# persecution in Punjab, North India



## Raj (Mar 8, 2010)

For Immediate Release
Police Inaction Over Attempted Murders in Recent Punjab Anti-Christian Violence


NEW DELHI – March 3, 2010 – A fact-finding team led by the All India Christian Council (aicc) released its report yesterday and documented police bias, attempted murders not reported by the press, and widespread discrimination against Punjab’s Christian minority. The Delhi-based team visited Punjab from February 22-25 to interview victims of anti-Christian violence as well as government officials about incidents including the arson of two churches in Batala, Punjab on February 20, 2010.

Dr. John Dayal , aicc Secretary General, and member, National Integration Council, Government of India, said, “In October 2008, I had personally briefed Chief Minister Sardar Prakash Singh Badal on the tension brewing in the rural districts of western Punjab, where as many as 300,000 Christians, most of them of Dalit origin, live and are suffering from caste oppression and attacks on their freedom of faith. The anti-Christian violence in Punjab in mid-February and the attempted murder of five Christians in Batala are not being handled properly by authorities.”

Sangh Parivar-led attackers in Batala, Punjab tried to burn five Christians alive on 20 February 2010. The Christians were from two families who live in the Church of North India ’s historic Church of the Epiphany compound. The church was heavily damaged by arson. Attempts were made to destroy a nearby Salvation Army church where the pastor was seriously injured. Witnesses told the fact finding team that police were spectators during the attacks. “We pleaded with the police to help, but they did not,” said the Pastor, Maj. Gurnam Singh.

No police report has been filed for the attempted murders even as the top police and administrative officers enforced a one sided “peace accord” on the local Christian leadership. Christians were instructed not to press for charges immediately so that a number of Christian youth who were arrested – together with a few Hindu men – could be released. Also, before an inquiry could be conducted, police forcibly cleaned up the Church of the Epiphany. They removed burnt furniture and made the presbyter whitewash the walls to remove traces of fuel oil used in the blaze.

Despite intelligence about rising tensions over an image of Jesus Christ drinking alcohol and smoking on banners for an upcoming Hindu festival, police hesitated to enforce a curfew. They did arrest the printers of the offensive material. When Christians protested by trying to enforce a closure of businesses in Batala, Punjab, violent extremist Hindutva activists mobilised shopkeepers and youth in attacks that left many injured, two churches damaged, and clergy traumatised. A police curfew was enforced late on 20 February 2010 after the attacks took place and lasted until 22 February 2010.

Rev. Madhu Chandra, Regional Secretary of Christian Council says, “Motive behind the painting of Jesus’ picture drinking and smoking by New Delhi Based Skyline Publication for Primary School Text book and latter displayed on Hindu festival “Ram Nauvmi” hoarding in Jalandhar, Punjab is clearly seen to hurt the sentiments of Christian communities and provoke disharmony among the societies. When communal violence breaks out, the main conspirators go free and innocent civilians suffer physically and legally when arrested by police.”

Punjab’s Christian population is around 300,000, about 1.2% of the state population, mostly concentrated in Amritsar and villages in west Punjab . The government is Akali-BJP coalition elected in 2007. The fact-finding team included: Dr. John Dayal; Rev. Madhu Chandra , aicc Regional Secretary, Delhi ; M. Adeeb, Human Rights Law Network lawyer; and Mr. Marang Hansda, aicc assistant. They visited Jalandhar, Ludhiana , Amritsar , and Gurdaspur districts, including villages deep in the rural hinterland from 22 to 25 February 2010, and Chandigarh . Batala is a small business town in Punjab ’s Gurdaspur district.

The All India Christian Council (christiancouncil.in - Home), birthed in 1998, exists to protect and serve the Christian community, minorities, and the oppressed castes. The aicc is a coalition of thousands of Indian denominations, organizations, and lay leaders.

The executive summary of the report is available below.

Released by


Marang Hansda
Media In-charge – aicc

REPORT OF THE ALL INDIA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL FACT FINDING TEAM
ON INCIDENTS IN BATALA AND OTHER AREAS OF PUNJAB
18-21 FEBRUARY 2010

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ISSUED ON MARCH 2, 2010

NOTE: The full fact finding report is available from aicc Delhi office: [email protected]

Attempted Murders

The Punjab police are hiding the fact that Sangh Parivar-led hoodlums in Batala, Punjab tried to burn five Christians alive. The Christians were from two families who live in the Church of North India ’s historic Church of the Epiphany compound built in 1865. Batala is a small business town in Punjab ’s Gurdaspur district. On February 20th, the CNI church was set on fire and all its furniture burnt. Attempts were made to destroy a nearby Salvation Army church, raised in 1958, where the pastor was seriously injured. “We pleaded with the police to help, but they did not,” said the Pastor, Maj. Gurnam Singh.

Even as the larger group of attackers focused on burning the CNI church, a group of men armed with sticks and rods, and came to the CNI Deacon’s house. The deacon, Victor Gill, and his wife Parveen, hid themselves under the bed. The assailants damaged the doors, tried to enter the room forcibly, and told the couple they would be burnt alive if they did not come out. Meanwhile, at a second CNI house, the group overturned a scooter, took out the petrol, and doused teacher Christopher Morris and his daughter Daisy with the fuel while the mother, Usha, cringed in their home. They tried to set the two on fire, but the matchbox had also been soaked in the petrol and despite three attempts to strike a match, the matchsticks would not ignite saving the family from being burnt alive. The police were watching. The fire brigade came later but was blocked by a mob for quite some time.

Police Bias

No police report has been filed on the attempted murders even as the top police and administrative officers enforced a one sided “peace accord” on the local Christian leadership. Christians were instructed not to press for charges immediately so that a number of Christian youth who were arrested – together with a few Hindu men – could be released. The strategy of the assailants was eerily reminiscent of what was practiced and perfected against churches in Orissa in 2008. Police forcibly cleaned up the Church of the Epiphany. They removed burnt furniture and made the presbyter whitewash the walls to remove traces of fuel oil used in the blaze. This was done before a formal enquiry could be conducted by the government.

Background on Violence

The Christians, all of them of Dalit origin, were trying to enforce a closure or "bandh" in Batala markets to protest a blasphemous picture of Jesus Christ holding a can of beer in one hand a lit cigarette in another which appeared on roadside banners to celebrate the Hindu "Ram Nauvmi" festival. The banners were sponsored by a coalition of local political, media and business leaders, together with the trading community which is almost entirely Hindu.

The Sangh Parivar reacted to the Christian protest by mobilising shopkeepers and youth in attacks that left many injured, two churches damaged, and clergy traumatised. We noted that local shopkeepers routinely enforce closures e.g. a bandh during the last week of February to protest the execution of two Sikhs by the Taliban in Pakistan .

Timeline
16-17 February -- people noticed Jesus Christ image on banners, newspapers, posters
18 February -- Jalandhar protests; two people arrested for printing posters
19 February -- road protests in various villages, violence in Majitha
20 February -- Batala churches burnt; widespread violence
21 February -- police firing on Christian protesters in Tibbar village and others places; many arrested, injured; peace accord reached in Batala
22 February -- curfew partially lifted
23 February -- curfew completely lifted

Police Reaction

The police force was outnumbered and looked on during the violence. Despite intelligence reports of the Christian anger and the Hindutva plans to counterattack, the sub-divisional magistrate of Batala, Mr. Rahul Chaba, PCS, said he could not enforce a quick curfew until late on 20 February 2010 because most of the police force were sent to the Pakistani border nearby where Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram inaugurated a defence outpost. By the time the police returned and a curfew was imposed, violence had already occurred. The curfew was relaxed on 22 February 2010.

Results of Violence and Political Reaction

On February 21st, protest rallies were held across the western districts of Punjab and in Chandigarh against the desecration of the churches. There were reports of police who broke up protest meetings in villages with lathi charges and indiscriminate arrests. At present, there are no Christians or Hindus in police custody barring the printer and publisher of the banners.

On February 23rd, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Prakash Singh Badal assured the aicc delegation’s head, Dr. John Dayal, aicc Secretary General and member, National Integration Council, that he viewed the matter seriously and has ordered officials to unravel the “entire conspiracy”. Dr. Dayal demanded a judicial enquiry into the incidents during the meeting.

Part of Larger Religious Discrimination in Punjab

At the last meeting of the National Integration Council in New Delhi on 13 October 2008 chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Dr. Dayal had personally briefed Mr. Badal on the tension brewing in the rural districts of western Punjab where tens of thousands of Christians, most of them of Dalit origin, live and are suffering from caste oppression and attacks on their freedom of religion. Church meetings are routinely denied permission, for example, and caste epithets are used against the Christians. The chief minister had promised to have the situation investigated and remedial action taken.

The recent incidents also exposed the utter lack of Christian representation among the Punjab government. Less than half a dozen Christian leaders, many of them related to each other, hold positions in the Akali Dal, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Indian National Congress. They have little connection with the masses living in villages, slums and poorly constructed ghettos outside some villages. Most live in shadow of mansions owned by local Jat Sikhs with relatives living abroad or the trading classes. Class and caste barriers are clearly evident. In some villages, we were shocked to find Dalit Christian working under bonded labour conditions with family in brick kilns, and many employed in the fields during the sowing or harvesting season where they compete with cheaper labour from Bihar . The exception is Christians who have risen to high positions in academics, the military, and the Church, with one becoming a CNI bishop some years ago.

Punjab’s Christian population is around 300,000, about 1.2% of the state population, mostly concentrated in Amritsar and villages in west Punjab . The government is Akali-BJP coalition elected in February 2007.

Fact Finding Team Composition

The fact finding team included: Dr. John Dayal; Rev. Madhu Chandra, aicc Regional Secretary, Delhi ; M. Adeeb, Human Rights Law Network lawyer; and Mr. Marang Hansda, aicc assistant. They visited Jalandhar, Ludhiana , Amritsar , and Gurdaspur districts, including villages deep in the rural hinterland from 22 to 25 February 2010, and Chandigarh .


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## coramdeo (Mar 8, 2010)




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## Timothy William (Mar 9, 2010)

Praying.


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