annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights

INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 Religious Minorities
Panchayats spreading over three blocks -
Gurundia, Lathikata and Subdega. 3
Unidentified masked miscreants
attacked the Roman Catholic Church at
Kudu under the Kuddu Police Station in
Lohardaga district of Jharkhand on the
night of 22 August 2004. Two of its
priests, father John Sundar and father
Albanus Tirkey were seriously injured
when they resisted the attack. The same
church that housed 150-odd students,
teachers, staff and priests was also
reportedly attacked by unidentified men
on 9 June 2004. 4
On 10 February 2004, at least nine
persons, including seven women, were
allegedly tonsured and beaten up at
Khilipala village, in Orissa’s coastal
district of Jagatsinghpur, for attending the
church on 8 February 2004. Of 250
families of Khilipala, about 20 are
Christians. 5 While rightwing Hindu
fundamentalists always maintained grudge
against them, they reportedly invited the
anger when they went to church to pray on
8 February, Sunday. Subsequently, a
pastor, Subhas Samal, was allegedly
attacked at his home. Apprehending
trouble, some 10 Christian villagers
reportedly fled the village on 9 February.
On 10 February 2004, the victims alleged,
some of the villagers forcibly entered their
houses in search of the male members, but
unable to find them, they tonsured the
women in the houses in the presence of the
villagers in broad daylight. The victims
were identified as Dolly Bhoi, Sanjukta
Kandi, Shanti Kandi, Sumitra Kandi,
282
Umitra Kandi, Nisha Samal, Nayana
Samal, Subhas Samal (pastor) and
Golakha Rout. Kandi, who bore the brunt
of the brutal communal attack, alleged that
two people held her hands while she was
stripped before being tonsured. 6 A case
was reportedly registered and some
alleged accused were arrested. 7
A crowd of over 300 people attacked
and ransacked a Catholic Church in the
Raikia town in Phulbani district of Orissa
on 27 August 2004. 8 On 28 August 2004,
police arrested 12 persons. 9
On 5 November 2004, in the Bejai
church, the Tabernacle was opened and
hosts were strewn, monstrance stolen and
other religious vessels were tested whether
silver or gold and money stolen. 10
A group of five miscreants shouting
pro-BJP slogans allegedly attacked two
nuns- Sister Sirolina and Sister Rose
Merlyn of the Missionaries of Charity at
West Hill in Kozhikode and their driver
Saji when they came to a Harijan colony
near Pantheerankave in Kozhikode district
in Kerala to distribute food around noon
on 25 September 2004. Sister Sirolina
reportedly suffered head injuries. Hearing
the news, a second group of the
Missionaries of Charity consisting of
Mother Superior, Sister Kusumam of the
Vellimadukunnu centre, Brother Superior
Varghese of Mercy Home, Brother
Varghese, Sister Shalot, Kenyan
missionary Bernard and driver Anto
arrived at the spot. They were allegedly
attacked by a mob of over 30 persons.
Mother Superior, Sister Kusumam