By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: A Citizens’ delegation met President of India Mrs. Pratibha Patil on Monday morning calling upon her to enforce Article 355 of the Constitution of India on Orissa so that the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s administration takes adequate measures to protect Christians in the state from Hindutva violence following the murder of a leader of Hindu fundamentalist organization Vishwa Hindu Parishad, (VHP).
The delegation submitted a memorandum to the President Mrs. Patil enlisting their demands and requesting her to order the Union Government and the State Administration to take legal action against the irresponsible organizations which called the “bundh” on August 25 last and passively watched their members wreak havoc. They must, of course, fully investigate the killing of VHP vice president Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati, reportedly by Maoist groups who have been operating in the state for some time.
The memorandum urged her to use her powers as President of India, and to impress on the Federal Government to rush adequate Federal forces, including contingents of the Armed Forces if required, to restore law and order and governance in the Kandhamal region of Orissa.
“The consequences of any further delay, we the secular civil society fear, may be catastrophic for the small Christian community in the State in particular, for peace in Orissa in general, and for the fair name of India as a secular country”, the memorandum said.
A Press release said that the best legal opinion available to the delegation held that while Article 356 calls for imposition of President’s rule when New Delhi takes over reins of power, Article 355 reminds both Federal Government and the Orissa state governments of their duties to protect States against internal disturbance and should be brought into force now.
The delegation reminded the President that the violence that has continued against Christians in Orissa from August 23rd last till today justifies the use of this Article. The violence far exceeds that of Christians 2007, the delegation told the President, reminding her that she had a big role to play at this juncture.
In fact, violence has spilled out of Orissa into neighboring Madhya Pradesh. In Orissa, it is not confined to Kandhamal but has affected other districts. In Kandhamal, 50,000 people are hiding in forests or are in a few refugee camps, hiding from murderous gangs seeking to kill them or convert them to Hinduism. Over 4,000 houses have been completely destroyed apart from now close to a hundred small and big churches which have been torched.
The Citizens’ delegation, the first such to meet the President, was led by film maker Mahesh Bhatt and Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Mahmood Madani, MP, National Integration Council member Dr. John Dayal, Orissa Archbishop Raphael Cheenath, Delhi Archbishop Vincent Concessao, Maharashtra Government State Minorities Commission vice chairman Dr. Abraham Mathai, Jamiat leader Mohammad Faruqi, All India Christian Council regional secretary Rev. Madhu Chandra, Delhi Catholic Archdiocese Federation president Adv. Jenis Francis and Mumbai’s Catholic Social Forum secretary general Joseph Dias were the other members.
According to the release the President gave the delegation a patient hearing and said she would have their demand for Article 355 examined. She said the government had briefed her on steps, which had already been taken. Mr. Bhatt told the President that the State government was in a coma; its police totally complicit in the violence and the Sangh Parivar was running havoc.
Maulana Madani said it was a matter of security of India’s minorities. It was India’s concern for its minorities that had brought it respect internationally, and it was the object of deep concern globally.
Archbishop Cheenath, Dr. John Dayal and Dr. Mathai briefed the President in detail about the Sangh violence in the state which has continued after the murder of the VHP vice president Lakshmanananda Saraswati. ([email protected])