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Another Church Attacked In Haryana: Holy Cross Replaced With A Hanuman Idol

By Shehzad Poonawalla

16 March, 2015
Countercurrents.org

Petition registered with NCM (National Commission for Minorities) To draw attention to and direct action on the constant spree of attacks and vandalism on churches (7th in 4 months) including the latest one in Kaimri village near Hisar, Haryana where the Holy Cross was replaced with a Hanuman Idol.

16th March 2015
To,

The Hon’ble Chairperson,
National Commission for Minorities,
Lok Nayak Bhavan,
Khan Market,
New Delhi 110 003.

Subject: To draw your attention to constant spree of attacks and vandalism on churches (7th in 4 months) including the latest one in Kaimri village near Hisar, Haryana where the Holy Cross was replaced with a Hanuman Idol

Respected Sir,

1) I would like to draw the urgent and immediate attention of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) towards the constant spree of attacks and vandalism on churches including the latest one in Kaimri village near Hisar, Haryana where the Holy Cross was replaced with a Hanuman Idol . That it happens in modern-day, democratic India, committed to the idea of pluralism and secularism is saddening and de-motivating.

2) Today, it seems that wilful denial exists within the central and state government of Haryana, that is responsible for law and order in Delhi and Haryana respectively even as the seventh Christian institution faces an attack in just four months. The last attack was on the the Holy Child Auxilium School located in South Delhi. It began with a fire in a church in Dilshad Garden on December 1st last year followed by stones being pelted at a church in Jasola during the evening mass the same year. In the new year, a fire broke out in a church in Rohini which again seemed like an attempt to desecrate the church. In the same month of January, a church was attacked by two youths.

3) While the Delhi police remains clueless about the culprits of the previous and has not been able to make any arrests in majority of the cases, it added insult to injury by suggesting that theft could be the motivation behind these attacks. The evidence however suggests something far more sinister along the lines of a hate crime prompted out of religious intolerance. For instance, in the last attack on a church just days before the Delhi elections, nothing was stolen – only a vessel. But this vessel that was stolen was no ordinary vessel. It contained the holy bread, used by the Christian community in their sacrament rites, which was spilled on the floor by the miscreant.

4) Please see copy of Hindustan Times report attached for your reference which has confirmed the latest case of vandalising against the church in Kaimri village, Haryana.

5) These attacks constitute an offence u/s 147,153A,295, 380, 506 of the Indian Penal Code,1860. Moreover, they are in violation of Article 25 of the Indian Constitution which guarantees to every Indian, the Freedom to practice his or her faith.

6) These attacks come immediately on the back of some inflammatory statements made by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy with respect to churches and mosques. Swamy recently said that God lives in temples and not churches and mosques and justified their demolition. Here is a Times of India news report evidence the same. Mr. Swamy has been booked as an accused in 2011 u/s 153A,153B,295A,505 on my complaint for promoting hate and enmity between different communities. He is currently out on bail but continues to make inflammatory speeches.

Prayer:

Now, in light of these circumstances, it is once again humbly prayed before the NCM that

a) It seeks a reply and explanation from the State Government of Haryana and Central Government on why it has failed to provide adequate security to churches and other religious institutions belonging to minority communities. ministry of Home Affairs must immediately direct all state governments to provide adequate protection to all such institutions against right wing zealots.

b) Direct the state government of Haryana and Central government to conclude its probe into the series of attacks on churches and bring the guilty to book at the earliest in every such instance. Penal action must also be initiated against leaders like Subramanian Swamy who spread hatred and bigotry and incite such attacks

SHEHZAD POONAWALLA
AGE: 27 YEARS
OCCUPATION: Lawyer
R/AT: A46, 2ND FLOOR,
SOUTH EXTENSION II
NEW DELHI 110049






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