ASIA/INDIA - Strong fears for violence against Christians during days of Hindu festival

Bhopal (Agenzia Fides) – Strong fears for anti-Christian violence in Madhya Pradesh, the central Indian state, with the upcoming Hindu festival, “Narmada Samajik Kumbh” to be held from 10 to 12 February and which will see thousand of Hindu activists united from fundamentalist groups such as RSS and VHP.
As reported to Fides, on the eve of the festival, representatives of Christian communities, including the Catholic Church in Madhya Pradesh, have signed a joint Memorandum submitted to the State Governor. The Memorandum points to the campaign of hatred against minorities, already going on for days, and calls to adopt “urgent preventive measures to protect Christian minorities.”
As reported to Fides by the All India Christian Council (AICC), which made a visit to the State: during the Festival “conversion rites for local Christians to Hinduism are scheduled,” and there are serious dangers of aggression and violence towards Christians. The State is already littered with posters that contain anti-Christian slogans while Hindu activists travel around with megaphones spreading hatred toward Christians.
“We support the freedom of the majority community to hold a mass religious event. But we fear that - even if there is no violence and no forced conversions of Christians to Hinduism - the Hindutva campaign (the ideology that promotes only a fundamentalist Hindu India, ed) will poison the atmosphere in Madhya Pradesh and have a negative impact on relations between Christians and tribes in villages and cities,” says John Dayal, AICC Secretary General. The AICC notes that the penetration of Hindu extremist groups in the State is already creating problems for social services guaranteed by the Christians, especially in less developed districts. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 7/2/2011)