Bengaluru jail authorities denied treatment to Madani: Soukya Hospital MD

Karnataka, January 05, 2013: Dr Issac Mathai, the Medical Director of Soukya International Holistic Health Centre at Bangaluru today stated that the jail authorities at Bangaluru Parappana Agrahara jail were not ready to bring back Madani for follow-up treatments in the hospital, despite his continuous requests on that regard.

In June 2011, Madani was given 28 days ayurvedic treatment from the hospital on Supreme Court directions and I had asked the jail authorities to bring him back to the hospital considering his deteriorating health state, but the jail authorities, never brought him back, said Dr Isaac.

Dr Isaac says that there was considerable improvement in Madani’s health state after undergoing Ayurvedic treatment there for around 28 days. The Doctors at the hospital says that the jail authorities since then took an extremely indifferent attitude towards his follow-up treatment on discharging him from the hospital on July 5, 2011.

The discharge summary given by the medical team had advised that, he should be brought to the hospital for consultation on a monthly basis, even when the health conditions are believed to be better.

The other important advice given by the hospital in the discharge summary sheet was that he should be brought back to the hospital after six months for continued treatment. It has been almost one and half years since then and the jail authorities haven’t even taken him to the Soukya hospital at least once.

Dr Issac says that he had sent letter to the jail authorities saying that they are ready to provide treatment for Madani from the jail if they are reluctant to take him to the hospital, but for that too the jail authorities didn’t respond. We were ready to send our expert doctors to the jail, but that request too went unheard, says the Soukya MD.

If the follow up treatments were provided on time, it could have improved his health state. But what we came to know from the medical report submitted to us yesterday is that, he is in an extremely critical state, pointed out the Kerala based Medical expert.

Still we express our willingness to give a try, by providing the right treatment under the directions of cardiologists, diabetologists, and eye specialists along with Ayurvedic experts at our hospital and hope for some improvement from this life threatening state, he said.

He said that the hospital has arranged all facilities for Madani’s treatment and what is now required is a positive nod from the jail authorities.

- tcn

EFI calls upon India to observe international obligations on human rights

Rev. Dr. Richard Howell

New Delhi, October 1, 2012: EFI calls upon India to observe international obligations on human rights; regrets India’s negative stance at UNHRC Universal Periodic review on Communal Violence Prevention legislation, Dalit Christians, and recalling so called “Freedom of Religion Acts” by States.

Bangalore lepers evicted and “betrayed” by the government

Karnataka, September 27, 2012: Karnataka has decided not to renew the lease of the Sumanahalli Society, depriving it of 45 acres. Operating in Bangalore since 1977, the centre is now left with five acres for more than 400 residents. The facility includes 50 building for lepers, HIV patients, disabled, orphans, street kids and young offenders. For the archbishop of Bangalore, this is a “betrayal of the [Christian] community by the government.”

The government of Karnataka has approved seizing 45 acres of land used by the Sumanahalli Society, a Catholic organisation that, for the past 30 years, has helped people living with leprosy in Bangalore. Based on an order issued on 21 September, the Catholic organisation will be left with only five acres to provide its services, an area where “it is impossible to contain the activities of more than 400 people,” its director, Fr George Kannanthanam, told AsiaNews.

At present, the government is deaf to pleas from civil society groups like NGOs and Church. A demonstration last Monday at the centre got nowhere. Leprosy patients joined the protest, saying “that rather than leave this land, we shall let ourselves die.”

In 1977, Karnataka’s then chief minister Devarja Urs called on Bangalore’s Christians to take care of the lepers living near the Beggars’ Colony, a government-owned area, because the state could not provide for them. To do so, it granted a 30-year lease to the Archdiocese, which set up the Sumanahalli Society.

In 2007, the government decided not to renew the lease, and reduced the area from 63 to 55 acres to widen a road. A building housing beggars and homeless people had to give way.

Mgr Bernard Moras, archbishop of Bangalore, joined the patients’ protest, calling it a “betrayal of the community by the government,” which invited Christians “to take up this most difficult work” in favour of the sick and needy.

The latest draconian cut to the area is a major headache. The centre includes 50 buildings that provide health care, rehabilitation and basic education.

“We accept lepers, HIV patients, disabled people, orphans, street kids and young offenders,” said Fr Kannanthanam. “If we close our structures, where will these people go? The government took this decision but will not provide other areas for the most marginalised.”

One study shows that 18,000 people live and sleep in the streets of Bangalore.

For the priest, it is not likely that the centre’s good work caused envy and jealousy among Hindu nationalists because of its Catholic character.

“The Sumanahalli Society has never been openly Catholic. After years of service, we do not have a chapel even though we could build one. We chose not to build it to keep the place non-denominational. We have served the sick and marginalised of society without distinction of race or creed. Only one of our residents is Christian.”

What is happening, Fr Kannanthanam believes, “ought to shake up the country’s collective consciousness. If, as a nation, we try to deprive the most vulnerable strata in society, what moral stand can we claim?

- asianews

Karnataka: Sangha Parivarists attack a fasting prayer meeting

Karnataka, July 07, 2012: Pastor Mounesh (35) is the pastor in charge of Immanuel Sakineh Church located at Doddakatte in Ramagundahally in Channagiri Taluk of Davanagere District in Karnataka. It is a House Church, and he lives with his wife Hanumakka (25) and their two small children, I boy and a girl. His ministry is about 4 years old and he has a congregation of about 50 believers and he has been actively spreading the good news in all the surrounding villages. One very important practice he has developed is that of holding a whole day meeting of fasting and prayer for his congregation once every month. This month they were having it on Friday, 6-7-12, at his place with a sufficiently large number of believers attending the prayer meeting.

At about 4 pm in the evening when the prayer programme was on, suddenly about 30 Sangha Parivar activists forcibly entered their House Church and began to attack the believers. Kumara and Karibasappa were leading the radical group that attacked them. We understand that the trespassers began shouting at them using the foulest language possible and then beating them up left and right alleging that they are involved in forcible and fraudulent conversion of Hindus to Christianity. They also tore up all the Bibles and other Christian tracts lying in the church and then phoned up to the Basappakatte police station. The police immediately came to the spot and took Pastor Mounesh to the police station for further inquiry. The GCIC is in touch with both the family and the police officials. Praise God that GCIC intervention has resulted in the release of Pastor Mounesh at 12.30am.

Pastor Mounesh accepted the Lord while he was in jail. Implicated in a murder case he was sent to jail 8 years earlier, and it was while in jail he that received the message of Jesus Christ that changed his entire life. Once he was released from jail about 4 years ago and came back home, he decided to dedicate his whole life for the service of the Lord carrying the message of good news wherever and to whomever he can reach out. Please pray for Pastor Mounesh.

The release of Pastor Monesh has infuriated the radicals and today (7th July) at about 2.30 a dozen radicals came and trespassed in the house church and vandalized his church. The savage attack by radicals injured Gurumurthy,Bagyamma and her mother , all three are admitted in the hospital.

- persecution.in

Karnataka: Police order pastor to close down church & leave

Karnataka, June 22, 2012: Pastor Manjappa Byadagi (30) is in charge of a house church called Salvation Gospel Church at Muddebehal in Bijapur District of Karnataka. He lives with his wife, Bhavya (26) and a one year old daughter. He has been doing his ministry during the last 3 years and he has a congregation of about 15 believers.

On Monday last, 18-6-12, a police constable, one Mr. Pawar, from the Muddebehal police station came to their house and began leveling allegations against them that they were involved in conversion work and that there have been many complaints against them to that effect and that they should come to the police station and give all information about their activities in the place.

Accordingly, after some time, both Pastor Manjappa and his wife, went and reported at the police station. An inquiry was conducted at the police station and they were alleged that they are actively involved in forcible conversion of Hindus to Christianity and that they must stop it immediately. They were also ordered to close down their church and immediately clear out of the place, failing which they should come and report to the police station everyday about all their activities. The police did a video of the entire proceedings in the police station and also took their photographs. Please pray for them.

- persecution.in

Karnataka: 6 Christians including pastor and evangelists arrested *MP: Pastor and a believer arrested

Karnataka, June 21, 2012: Three Christians, Pastor Manjunath and Evangelists Smt. Stella and Smt. Bhavani, were arrested by the police on 21-6-12 at 2.30 pm at the Hubli Bus Stand in Karnataka while they were distributing some handbills giving information about Christianity. They have been detained at the Durgadabail police station in Hubli and are being interrogated by the police. Three church members, who visited them at the police station were also subsequently detained by the police. They are Ms Poornima, Mr. Gnanaprakash and Mr. Sanjay. The GCIC is in touch with them as well as with the police.

Pastor Manjunath (20) is in charge of a house church called The Indian Church of Christ (ICC), at Keshavapura in Hubli. He lives with his wife Yashoda who is 8 months pregnant now. They live in the same house and hold their Sunday worship and other prayer meetings. His ministry is 7 years old and he has a congregation of about 25 believers. As and when the need arises he also hires halls in small hotels and conducts his prayer meetings. On Thursday, 21-6-12, along with the two evangelists, he began distributing some handbills with information about Christianity and when the Sangh Parivar activists came to know about it they came in a group and began tackling them, abusing them using very foul language. They also snatched all the handbills from them and sent for the police who came and arrested them. Please pray for them.

- persecution.in

MP: Pastor and a believer arrested & subsequently released

Madhya Pradesh, June 21, 2012: Pastor Arjun is arrested at 8.30 this morning along with a believer, Mr. Rakesh, when they were conducting a prayer meeting at a village called Pati village, about 150 kms from Indore in Bhalwani distrrict of Madhya Pradesh. The church has about 75 believers. The latest information that we have received is that the arrested were released late in the afternoon today. Please continue to pray for the churches in Madhya Pradesh.

- persecution.in

Bangalore police arrest Pastor Victor Babu for conducting Bible class in Hebron church

Karnataka, April 20, 2012: Radical Hindus staged a protest in front of the Hebron Church near Marathahalli here Thursday (19th April) demanding action against a pastor for his alleged attempt to convert schoolchildren forcibly. The Mahadevapura police intervened to defuse the situation and detained Victor Babu (31), the pastor, for questioning. Victor is from Dharmavaram in Andhra Pradesh.

A resident, Rajashekara Reddy, complained against Victor, and filed a case under Section 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code against Pastor. According to the complaint, the pastor, in the guise of organising a summer camp for schoolchildren, was allegedly preaching the Bible to 32 schoolchildren who attended the camp.

The police inspected the church premises and illegally confiscated VBS materials including hymn books.

- persecution.in

WB: Radical Islamists physically abuse Christians *UP: Police stop a Christian convention *AP: Land encroachment leads to the demolition of a church *Karnataka: 10 sentenced for forcible conversion

West Bengal, April 04, 2012: On 30th March, 2012, radical Islamist forcibly entered a Christian home in Nutangram, West Bengal where a group of Christians were gathered and physically assaulted them and disgraced them in public.
 
Mr. Gaffar Shaike and his wife had invited their Christian friends over to their place for lunch and prayer on the 30th March, 2012, in Nuntangram village, Murshidabad district, in West Bengal. Shortly after lunch while they were they were having a time of fellowship and prayer a group of radical Islamists stormed in the house of Mr. Shaike and inflicted grave injuries on 3 of those gathered. The victims are Mr. Aimazan Bibi, Ms. Moyazan Bibi and Ms. Selina Bibi.

The Christian victims were then chased out of Mr. Shaike’s house and on to the streets where they became a sight of public amusement for a large crowd of about 500 Muslims, who simply watched on as the victims were chased around and verbally and even physically abused by the radicals who were armed with knives.

The radical group are believed to be led by Mr. Mohammed Aanu Shaike, who is notorious for publicly decrying against Christians even to the extent of publicly torturing them for their faith.

A case was filed later in the evening by some Christians at the Murshidabad Police station, in Nutangram village, but so far no arrests have been made.

- aicc

UP: Police stop a Christian convention

Uttar Pradesh, March 29, 2012: On 24th March, 2012 The Yeshu Mahatsava convention that was organised in Chadidiha, was disrupted by the Rampur police after complaints lodged by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).

Despite procuring the necessary permissions from the Associate District Magistrate to conduct the Yeshu Mahatsava Convention, the local police shut down the convention over allegations by the VHP that forced conversions was taking place. Fearing a possible backlash from the community, Sub-inspector RP Saroj arrived at the venue early in the morning and with drew the permission he himself had granted for the convention and asked for the stalls present to be removed.

VHP’s district chairman Mr. Omprakash Singh had made accusations that Christian Missionaries were converting people in the country by enticing them with money, and that they were sheltered by the government.

- aicc

AP: Land encroachment leads to the demolition of a church

Andhra Pradesh, March 29, 2012: On 2nd March, 2012 a Church in Urmila Nagar, Vijayawada was partially demolished as real estate developers try to illegally encroach on property for their development projects.

Bethel Prarthana Mandiram, a church in Urmila Nagar, Kabela, which had been running for over 13 years ago, was visited by labourers hired by town planning officers to demolish the church on 2nd of March. The labourers began this illegal demolition activity at around 3 pm, right after a Friday prayer service had been conducted. Pastor Immanuel of the church in Urmila approached the town planning office with the church’s property documents. According to the documents, the church property was allocated to Mr. Madala Yacob, the great grandfather of pastor Immanuel under a military quota during the British rule in 1930.

But according to new municipality zone survey the church property falls on land belonging to corporation 80 Field Map Book (FMB), which was used as an alibi to encroach the land.

Pastor Immanuel believes that there is a conspiracy between the real estate developers and municipal town planners. And although the municipal commissioner had clarified the matter regarding the church property based on the original documents, the church building was still demolished.

- aicc

Karnataka: 10 sentenced for forcible conversion

Karnataka, April 02, 2012: A local court today sentenced 11 persons on charges of trying to forcibly convert people to another religion in Kyatamballi village in the district in 2007.

The JMFC court ordered two of the 11 to undergo a jail term of 20 months,including two months of rigorous imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 5000 each. The other nine were sentenced to one year simple imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs 2000 each.

Additional Senior Civil Judge and JMFC, H Gopalakrishna, passed the orders saying that the accused were propagating against a particular community and urging them to convert from one religion to other.

“The accused committed grave offence of creating enimity between the two communities. They committed offence prejudicial to maintainence of harmony between the two communities”, the Judge stated in the order.

According to charge sheet filed by Robertsonpet police, Kolar, the 11-member group had were openly condemning the deities worshipped by the people of a particular community and urged them to convert.

While two of the accused were sentenced under section 153(3) (promoting enmity between two different groups on grounds of religion), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal code, the others were sentenced under section 248(10) of the CrPC.

- zeenews

Stop Press *Washington DC: Rally for Pak Hindus & Christians *3500 adults baptised at Easter

STOP PRESS:

Karnataka, April 08, 2012: Pastor Rajesh was beaten up by Inspector Janardhan on the Easter morning alleging conversion.The inspector also threatened pastor to vacate the rented house or to face the consequences. More details awaited.

Human Rights activists to rally for Pak Hindus & Christians

Washington DC, April 05, 2012: On Saturday, April 14, a rally will be held in support of human rights and dignity for Hindus and Christians in Pakistan. The event will be from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at 1615 H Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20062 – in front of the U.S.-Pakistan Business Council and across the street from Lafayette Square Park.

Mr. Jeffrey Imm, Coordinator of REAL said that the coalition supports our Universal Human Rights for all people, including freedom of conscience for all people in every part of the world.

The Organizations represented will include: Hindu American Foundation, Pakistan Christian Congress, Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.), and other activist groups and individual human rights activists. R.E.A.L. has submitted an Assembly Notification to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia.

The coalition objects to the efforts to deny universal human rights and dignity to religious minorities in Pakistan. As reported by human rights groups, there are hundreds of abductions and forced conversion cases of Hindus and Christian women every year in Pakistan which go unreported.

Recent news has reported on a Hindu family reporting the kidnapping of a 19 year old Hindu girl in Sindh, Rinkel Kumari, who was forced to convert from her religion. The Hindu American Foundation has issued an online petition to U.S. Secretary of State Clinton, for those concerned about human rights to sign, calling for the U.S. Government to intervene on behalf of Hindu girls kidnapped and forced to deny their religious beliefs.

According to the BBC report, “Human rights activists say that other reported abductions of members of minority communities in Pakistan, which is overwhelmingly Muslim, have not been properly investigated by the authorities.” The Pakistan Tribune also reports on Hindu and Christian girls who have been forcibly converted to Islam.

The Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) coalition calls for the universal human rights of all people, including their freedom, their freedom of conscience, and their right to human dignity. We urge the Government, courts, and the people of Pakistan to act immediately to end abuse of religious minorities, to stop and punish the ongoing kidnappings, and to stop and punish those who would forcibly deny anyone their universal human right of religious freedom and freedom of conscience.

- pakistan christian post

3500 adults receive baptism at Easter Vigil

Hong Kong, April 07, 2012: This Easter, 3,500adult catechumens in the Hong Kong diocese will receive the Sacrament of Christian Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion) at various parishes at the Holy Saturday Vigil today, April 7.

In his Easter Pastoral Letter 2012, Cardinal John Tong of Hong Kong specially thanks priests, deacons, sisters and laypeople to offer their time and energy in teaching catechism. The catechists “not only carry out the mission of evangelization of the Church, but also strengthen their own faith,” the 72-year-old bishop said.

According to the diocesan statistics of Aug. 31, 2011, there are 39 paid catechists and more than 1,500 voluntary catechists. Local Catholic population comprises 363,000 Chinese and 138,000 non-Chinese.

On March 3, Card.Tong stated evangelization as one of his pastoral concerns. “Certainly, the rise in the number of Catholics is gratifying, but the quality of their faith is equally essential,” he said, hoping his faithful will progress both in the quantity and the quality of faith.

Card. Tong encouraged the new Catholics to grow in faith. He cited a middle-aged volunteer catechist who was baptized three years ago. The catechist was touched by the words of St. Augustine’s words in the “Confessions”: “Oh, too late have I loved thee,… too late have I loved thee.” After baptism, the catechist lives a simple life, and he studied a course on catechetics and became a volunteer catechist. Now, he plans to study more to deepen his faith, the Easter message says.

Among the 3,500 catechumens, Janet Lo, together with her younger brother, are two of them. She told AsiaNews that she finds life, love and peace in the Catholic faith and is happy to promote faith to others.

Janet, who works in marketing field, said they have finished an 18-month catechism class and received anointment scrutiny liturgy (see photo) performed by Card. Tong and the visiting Bishop Franz-Josef Overbeck of Esssen during Lent.

“I especially like a phrase in the Prayer for the Year of Laity of the diocese that says: Love Life, The Gift of God,” Janet said. Their search of faith was inspired by their mother’s struggles with an illness some years ago. That experience brought her whole family closer to God. “My father, though not a practicing Catholic, prayed hard with my mother in those difficult days. My mother got baptized and passed away peacefully.”

- asianews

Salesians create new province for northeast *Activists cautious about scheme to help girls

West Bengal, April 6, 2012: The Regional Councilor for South Asia made the announcement of the new provincials in Guwahati today.

The mother province of northeast India Salesian province Guwahati is further divided and two new provincials appointed. Guwahati province established as the first province in northeast India in 1959 was divided in 1981 and gave birth to Dimapur province.

The Regional Councilor for South Asia Fr. Maria Arokiam Kanaga made the announcement of the new provincials in Guwahati today, April 5.

Fr. Pascual Chavez, the Rector Major of Salesians of Don Bosco, appointed Fr. George Maliekal as the first Provincial of the new Province of Silchar.

The new province dedicated to Blessed John Paul II comprises the Salesian activities in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, the states of Mizoram and Tripura, and the Dima Hasao district of Assam. It has 35 centres with some 250 Salesians.

The province will be officially inaugurated and Fr. Maliekal will assume office May 24.

Meanwhile, Fr. Thomas Vattathara currently the Founder Director of Don Bosco Institute, Kharguli, Guwahati is appointed 11th Provincial of the Province of Mary Help of Christians with Headquarters at Guwahati.

The province mainly comprises of the entire state of Assam.

Fr. Thomas widely acclaimed as an human resource development consultant, expert trainer, passionate youth worker, ardent educationist, a proactive catalyst of social transformation and an institution builder was born in the southern state of Kerala in 1951, but made the northeast, particularly Assam his home from 1962.

For the last 18 years Fr Thomas has been on the Faculty of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration at Mussoorie training IAS and IPS officers.

- ucan

Activists cautious about scheme to help girls

Madhya Pradesh, April 6, 2012: Female infanticide still a worry for Madhya Pradesh state.

Social activists in Madhya Pradesh are wary about the state government’s decision to provide funds to parents of girls as a way to combat female feticide.

This might help parents believe that girls are “real assets,” said Sheela Santiago, president of the women wing of the Madhya Pradesh Isai Mahasang or Christian front.

The government March 30 set up a 30-million rupee (US$ 600,000) fund to help parents with one or more daughters. This initiative was taken to change the mindset of those who consider girls as a burden, said chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Parameters for distributing the pension are yet to be announced.

Tribal social activist Hari Singh Maravi said declining sex ratio is a worry and would create social imbalance. The government’s initiative might stop female feticide in the state, he hoped.

The federal government’s Census 2011 says Madhya Pradesh has 912 girls per 1,000 boys, a decline from 932 a decade earlier. Researches say a fall in 20 points in the child sex ratio over a decade is substantial and a matter of serious concern.

Some women activists, however, see the fund as a political gimmick.

Zulaikha Jageen, president of Institute for Minority Women, told ucanindia.in that the government needs to implement the scheme properly as earlier schemes for the girl child failed miserably.

The government earlier had a scheme to help parents of girls with money for their education.

Rachana Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information and Action said such incentives would not bring about drastic changes. The government should first curb atrocities and crimes against women, she said.

Infanticide is illegal in India but traditional society here prefers sons to daughters and is a major reason for abortion, female infanticide and other forms of systematic sex discrimination.

- ucan

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