LET ALL MEN AND WOMEN OF GOODWILL SPEAK OUT
By Fr. Cedric Prakash sj
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Dear sisters and brothers, greetings of peace and love to
each one of you. I have just returned from Mangalore, after
spending five hectic days there, during which I met with,
listened to and spoke to hundreds of youth, men and women;
religious and clergy.
The days beginning Sunday, September 14 (the Feast of the
Exaltation of the Cross) have been very traumatic and painful
for many across the board. "We never expected this to happen
to us," is what several of you have been saying. Many others
added "and we were totally unprepared".
During the days there, I experienced the pain and suffering
of several of the victims: those who were in the midst of
teargas, those who were beaten up and brutalized by the brute
force and insensitivity of the police, and even of those who
spent some days in jail or police custody. The underlying
feeling throughout was, "this violence was just too terrible
for words".
It was also heartwarming to know how several of you literally
stood firm to protect the Church and Church property. I have
been tremendously edified by the heroics of many women (very
specially religious sisters) who boldly faced the onslaught
of violence. I was touched by the fact that several youth
went to jail for no wrongdoing whatsoever, but only because
their names were handed over to the police officers, who
demanded that this be done.
I salute each one of you who have exemplified faith, courage
and dignity to preserve the diversity and the secular fabric
of our country.
Having said this, I need to share with you some of my
reflections on the current happenings in Mangalore and other
parts of Karnataka. What I write here is essentially based on
the sharing of many and in no way should be misconstrued as
"final words". I also share them because as a citizen of
India , I feel I have a responsibility to do so:
The attacks on Churches and Christians is not a one
off affair. It is part of a systematic long term
project of the Sangh Parivar, who have an
insidious, divisive agenda based on a fascist
ideology. During these attacks, the fascists have
effectively used age old tactics like "hit and
run", "divide- and-rule" (it's not "you" but
"they"), "diverting-from-the-real-issue" (illegal
conversion, foreign funds, etc.) It is blatantly
obvious that they have trapped us in their
subterfuge. We have fallen prey to their evil designs.
What perhaps went awry, in their plans, was the groundswell
of response, from the Catholic laity, very specially the
youth. This spontaneous response, both, on September 14 and
15, certainly put them on the back foot.
The ringing of Church bells was a terrific strategy used on
the part of the Catholics on both days. In doing so, we were
reminded that God is with us and that we need to come
together and remain united in the face of crisis. (At times
during the Nazi regime, the Resistance Movements in parts of
France also used to ring the Church bells in times of danger).
The Police had no business to enter Church property, and very
specially the sacred precincts of our Churches. There is
enough of documentary evidence to show how police have beaten
up and brutalized people even inside Churches and severely
damaged Church property.
No acts of violence can and should be justified.
However, it is anyone's guess as to who threw the
first stone and to what extent were the Catholic
youth actually involved in stone throwing.
In some parishes, the police asked for a list of names of
youth who they could arrest, and unfortunately, these were
given, even when the youth were just sitting silently in the
Church compound.
On the very first day, members of the Sangh Parivar took
responsibility for the attacks. This would not have been
possible if they did not have the full patronage of the State
Government and the support of BJP higher-ups. Government
officials and police, clearly acted as footstools for the
whims and fancies of their political masters.
A few days before these attacks, a highly inflammatory and
defamatory booklet was printed and distributed outside the
gates of several educational institutions in Mangalore. The
booklet held the Christians responsible for the killing of
the Swami in Orissa. The police did nothing to stop those
responsible for the publishing and distribution of this
booklet.
The Sangh Parivar with all its affiliates, is a
fascist organization. They are out to destroy the
secular fabric of the country. They do not
represent the vast majority of the Hindus of the
country. It is dangerous and absolutely immoral,
to enter into any negotiations or deals with them.
When one does so, one provides them a legitimacy which they
desperately hanker for. Above all, one is manipulated into a
vulnerable position carefully designed by them ("you are also
the criminals"). ยจ Large sections of Indian (Hindu) society,
regard the Sangh Parivar as a terrorist group and would like
that they be banned. The dharnas and demonstrations by the
Catholics have proved that satyagraha (the force of Truth)
given to us by Mahatma Gandhi is a very effective weapon to
counter hate, prejudice and violence in this country.
In the context of the above, I would like to make the
following suggestions and remarks:
The machinations of the Sangh Parivar are going to continue
for a long time. Please don't be fooled if there are
utterances that it's all over.
It is important to document, study and analyze the way they
work. This should be done through well established resources
centres which can also serve as nodal points in times of crisis.
We need to carefully study the various statements of the
Chief Minister and Home Minister (check his blog) of
Karnataka. There are several contradictions in them. Do
remember that fascists always indulge in techniques which are
Goebbelsian. "Tell a lie a thousand time and people tend to
believe it"
We need to be a Communicating Church with a very
effective coordinating mechanism in which power and
responsibility is shared at every possible level
and specially among all sections of the laity. We
need to speak the truth to power. (Archbishop
Bernard Moras' bold statements to the Chief
Minister is an excellent example for all of us).
We need to formulate responses and strategies for the long
term. We need to set *our* agenda, very specially to preserve
and enhance the Constitutional rights and freedom of every
single citizen (the Sangh Parivar tries to make us
reactionaries to their devious agenda).
We should not give up any of our routine programmes,
functions or celebrations. Every effort has to be made to
show the fascists that we are citizens of this country with
the rights and freedoms guaranteed to every citizen.
Our response has to be broad based. It should certainly
include all ethnic groups within the Catholic Community. It
should include all denominations of the Christian Faith (eg.
at the national level, we do have the 'National United
Christian Forum' and in Gujarat we have the Gujarat United
Christian Forum). Above all, it should include all men and
women of goodwill.
In this last category, we will have thousands of young men
and women belonging to every faith, who have passed through
the portals of Christian educational institutions, and who
even hold important positions in society, in Government and
in industry. They must be part of this broad based response.
Those policemen responsible for these heinous acts
should be brought to book immediately for
dereliction of duty. There is an understandable
fear among members of the community from doing so,
fearing revenge, but unless some beginning is made
by civil society, we will never be able to make the
police accountable and in adhering to their sacred
mandate that of protecting the life and property of
every single citizen.
All others responsible for the attacks on Christians and the
Churches must be brought to book immediately and the
Government must be held responsible for this. If not, they
will be miserably failing in their prime duty. All Catholic
youth who have been arrested should be released immediately
and all charges against them should be dropped
unconditionally.
The attacks on the Christians in Karnataka, together with
those of Orissa and other parts of India must be
internationalized. The Central and State Governments must
get missives from countries who are friendly with India .
Above all, the Chief Minister and the Home Minister must be
blacklisted by Democracies all over the world and (as is
currently done for Narendra Modi of Gujarat), they should be
denied visas for any travel abroad. A Citizens Tribunal
consisting of eminent people from all walks of life (and
preferably non-Christians), must be set up immediately.
Mangalorean Catholics will have to provide the financial
resources and logistical support for this Citizens Tribunal.
Above all, do not panic... do not fear. The Lord is with us
and has told us over and over again that we should "fear no
one". Being a citizen of India is our birthright. Let us
hold our heads high and cherish the eternal values given to
us by Jesus. The Indian Constitution also guarantees many of
them. Being Indian is our birthright and no one can deny us
that and no one can treat us as second class citizens in our country.
--
Fr. Cedric Prakash sj is the Director of PRASHANT, the
Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace, based in
Ahmedabad, Gujarat. For his involvement in issues related to
Human Rights, Justice, Communal Harmony and Peace, he has
received several national and international awards which
include the Legion d' Honneur from the Government of France
and the Kabir Puraskar and Minorities Rights Award 2006 from
the Government of India.
