Statement by Ahmedabad Citizens Condemning the Violence In Orissa

PRESS RELEASE
CONCERN ON VIOLENT ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS OF ORISSA

Several Concerned Citizens and Human Rights organizations of Gujarat held a meeting in Ahmedabad today (27th August 2008) to condemn the violent attacks on the Christian community of Orissa, following the brutal killing of the VHP leader Swami Laxmananda Saraswati.

The meeting strongly condemned the continuous attacks on Christian organizations and institutions by the VHP, Bajrang Dal, etc. and was of the view that the Government of Orissa has totally failed in protecting the lives and properties of the Christian Community. Looking to the prevalent situation of Orissa, the Constitutional machinery has absolutely failed in maintaining law and order in the State.

In view of this, the meeting unanimously passed the following resolutions :

1. That the State of Orissa be placed under the control of army and President’s Rule be imposed immediately.
2. That the citizens who have fled into the jungles out of fear, should be brought back to their homes safely and that complete security be ensured to them.
3. That all organizations who had declared the Orissa Bandh, and who have been directly involved in the violent attacks on Christians, should be declared as “terrorist” organizations and should be put under the same category of other banned organizations in the country, with immediate effect.
4. That all the individuals and groups involved in violent attacks on Christians should be arrested and strictly dealt with in accordance with the law.
5. That the brutal killing of Swami Laxmananda and his associates should be thoroughly and impartially investigated, and that the killers be punished in accordance with the law.

1. Adv. S. H. Iyer
2. Rohit Patel
3. Saroop Dhruv
4. Gautam Thaker
5. Hiren Gandhi
6. Adv. Bhushan
7. Dwarikanath Rath
8. Shamshul Pathan
9. Joseph Dominic
10. Kiran Desai
11. Kishore
12. S. Pandey
13. Deepika R.
14. Simon F. Parmar
15. Edwin Masihi
16. Beena Macwan
17. D. Ramakrishnan
18. Fr. Varghese Paul sj
19. Digant Oza
20. Paul D’Souza sj
21. Piyush
22. Manjula Lavji
23. John D’Souza
24. Ashok Singh
25. Iqbal Baig
26. Prasad Chacko
27. Waqar Qazi
28. Mary Paul
29. Bhavna Ramrakhiani
30. Sheba George
31. Fr. Francis Parmar sj
32. Ashok Naik
33. Fr. Vinayak Jadav sj
34. Lona Pinto
35. Fr. Ishanand sj
36. E. Shailaja Pillai
37. Sophia Khan
38. Freeda Coelho
39. Pravin Bhikadira
40. Chetana Vyas
41. Jigna Joshi
42. Harsh Jadav
43. Fr. Cedric Prakash sj
44. Kaushik Raval
45. Nafisa Barot
46. Veronica D’Souza
47. Hanif Lakdawala
48. R. Vasantha


27th August 2008