an all-India assembly of some 65 social communication practitioners of the Catholic Church experienced a 'public hearing' on violence against religious minorities as part of the Signis India National Assembly, held for the first time in Bihar. Victims of such violence narrated their experiences, most of which took place within the past 45 days. Here are a few:

A fortnight ago, in Jehanabad, a mob of some 50 men shouting 'Jai Shri Ram' stormed into a House of Prayer, disrupted the Sunday service, smashed furniture and equipment, beat up the worshippers, grievously injured pastor Kamlesh Kumar and dragged Vijay Kumar and Suresh Singh down the street of Madhav Nagar. The mob then held up traffic, paraded the men, abused and accused them of performing religious conversion.

This 'protest' continued for two hours, after which the police intervened and took both victims to the police station. The three ring leaders of the mob were at the police station, hurling accusations against the men, but when asked by the police officers for proof of the alleged conversion activity, backed down. An FIR was ultimately lodged against three leaders of the mob, but so far, said Vijay, the three men haven't been arrested.

Last Christmas day was eventful in more ways than one. Suresh Chaudhary, a practising lawyer of the civil court in Begusarai, spoke of a village in Barauni block where some Christians were holding a Christmas prayer and get-together. They were attacked by a group of about 50 men shouting Hindutva slogans. They stormed into the room, beat up the men and manhandled the women. They trampled on the food prepared, tore up prayer books, looted musical instruments and even thrashed the children. Then they left.

At Rampur village in Katihar district, a Christmas gathering was taking place in the courtyard of a person's home, with some Christian friends invited from outside. At first, two persons objected to the singing, and even as they were talking, a number of men pushed their way into the house and began physically attacking the people there. One even hit a local woman with a cricket bat. Finally, the mukhia intervened and ensured that the bruised and shaken visitors could leave without further mishap.

Against this backdrop, remarks by Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that appeared to support Shiv Sena and right-wing demands to drop the words 'secular and socialist' from the Preamble of the Indian Constitution brought no cheer to the assembly, which had 'Celebrating Diversity: Towards a humane, just and inclusive India' as its theme. Peoples' Union for Civil Liberties, Bihar, president Daisy Narain, on the experts' panel hearing the testimonies of the victims, said, "I would like to tell my friend and my batchmate, who is now a Union minister in the Modi government, that secularism is not a western implant into this country."

Signis India, the social communications wing of the Catholic Church, in a statement, has strongly condemned such sectarian violence and has resolved to actively engage in the process of peace building, creating understanding between communities and involve in activities to help preserve the multicultural, multi-religious and multidimensional nature of the country.

Fr Ashok Vaghela, Vice President, Fr Victor Vijay Lobo, Secretary and Treasurer, Signis India and 65 other deligates from different parts of country were present.

Report by: Frank Krishner