http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5010294.ece?print=yes&randnum=1225182695441  October 25, 2008 Nun Meena Lalita Barwa tells of brutal rape by Hindu mob in India===================================== http://www.indianexpress.com/story_print.php?storyid=378350  Rtd Major under terror probe has BJP past Posted online: Oct 27, 2008 at 0938 hrs SMITA NAIR, MILIND GHATWAI & CHANDAN HAYGUNDE MUMBAI, BHOPAL, PUNE, OCTOBER 26 : The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has conducted fresh raids across the state and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat and picked up at least two more Hindu activists, including a woman, for questioning in connection with the Malegaon and Modasa bomb blasts last month as links emerged between the Sangh Parivar and a retired army Major who is also being questioned for his suspected role. The ex-Army officer is said to have once headed a BJP ex-servicemen cell in Mumbai. While sources said that the woman who had been picked up for questioning was suspected to be a member of the Durga Vahini organisation in Madhya Pradesh, the state's police chief S K Raut said that a man named Sameer Kulkarni had also been picked up by the ATS on Saturday night. He said Kulkarni was suspected to have been a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and is believed to have organised an exhibition against terrorism at Gandhi Bhavan in Bhopal a few months ago. Kulkarni is also believed to be linked to a Pune-based voluntary organisation called 'Abhinav Bharat', Raut added. The working president of Abhinav Bharat, retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay, is already being questioned by the ATS for his suspected links with Sadhvi Pragyasingh Thakur and two other Hindu activists, arrested last week in connection with the September 29 twin-blasts, which together killed six Muslims during Ramzan. According to the website of Abhinav Bharat, the outfit was formed in June 2006 with the aim of combating terrorism and rebuilding the nation around Bharatiya and Hindu culture. Another junior army officer is also being questioned but ATS sources refused to disclose his name. Both officers are said to be associated with the Bhonsala Military School in Nashik, which also has a branch in Nagpur. ATS chief Hemant Karkare said that three people from Indore had been detained, numerous others being questioned but added that there were no fresh arrests. The detentions come on the back of the arrest of the sadhvi from near Surat and two Hindu activists from Indore last week. While the ABVP, the Hindu Jagran Manch as well as other Sangh Parivar outfits such as the BJP and the RSS have denied any links with the blasts or the three people arrested in connection with them, fresh information emerged today that Major Upadhyay headed the Mumbai unit of the BJP's ex-servicemen's cell. Serving office-bearers of the cell, who did not want to be identified, said that Upadhyay was removed from the post "after he committed some mistakes". One office-bearer said that Upadhyay had also been paid by the party for his work but he was not connected with the BJP after his removal from the post. Sources in Pune said that Kulkarni was also suspected to be associated with Sadhvi Pragya, other Hindu groups and was active in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area. His name had come up during the attack on Pastor Peter David Silway of Vineyard Worker's Church in Dapodi in August last year. Abraham Mathai, Vice-Chairman of the State Minorities Commission and General Secretary of the All Indian Christian Council, had then named five people, including Kulkarni, as allegedly associated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and involved in the attack. Pastor Silway's car was stoned by motorcycle-borne youth on a bridge linking Dapodi and Bopodi. Mathai had alleged that Kulkarni was one of those who orchestrated the attack. Sources said that Kulkarni was a science graduate. Ranjeet Natu, Pune city leader of VHP, denied Kulkarni was an active member of the organisation. "I don't know Sameer Kulkarni," he said. At the Rail Residency Cooperative Housing Society in Akurdi in Pune, where Upadhyay resides, there is complete silence. Police officers don't deny they are keeping a watch on the Upadhyay residence despite the fact the ATS has still not arrested him. Police Inspector Gaurav of Special Branch, who was at the Upadhyay home, said he was there on a routine inquiry. "We have come on a regular inquiry after we got to know that Maj Upadhyay was picked up by the Mumbai ATS. But it does not mean he is linked to the Malegaon blasts," he said. Upadhyay's daughter Madhu said: "We don't wish to speak to the media right now but if needed, we will definitely contact you." — (With inputs from Dhaval Kulkarni in Mumbai, Tarun Nangia in Pune) ============================================ Monday, October 27, 2008, (Mumbai) http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080070197 As Maharashtra's anti-terror squad deepens its investigations into the Malegoan blasts, the role of Hindutva extremists is getting more and more apparent. Also, two ex-army men have been questioned in the case. But what is emerging now is that there are uncanny similarities between the Malegaon blast of 2008 and the Nanded blast of 2006, a case that the investigating agencies are accused of going slow on. The early findings in the Malegaon blasts have more than one similarity to the Nanded blast case. In Nanded two activists said to be of the Bajrang Dal were killed when they were assembling bombs in their room. Four others were badly injured at that time. Bajrang Dal members openly justified what the group was planning. ''In today's time Hindus are under attack from all sides. It was high time someone did something. But let me tell you they had been part of Bajrang Dal a long time ago. So we are not directly connected,'' said Sanjay Kodage,Nanded Bajrang Dal Chief. The ATS chargesheet named 11 people for criminal conspiracy, all with links to Hindutva organisations. It also linked them to the attacks on mosques and against Muslims in towns of Jalna, Parbhani and Purna that Maharashtra had witnessed around that time. And most damningly the chargesheet mentions the connection to ex army men and the Bhonsala Military School. The chargesheet carries the statement of one of the witnesses, a captain with the merchant navy, Sanat Kumar Vithal Bhate from Pune. Bhate told the ATS that he had been invited by the Bajrang Dal to train 115 cadres at Nagpur's Bhonsala Military School. Two retired army men and a senior retired officer from the Intelligence Bureau were also training the cadres. Bhate said that he found that the training was being given to mislead the youth. Among the cadre were two who later died in the Nanded blast. But later when the case was transferred to the CBI many of the charges were diluted. The CBI chose to see the Nanded blast in isolation and not as part of a wider conspiracy. Whether it was political pressure or lack of evidence is a question that will come back to haunt investigators. Also, given the leads emerging from Nanded 2006 if investigators could have prevented Malegaon 2008 is another question being raised. =========================================== http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14784780 Malegaon blasts: One more woman arrested
======================================= NRI to back Modi's US visa Paras K Jha Monday, October 27, 2008 03:27 IST http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1201436 AHMEDABAD: Influential NRI CK Patel's entry into the BJP on Wednesday may bring chief minister Narendra Modi the visa power (to visit the US) that's been eluding the controversial leader for the past few years. In an exclusive interview to DNA, Patel said US-based NRIs in general and Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRGs) in particular will campaign vigorously for grant of a US visa to Modi. Patel, who, incidentally, was the richest Congress contestant of 2007 Gujarat assembly elections from Himmatnagar seat of Sabarkantha district, said, "There are groups in the US advocating or opposing grant of visa to Modi. While the Christian and Muslim lobbies are against giving him a visa, the Indian and Gujarati lobbies support Modi as a visionary political leader of Gujarat." "I am the president of the National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), which represents nearly 2.5 mn Indian Americans. We have passed a resolution in NFIA favouring grant of visa to him. We will organise our convention in Seattle, Washington, between November 21-23, and Modi will be invited to the event. If he accepts our invitation and applies for visa, we will ensure that he gets it," he added. He went on to claim that 8 of 10 NRGs praise Modi and believe in his vision of growth and development. "This is also one of the reasons I have joined the BJP," he said. Patel also cleared the air about his so-called suspension by the Congress. He said he was offered an important position in the All India Congress Committee and assured first preference for nomination to a Rajya Sabha seat. "I had already given my resignation to the Sabarkantha district Congress president two weeks back. So my suspension has no meaning. The procedure of issuing a showcause notice before suspension has not been followed. Instead, a package was offered to stop me from leaving." j_paras@dnaindia.net ======================================== http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Bajrang-Dal--VHP-responsible-for-Indore-riots--NCM/378157/ Bajrang Dal, VHP responsible for Indore riots: NCMAgencies Posted: Oct 26, 2008 at 1223 hrs New Delhi, October 26: Holding the Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad responsible for the July riots in Indore, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has demanded action against both organisations in its report submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a few days back. Copies of the report have also been submitted to Home Minister Shivraj Patil, Ministry for Minority Affairs A R Antulay, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and some other Union ministers. "We have in our report said that proper action should be taken against Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad," NCM Chairman Md Shafi Qureshi said on Sunday. On being asked whether the Commission has sought a ban on them, Qureshi quipped, "Action includes ban as well." Earlier a three-member NCM team led by Qureshi visited the affected areas including Pandrinath, Chhatripura, Khajrana and Malharganj to take stock of communal violence that erupted in and around Indore during the 'Bharat Bandh' call given by VHP over the Amarnath land transfer issue. Violence had mainly centered at Khajrana and Juhi Risala near Indore then. According to the report, a total of eight persons were killed in the violence. Seven among them were from the minority community. Sources said the Commission has rubbished the contention of Madhya Pradesh PWD Minister Kailash Vijay Vargiya that SIMI was behind the riots and categorically said that it was aimed at diverting the attention of the country from real culprits of violence. "Blaming SIMI for violence at Khajrana is a blatant lie," the Commission said in the report. Taking strong exception to the use of licenced firearms by a section of people during the clashes, the Commission pulled up the state government for making "no efforts" to get such weapons deposited in police stations in time. "Had the administration got the arms deposited in time, firings and resultant violence could have been averted," NCM Chairman Qureshi said. The report further said the commission was told that licence holders were either "associated with or have close links with VHP, Bajrang Dal and BJP". Noting that the "root cause of the violence lies in bandh call", the Commission criticised the state government for allowing a number of processions during the shutdown, which led to further deterioration of the already tense atmosphere. The Commission also refuted the state police version that three youths died in exchange of fire between two groups at Khajrana. "It was one-sided firing by a section of the people, who were enforcing the VHP 'bandh' or supporting it and there was no firing by people from the minority community, who were retaliating by pelting stones," the report said. The commission has also taken serious note of the fact that the police resorted to firing at Juna Risala without any magisterial order that led the deaths of two youths from the minority community. =========================================== Families of youths killed in Maharabi encounter refuse to accept bodies The Imphal Free Press http://www.kanglaonline.com/index.php?template=headline&newsid=43867&typeid=1 IMPHAL, Oct 25: The dead body of Paominlal Veiphei alias Lalcha, 26, son of Seingam of Nongmaijing Terakhong Kuki village who was killed by a team of Imphal west police on last Friday evening near Maharabi bus parking under Sekmai police station along with another person was refused to be accepted by the family and villagers as they charged the police of killing him in a fake encounter. In the meantime, the other person who was killed in the incident was identified today as Haokhohen Misao, 25, son of Lalkhojang of Churachandpur Misao Lhahvum. According to a family source, the deceased Haokhohen Misao was an innocent person who left his house on October 21 to visit his uncle Jamsei Baite at Nongmaijing Terakhong Kuki village. He was seen being arrested by the police commandos on last Friday afternoon from the bus parking at Sajenbam village along with deceased Paominlal Veiphei, the source added. In the meantime, in connection with the killings, a JAC against the extra judicial killing of Paominlal and Haokhohen was formed with Rose Manshi Haokip as chairperson of the JAC. The JAC representatives submitted a memorandum to the chief minsiter today for bringing about justice and asking for his intervention in the extra judicial killing. The JAC memorandum also mentioned that both persons were killed after being taken into custody, as is the practice by the police commandos. Deceased Paominlal Vaiphei was an employee in the electricity department and was presently attached to the EE/Civil Division. He was given leave on that day so that he could take part in the village social works, it said. Deceased Haokhohen Misao was a villager who had gone to his maternal uncle's place in Nongmaiching village, it added. As such the JAc will be constrained to do whatever is neccesary to bring about justice, and the JAC will not claim the bodies of the two deceased until there was an amicable settlement to the satisfaction of the families and other parties concerned, the chairperson of the JAC said. Meanwhile, both the dead bodies are lying at the RIMS morgue. It may be mentioned that police claimed both the men were killed by the Imphal west district police commados last Friday evening during an encounter which took place while the two were conducting their activities of extortion from the vehicles along National Highway-39 near Maharabi bus parking. Police also said they recovered one 9 mm pistol with three live rounds and one hand grenade from their possession. ================================================ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/19/orissa-violence-india-christianity-hinduism/print Convert or we will kill you, Hindu lynch mobs tell fleeing ChristiansAs a fresh wave of sectarian violence is unleashed across the Indian state of Orissa, Gethin Chamberlain talks to homeless survivors in Kandhamal district who were forced to abandon their religion
 Kumari Naik with her son Santosh amid the ashes of their home. Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain Hundreds of Christians in the Indian state of Orissa have been forced to renounce their religion and become Hindus after lynch mobs issued them with a stark ultimatum: convert or die. The wave of forced conversions marks a dramatic escalation in a two-month orgy of sectarian violence which has left at least 59 people dead, 50,000 homeless and thousands of houses and churches burnt to the ground. As neighbour has turned on neighbour, thousands more Christians have sought sanctuary in refugee camps, unable to return to the wreckage of their homes unless they, too, agree to abandon their faith. Last week, in the worst-affected Kandhamal district, The Observer encountered compelling evidence of the scale of the violence employed in a conversion programme apparently sanctioned by members of one of the most powerful Hindu groups in India, the 6.8-million member Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) - the World Hindu Council. Standing in the ashes of her neighbour's house in the village of Sarangagada, Jaspina Naik, 32, spoke nervously, glancing towards a group of Hindu men watching her suspiciously. 'My neighbours said, "If you go on being Christians, we will burn your houses and your children in front of you, so make up your minds quickly",' she said. 'I was scared. Christians have no place in this area now.' On her forehead, she wore a gash of vermilion denoting a married Hindu woman, placed there by the priest at the conversion ceremony she had been obliged to attend a day earlier, along with her husband and three young children. 'I'm totally broken,' she said. 'I have always been a Christian. Inside I am still praying for Jesus to give me peace and to take me out of this situation.' She and her neighbour, Kumari Naik, 35, gazed forlornly at the charred remains of the house. The mob that arrived one evening in the first week of the violence, armed with swords and axes, had looted what they wanted before dousing the building with petrol and setting it alight. Kumari had fled into the nearby forest with her husband, Umesh, and 14-year-old son Santosh. A smoke-damaged child's drawing of Mickey Mouse pinned to one wall was all that remained of their former lives. Shattered roof tiles crunched underfoot as the women moved through the blackened rooms. The priest had given them cow dung to eat during the ceremony, they said, telling them it would purify them. 'We were doing that, but we were crying,' Jaspina said. The roads between the villages are rough and potholed, adding to the difficulties in accessing what is already a remote region, a six-hour drive from the state capital, Bhubaneshwar. The remoteness has undoubtedly played a part in the continuation of the violence, making it harder for police to move about quickly, even if they were minded to do so. Christian leaders, though, have accused the authorities of dragging their feet, claiming they are reluctant to antagonise the majority Hindu community in the run-up to parliamentary elections next year.  Sumani Naik, 18, stands beneath a torn Christian poster in her fire-damaged house in Kandhamal district after being forced to convert. Photograph: Gethin ChamberlainRelations between the Hindu and Christian communities were already at a low ebb when the killing of VHP leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on 23 August provided the trigger for the current wave of violence. The VHP blamed Christians and the mobs descended on the homes of neighbours and friends. Those who were too slow to get away were killed. Amid the savagery, two incidents stood out: a young Hindu woman working in a Christian orphanage was burnt alive and a nun was gang-raped. Yet the VHP is unrepentant and appears to be involved, at least at grassroots level, with the campaign of forced conversions. One priest who converted 18 Christians in the village of Sankarakhole last week told The Observer that he had been approached by local VHP representatives to carry out the ceremony. 'The VHP people came with letters that said they wanted to be converted, so I converted them,' said Preti Singh Patra, who is the brother of a senior VHP official. Crouching on the ground in front of his temple, set in a small walled garden beneath a huge banyan tree, he ran through the details of the ceremony: first some fruit to eat, followed by a mixture of cow dung and urine mixed with milk and curd, a dip in water from the Ganges, an hour of prayers and then the painting of a bindi on the forehead. Some local men stepped forward to speak to him. 'Don't say too much,' they warned. The priest seemed unconcerned. The 18 had been the only Christians in the village, he said. They were happy to convert. Around the village, the countryside is a sea of green, a beautiful lush vista that offers, at a distance, no clues to the turmoil. Yet up close it is a landscape scarred by the ugly remains of homes and churches which lie shattered between other houses still inhabited and unscathed, those belonging to Kandhamal's Hindus. A few miles down the road from Sankarakhole, in the village of Minia, Sujata Digal, 38, stood outside her own burnt-out home. The mob had arrived at 3am, she said. She and her husband Hari hid in the forest and watched the house burn. When they came out of the forest, the mob returned and told them to convert, and it was not a hard decision. 'They said, 'If you don't become Hindu, we'll burn your houses too and start killing you',' said Ashish Digal, the former Christian pastor. 'I've been forced to convert. Everyone is being converted. They beat us in the fields. I went to the temple. We had to say that we belonged to the Hindu state of Orissa, and that from this day we are Hindus.'  Soldiers guarding Christian refugees at a camp in Kandamal district. Photograph: Gethin Chamberlain Before the violence started, Christians outnumbered Hindus in Minia: now 115 have converted, roughly half of their original number. The rest have fled. Burn your Bibles, the men told Ashish Digal. He told them he had, but hid them instead. Every couple of days people come to his house to search, hoping to catch him out. Those people are not strangers; they are his neighbours. They had been sitting idly in the main road when The Observer's car pulled up. Now the young driver, Sudhir, was rushing down the path that led to what remained of Sujata Digal's house, holding his head, visibly shaken. 'We must leave now,' he said. He had been standing by the car when the men closed in around him. They left the talking to Prashant Digal, a teacher and organiser for the local VHP youth wing. 'Why did you bring these people here?', he demanded, punching Sudhir in the head. 'Take the vehicle and go. Leave them here for us.' They surrounded him, a young Hindu, and slapped him around again. No one came to his aid. 'If you stay, we will burn you with them in the car. You will all be killed. Just leave them,' they told him. But he did not, which was a decent thing for a frightened boy to do. He drove a little way down the road and parked around a corner, out of sight, and came back to raise the alarm. Back on the main road, the men were waiting. 'Put your notebook and your cameras away. You will take no pictures and record nothing,' the VHP man said. 'You want to know what is happening? Now I will tell you why this is happening.' He blamed the Christians for taking the jobs of Hindus, for the murder of the Swami. The only solution was for Christians to convert, he said. 'This is a Hindu community. Everyone can stay here, as long as they are part of that community. And now you should go.' |
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