MOST URGENT/ BY FAX
9 [June] 2006
His Excellency Dr Balram Jhakar
Governor of Madhya Pradesh
Raj Bhawan, Bhopal, MP
Fax Number 2554711
Re: Christian Persecution in MP; Minority Commission must be dissolved
for siding with RSS goons, and for serving show cause notice to
Christian member Mrs. Iyenger
Dear Dr Jhakar
Greetings
Please accept our thanks for directing the Chief Secretary and Director
General of Police of Madhya Pradesh to send you details of the incident
in which two tribal Christian women were gang-raped, allegedly for not
giving up their religion.
You are aware, of course, that this is just one of the many incidents,
but certainly the most heinous one, of anti-Christian violence in the
State. Christian men and women, priests, common people, teachers and
religious workers, have been assaulted, molested, beaten up or
otherwise harassed in Bhopal, Jabalpur, Indore, and several other
places in a frenzied campaign by bigoted goons. Many of our community
have been attacked while at prayer in their own houses. After our own
preliminary investigations, we have no hesitation in identifying the
assailants to be members and sympathisers of the Sangh Parivar.
It is distressing that the State's law and order machinery has been
blind to this violence. If anything, local police and civil officials
have been extremely partisan, and have left the wounded Christian
community to its own fate, either under political coercion, or for fear
of the Sangh's clout with the State's rulers..
Even more curious, and utterly inexplicable, is the role of the MP
Minorities Commission. As a senior Statesman with a long and
distinguished career in the Central government and once as Speaker of
the Lok Sabha, you will appreciate that statutory bodies such as the
Minority Commission have a distinct role and charter, and are not
servants of the political masters who may have made their appointments.
Judges, for instance, are appointed by governments, but act
independently of the political regime under the Constitution.
The MP Minorities Commission has entirely abdicated its duty. The
Commission is the only structure which has representation on the basis
of religion, and should suo motu take notice of incidents against
minorities. This the MP Commission refused to do for reasons best known
to its Chairman. When the solitary Christian member, Mrs. Indira
Iyenger, spoke out on behalf of the Christian community, the MP
Commission instead of backing her up and taking action against the
culprits, chose to act against Mrs. Iyenger. The Chairman has served
her with a show cause notice.
This is not only unprecedented in the history of such Commissions
anywhere in the country, but is a slur on the Commission as well. It
also begs the question if the Commission is loyal to the Constitution
of India and the laws under which it has been constituted.
There is no question but that the minorities have lost confidence in
the Commission.
We have no expectations from the Government of Madhya Pradesh currently
in the control of the Bharatiya Janata Party which in turn is beholden
to the Sangh Parivar.
We, therefore, call upon you to direct the MP Commission for Minorities
so that it begins obeying the Constitution of India and becomes alive
to its statutory responsibility to defend the Minorities - even from
the State government if so required. If it fails to act, it must be
dissolved and a new Commission constituted in the State.
Thank you
With regards
John Dayal
For, and on behalf of the All India Catholic union, All India Christian
Council and the United Christian Action, and on my own behalf as member
of the NIC, Government of India
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