Christian protesters arrested in New Delhi
Protests have sparked after recent attacks on Christian churches
NEW DELHI – Dozens of Christians protesting against the recent attacks on churches have been detained by police in New Delhi. According to eye-witnesses, police dragged nuns, priests and women into buses as they protested against growing intolerance towards minorities after a series of attacks over churches.
Christian groups alleged that hard-line Hindus have carried the attacks. Protesters accused the governing Bharatiya Janata Party of preventing the investigation of the incidents. According to Christian minority, BJP government and police have not taken any action.Political rivals have accused the ruling BJP of exploiting religious divisions in the run-up to this weekend’s election in Delhi.
Protesters were arrested by police as they were marching from Catholic Sacred Heart Cathedral towards the residence of BJP Home minister Rajnath Singh, a high security area where public access was not allowed.
“They have no permission to protest on the road. They can’t just march to the home minister’s residence. We have to protect the homes of VIPs,” said senior police officer MK Meena. Police have imposed an emergency law known as Section 144 which prohibits gatherings of any sort. About 200 policemen were stationed outside the cathedral while several hundred protesters were inside.
The recent wave of protestss sparked after a church vandalized in Delhi on Monday. A group of unidentified people broke into a church in north Delhi and desecrated and stole ceremonial objects. At least five churches in the capital have reported incidents of arson, vandalism and burglary.
Protesters were carrying placards reading “Stop violence against Christians”, “Minority is majority”, “Enough is enough, what are police doing?” and “Stop attacking churches.”
“Christians wanted proper security and safety,” said Gary, a protesting citizen.
Police say that they have provided security to more than 200 churches in the capital.
Earlier in December, unidentified men had set fire on a church in Delhi. A church was badly burnt but police said it was due to short circuit. The christian community registered a case against unnamed people.
India, the second most populous country in the world after China, with 1.2 billion population is frequently accused by human rights organisations of intolerance against religious minorities.
There are significant human rights issues which have not been tackled in 68 year history such as continued marginalization of Dalits, tribal groups, religious minorities, sexual and gender minorities; and persistent impunity for abuses linked to insurgencies, particularly in Maoist areas, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, and Assam.
The ruling Bhartia Janta party, a radical Hindu Nationalist organisation has long been accused for promoting the violence against the minorities. It is important to note that no attacker has been arrested. Earlier in 2007, Clash between hardliner Hindus and Christian community erupted killing 25 people when at least a dozen of churches were attacked in a row in eastern Indian state of Orissa. Hindus have accused Christian groups of forcing low-caste people to convert while Christians say they often convert willingly because of their treatment as outcasts.
– Tazeen Hasan, Correspondent (Asia: South)
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