Communalism

“A group of 50-60 men, armed with rods and sticks, came and disrupted our prayer on February 19. They hit me and my son with rods, accusing us of converting Hindus into Christians in the church,” pastor Satyen Bishwakarma told The Wire. https://thewire.in/communalism/up-bajrang-dal-activists-allege-forced-conversions-vandalise-church-assault-worshippers 

The pastor added that he and his family have been living in constant fear as the Siddharthnagar police have refused to register a first information report against the Bajrang Dal.

However, as on March 5, an FIR has still not been lodged by the police.

Another woman, an eyewitness to the incident and a devoted worshipper, told The Wire on March 3, “My husband, who is a cancer patient, was brutally beaten with a rod. When I intervened, they also attacked me. The goons were chanting ‘Jai Shree Ram’. One of the young girls had her hand fractured. The church has been locked ever since, and we live in constant fear of the Bajrang Dal goons.”

by Yaqut Ali

06/03/2023

According to a report by the United Christian Forum, there has been a sharp rise of 400%, from 147 in 2014 to 598 in 2022, in violence against the community. Uttar Pradesh leads with highest numbers of reported incidents. Chhatisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka and tamil Nadu are among top five states reporting maximum incidents.

https://thewire.in/communalism/christian-groups-protest-hike-in-reports-of-hate-crimes-discrimination-against-them 

The congregation, organised by the Delhi-NCR Christian community, was held to highlight concerns about the alarming hike in reports of hate crimes and discrimination against Christians across the country. Around 79 churches including Baptist Council of Churches, United Pentecostal Church – North East India, Manipur Evangelical Lutheran Church and others participated in the protest, calling it the first such agitation in over a decade. The last protest held by the community was regarding the issue of Dalit Christians, as per the press release circulated at the event.

- #[[inter-faith marriages]] https://thewire.in/women/the-dangerous-agenda-behind-probing-interfaith-marriages  
- https://thewire.in/government/maha-govt-sets-up-panel-to-collect-details-on-couples-in-inter-caste-interfaith-marriages  Flavia Agnes The panel, named ‘Interfaith marriage-family coordination committee (state level)’, will be headed by the women and child development minister, who is a vocal Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Mumbai’s rich constituency of Malabar Hill, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who is well known for his anti-Muslim views. Initially the panel was to probe both inter-caste and interfaith marriages, but the government resolution (GR) was amended quickly due to opposition from various political parties as Maharashtra has a policy of encouraging inter-caste marriages. So the word ‘inter-caste’ was dropped and now the panel will probe only interfaith marriages
- the current issue of Interfaith relationship GR of maharashtra govt and Dy CM talking about legislation to be brought in this context. BD: What is the actual number of cheating cases in interfaith marriages?
- LJ: the SMA notice provision and online display of prospective marriages in Maharashtra needs to be urgently challenged.
- LJ: It is an attack on right to choice, autonomy, marriage and constitutional violation. the issue of right to choice in addition to the secular dimension.
- autonomy and gender equality perspective,
- SG: Would like to make the following general points.
I. The GR has to be opposed primarily on the ground that it tantamounts to invasion of privacy -- an acknowledged fundamental right.
II. the GR could be a smokescreen. As a far better way of serving that purpose would be to make a helpline number easily accessible and available -- ready to offer effective assistance. Even when help is sought anonymously. This may be further backed up with numerous -- easily accessible and friendly -- physical counselling centres. This alternative approach largely obviates the threat of invasion of privacy.
III. That the track record of the political forces spearheading the move of carrying out the Love Jehad campaign does grave doubts about the real intentions.
Demand that the GR may be immediately withdrawn. The Woman and Child Welfare department should hold widespread constructive consultations with the stakeholders including CSOs working in this field before making the next move.
- LJ: Those in inter faith marriages are at risk right now, younger couples who are not public will be exposed. Most hindu-muslim couples I know are keeping low profile out of fear of harassment. a couple has deferred their marriage due to the SMA notice period and online notice in Mumbai. CS Young muslim men are the ones being demonised. How they are experiencing it. Also this is being made into a women's issue which it is not
- Love azad Campaign was in response to love jihad following the tanishq ad controversy
- BD: Are interfaith marriages only about Hindus and Muslims? Don't we want to broaden the discourse and not fall into their trap. Finally this is the right to choose, privacy, etc. The macro context must be woven into the narrative
- But this is an attack on Muslim men, infantalisation of hindu women. Love jihad has a specific construct, entrenched in islamophobia. We should talk about difficulties in all interfaith marriages, but we should address this as well.
- A small bit to add, while it might not directly now relate Maharashtra commitee: Christian community leaders in Madhya Pradesh too expressed their concern of love-jihad, incidentally they are from Kerala and TN in a conversation. The love jihad bogey plays differently statewise and is as nuanced. In MP and other tribal states it's dovetails in allegations of land jihad, marrying tribal women to usurp tribal land.
- AA: Everything impacts men and women differently. Including religion and religious conversion. Behind all this is the rigidities of birth religion and patriarchy. An Anglo India who is an atheist. Maybe, but when it comes to marriage, he will be assigned to the religion he was born in. It impacts property issues. LJ: In addition to family and community which have been rigid and oppressive, we now have the state actively impeding inter faith marriages and criminalising minorities, thereby emboldening the non state actors, including the right wing vigilante. That they are doing this through policy is not just a violation but an attack on the constitution itself which gives us the right to choice, equality, protection from non discrimination and all other rights that come with it.
- The communal narrative and existing legal experiences that is coming alongside is indicative of who it is targetted towards.

Forcible Conversions in Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts in Chhattisgarh - II

By Irfan Engineer

In the previous article, we saw that forcible conversions were taking place in the Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts of Chhattisgarh, but that of Christian vishwasus to Hinduism, and the state has done next to nothing besides pleading those who were threatening and indulging in violence against the vishwasus, turning them out of their villages, to let the displaced persons return to their villages. Adivasis became vishwasus, turning to Lord Jesus and their numbers were growing since 2015. Small independent one Adivasi pastor led churches, having following of less than 100 vishwasus, and sometimes more, organised prayer meetings wherein those with chronic sickness felt they were cured, and would give up their drinking habits. Giving up drinking habit led to some improvement in their lives and they focussed on education of their children. The strong fellowship that developed during the prayer meetings and love of Lord Jesus is sine qua non for prevention of relapse into drinking habits. The short visit did not enable us to examine the internal social dynamics within the village community, which pushed a section of the Adivasis towards prayer meetings and developing fellowship with other vishwasus within the Church. However, this did not necessarily mean that the vishwasus gave up all Adivasi traditions, customs, culture and way of life. Most of them told us that they contributed to the village festivals and participated in the cultural events, however, they did not partake the offerings to traditional Gods nor participated in the idol worship. The Chimdi village sarpanch however said that the vishwasus would not contribute financially in the village festivals or religious rituals. Jaising Potai (45), a displaced vishwasu, told us that he gave his contribution to the village festival, however, Kamu Patel and Kachra Gaita refused to accept it because they were no vishwasus. Patel and Gaita are traditional designations of the village head of the Gond community.

In the village Pawada, Manku Koram, belonging to the Gond community forced out one family with 5 members and 3 sisters after holding a meeting. The foodgrain stock of the vishwasus was looted on 18th December, according to Jaldev Koram (M, 30 years). They were paraded on a tractor and threatened to kill them if either they did not convert to Hinduism or else left the village. Jaldev had turned vishwasu in the year 2016. After his becoming a vishwasu in 2016, the village would not accept his contribution to the village festivals. Jaldev was member of the BJP and always voted for the Party even after 2016. A social and economic boycott was declared against Jaldev’s family. This meant nobody would offer their tractor to plough his land and people from outside the village were fined Rs. 10,000/- if they came with their tractors to plough his land. These were early warnings of the impending storm of violence or threat of life that turned out one thousand adivasis in the two districts out of their villages. There were early warning and such episodes since the month of October as well. The vishwasus complained to the police but their complaints were ignored. Seeing the tolerant attitude of the state, the non-Christian Adivasis were emboldened to scale up their pressures and coercion.

We talked to three victims from Temrugaon – Ramesh Koram (27), Nevru Koram (24) and Shambhulal Koram (27), all from Gond Muria community, belonging to Maranatha Full Gospel Church, under the leadership of Pastor Mayaram Nag. Temrugaon vishwasu community have a prayer hall of New India Church, wherein the vishwasus from Chalka village also would come to pray. The prayer halls we saw are in fact, small mud, bamboo and reed structures. The prayer hall was constructed three years ago, but it was functional only since last year. The vishwasus in the village converted in the year 2007 and 2008. 27 out of 110 families have converted.

After their Sunday prayer meeting on 18th December, a mob from the village led by the sarpanch Rajman Koram, caught them, sprinkled alcohol on them (to break their vow and spirit), beat them up and chased them out of the village. The vishwasus named 8 other accused in their complaint to the police for assault on them – 1) Jhelu Karanga, 2) Dhannu Koram, 3) Laxman Koram, 4) Jairam Koram, 5) Bajman Koram, 6) Jagnu Koram, 7) Shriman Koram, and 8) Ramsingh Potayi. The sarpanch was instigated by Ramdhar Suri from the village Chalka, a Gondwana Samaj and BJP leader. They were beaten with lathis and rods. Besides the abovenamed Ramesh, Nevru and Shambhulal, the others injured in the attack were Kulram Sodi, Ramadhi Koram (35), Shalu Koram (F, 30), Shankar Koram (23), and Jugai Koram (30). Jugai was hit on head. Six injured were hospitalized in district hospital, Narayanpur. Some vishwasus rushed to the police station to report the violence. About 10-15 policemen were deputed in the village. Ramesh, Tularam, Fagu and Sukhlal were beaten in presence of the police and their uniform was torn

There were attacks on the vishwasus in 2009 as well and were driven out of the village. They were staying in Narayanpur till 2014 on government land. However, there was a settlement and they were allowed to reside in the village once again. The sarpanch changed and the new woman sarpanch – Ratni went back on the settlement. On 4th December this year, Ramadhi Koram was beaten with a burning stick on his back, hands and legs. He was immobilized due to the attack. Complaint was filed, but the police scolded the complainants and turned them away.

From the above, it was obvious to us that when there were early warnings as late as in the first week of December 2022, with low intensity violence targeting vishwasu individuals, the police in particular and the district administration in general turned a blind eye by turning away complainants or ignoring the complaints of violence, breach of peace, social boycott etc. There was another serious early warning of the emerging conflict. The vishwasus were refused permission to bury their dead since about 6 months ago in the village on their own land on the pretext of maintaining Adivasi traditions and customs. Burial of dead vishwasus was in violation of Adivasi traditions and customs, according to the non-Christian Adivasis. They wrongly invoked the Panchayats (Extension to Schedules Areas) Act, 1996. Even after this the police and the administration did not act. The vishwasus would have to carry the body of their dead for burial all the way to Kondagaon, sometimes more than 50 kms away in dedicated cemetery for Christians in hearse. Those buried in the village were dug out. The non-Christian Adivasis kept escalating their violent actions to the next level until on 18th December, about a thousand displaced vishwasus camped in the compound of the Narayanpur District Collector. It is only then that the administration partially woke up arranged relief centres for the displaced – in the indoor stadium in Naryanpur and Panchayat Bhavan in Kondagaon.

… To be continued … 1) Administrations inaction on the ground that both sides are wrong, 2) Instances of forced conversions, 3) how peace was maintained in Chiprel village and the way ahead, 4) what should the established Church, civil society, human rights organizations and political parties to establish peace.