ASIA/INDIA - Catholic activist threatened with death by Hindu radicals

Tuesday, 15 September 2015

INDIA

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New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - The well-known Catholic intellectual and human rights activist John Dayal has received death threats by radical Hindu groups. This is what Fides learns from sources in the Indian Catholic community. Dayal has denounced the threats to the police in New Delhi. According to information confirmed to Fides by Fr. Savari Muthu, a priest in New Delhi and spokesman of the Archdiocese, Hindu radicals started threatening Dayal on September 12 with telephone intimidations and on social networks, with derogatory and offensive comments towards Dayal and the Christian faith.
Dayal is a member of the National Integration Council (NIC) of India, and is General Secretary of the All India Christian Council. "I regularly receive threats to my life and to freedom and live in constant fear. I have already filed complaints to the authorities, but no action has been taken so far", says Dayal in the complaint.
As observers note, it is a campaign that affects the whole Christian community. "It looks like a deliberate and concerted attempt to undermine religious harmony and hurt the feelings of the Christian community" say the activists. Some activists published Dayal's private telephone number, who began receiving dozens of threatening phone calls.
Solidarity was expressed by major Indian activists for human rights, including non-Christians. Ram Puniyani, a member of the Indian Secular Forum, told Fides: "The death threats to John Dayal is one of the most disturbing events of recent times. John Dayal is a member of the National Council for Integration. He is seriously committed to the values of pluralism, secularism, harmony and for the defense of weaker sections of society, the rights of minorities, the Dalits and tribals".
The threats are a sign of growing intolerance and arouse concern because in the past caused the murders of some philosophers, activists and bloggers who contrasted the claims of extremist groups. (SD-PA) (Agenzia Fides 15/09/2015)