AICC Demands Separate Commission for Welfare of Christians

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India., March 11 - The All-India Christian Council placed a demand for a separate national minority commission for the welfare of Christians and a finance corporation at the State level apart from protection of Dalit Christians against atrocities.

During a press conference here on Tuesday, the council's national secretary, K. Sam Paul, its State coordinator, K. Prabhu Kumar, and K. Vinod Kumar, a State spokesman, said, Christians would work for political parties which would identify themselves with these issues. So far many of the States implement various schemes for minorities taking only Muslims into consideration, while various ethnic and linguistic groups like the Jains, Sikhs and Christians too belonged to the minorities segment.
The injustice done to Christians in this manner could be ended only through a separate commission and finance corporation, they said.

Mr. Sam Paul said reservation benefits were withdrawn to dalit Christians despite the socio-economic conditions remaining the same after they embraced Christianity.

The leaders spoke of `atrocities and attacks' on Christians all over the country by Hindu fundamentalist groups but said Hindus themselves were not their enemies. Karnataka alone accounted for 50 atrocities last year, which, however, were highlighted before a commission. Other instances included an attempt to kidnap a nun at Mehdipatnam in Hyderabad recently, and tonsuring of 20 women in Orissa for their refusal to get reconverted, and instilling fear among 500 dalits in Maharashtra by VHP leaders seeking their reconversion.

Mr. Paul said they would launch a rights movement soon. He, however, gave a clean chit to Andhra Pradesh, saying, "We are safer here."

As a prelude to the movement, the council is organising a national conference on the need for Christian unity on Thursday at the Narayanguda Baptist Church.

It will be followed by conference on `social justice and communal harmony' the next day at YMCA Secunderabad. Delegates from 16 countries, including the US, the UK and Canada, will participate.

- from our South Asia Correspondent