India update 10-12-08

Orissa, Karnataka violence to dominate NIC meet tomorrow

New Delhi, PTI:



Communal violence in Orissa and Karnataka is expected to dominate the National Integration Council (NIC) meeting here tomorrow with some participants likely to raise demands for banning Bajrang Dal.




The meeting, to be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will aim at evolving ways to tackle such situations which impact upon national integration.

It is also expected to discuss ways to improve coordination between the Centre and states in curbing communal violence as also terrorism, which has witnessed a spurt in the recent months.





BJP Chief Ministers, including Gujarat's Narendra Modi, are expected to counter any calls for ban on Bajrang Dal.

Amid continued attacks against Christians allegedly by Bajrang Dal in Orissa and Karnataka, pressure is being mounted on the Centre to ban the Sangh Parivar outfit and dismiss the Naveen Patnaik government.

The UPA government has discussed these demands a number of times but has failed to take any decision because of lack of consensus.

LJP and RJD have been forcefully demanding a ban on Bajrang Dal and imposition of President's rule in Orissa but some other UPA constituents like DMK, PMK and NCP are opposed to it.

Law Minister H R Bhardwaj is of the view that a ban on Bajrang Dal should stand the scrutiny of the court of law and should not face the same fate as in the case of SIMI.

To strengthen the case against Bajrang Dal and VHP, he said adequate evidence was needed to be collected before banning the outfits.

Even as the Home Minister said that more information about Bajrang Dal and VHP was being gathered, RJD leader Lalu Prasad and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan expressed their displeasure at the "delay" in collecting evidence against the Hindu outfits.

The Prime Minister had faced international embarrassment over the killing of Christians during his recent Europe tour.

Besides communal violence, the NIC will also discuss terrorism, which has witnessed a spurt recently. This has been attributed to the lack of coordination between the Central and state forces and absence of a federal agency to deal effectively with such cross-country menace.

Some members are likely to raise the issue of Jamia Nagar encounter in Delhi over which questions have been raised.

The National Commission for Minorities (NCM), whose chairman met families of the accused on Friday, will be presenting its views on the matter.

The NIC meeting is being held just few days ahead of the Parliament session beginning on October 17 which is expected to be a stormy affair.

Though some Congress ministers, including Arjun Singh, A R Antulay and Jaipal Reddy, are in favour of central rule in Orissa, there has been a feeling in the party that such an extreme action was not possible due to the fractured mandate.

The Left parties which have been opposing communal politics are staunchly against using Article 356 and similar is the view of UPA constituents like the DMK.

While addressing the Governors' Conference last month, the Prime Minister had himself spoken about convening a meeting of the NIC to evolve a national consensus on protecting public property.

Sat, 11/10/2008 - 6:19pm Karan Thapar's interview with Naveen Patnaik
Bhubaneswar: Elections just a few months away in Madhya Pradesh, the situation in Orissa too is tense

Orissa Chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday broke his silence.

posted in: Current Issue, , East India
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Sat, 11/10/2008 - 6:15pm 'India should crack down on violence against Christians'
London (PTI): Flaying the violence in Orissa and six other states, a leading British daily on Saturday said the Indian government must stop attacks on Christians.

posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, East India
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Sat, 11/10/2008 - 2:43pm GCIC celebrates the Canonisation of Sister Alphonsa
Christianity in India traces back its origin to Apostle Thomas and
during these past few months of horrific persecution of Christians in
Orissa and in other states of India, GCIC welcomes the sainthood of
the nun from Kerala -God's Own Country

The Franciscan Clarist Congregation has suffered anti-Christian
violence, their convent in Kandhamal was destroyed by radicals
elements and the nuns had to flee into the forests to save their
lives.

posted in: Current Issue, Persecution, East India
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Sat, 11/10/2008 - 2:42pm Massacre of Christians planned in advance
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=13449&size=A
INDIA
by Nirmala Carvalho
Lenin Raghuvanshi has visited Orissa as a member of a fact-finding
team established by the European commission for the prevention of
torture. Hindu radicals have a program for expunging Christians from
the region and reconverting tribals and pariahs to Hinduism.

posted in: Current Issue, , East India
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Sat, 11/10/2008 - 9:12am TN warns of stern action against those attacking churches
CHENNAI, OCT 10 (PTI)

Tamil Nadu government today warned of stern action, including invoking
the provisions of the Goonda's act, against those attacking churches and statues in the state.Under the Act's provisions, the arrested cannot be released on bail.

The Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, K
Rajendaran, in a statement, said the police would take stern action
against those who attempted to disturb communal harmony in the state.

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