Since 24 August 2008, at least nine people have been killed in unabated
violence, four of them in police firing, in Orissa’s Kandhamal district, as
a backlash to the killing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami
Laxmanananda Saraswati. Another three persons were killed when their houses
were torched in Raikia area. Two others, including a woman, were killed
when a missionary-run orphanage was set on fire on 25 August. Another source, the Global Council of Indian Christians, has revealed a staggering number of 18 deaths.
The on-going carnage apparently targets the Christian community, mostly Dalits and tribals, in the Kandhamal district of Orissa and in several other districts including the state capital of
As the carnage continues unchecked and death toll rising every day, innocent Christians in Orissa find themselves in a very precarious situation. Hundreds of Christians, priests, nuns and children of boarding houses have fled to the jungle in order to escape from further attacks.
The state government was widely criticized for failing to uphold law and
order to ensure the safety of Christian minorities in Orissa. At the end of his weekly general audience on 27 August, Pope Benedict XVI appealed to religious leaders and civil authorities to "work together to re-establish among members of the different communities the peaceful coexistence and harmony which always have been a distinctive sign of Indian society."
Please respond immediately
Please write polite letters expressing your concern and request the authorities to:
§ ensure protection of the lives and properties of the Christians in Orissa;
§ provide immediate relief and adequate compensation to the victims;
§ create a congenial atmosphere for peaceful civil coexistence; and
§ bring perpetrators to justice in order to stop impunity.
Send letters or faxes to:
Madam Pratibha Patel
President of
Rashtrapati Bhavan,
Fax: (91) 11-2301 7290 or (91) 11-2301 7824
E-mail: presidentofindia@rb.nic.in
Send copies to:
1. Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minster of India
Prime Minster’s Office, South Block
Raisina Hill, New Delhi 110 011
INDIA
Fax: (91) 11-2301 9545 or (91) 11-2301 6857
E-mail: manmohan@alpha.nic.in; pmosb@pmo.nic.in
2. Mr Naveen Patnaik
Chief Minister of Orissa
Bhubaneswar – 751001, Orissa
Fax: (91) 674 253 5100
Email: cmo@ori.nic.in
3. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission,
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi, PIN 110001
INDIA
Fax: (91) 11 2338 4863
E-Mail: covdnhrc@nic.in; ionhrc@nic.in; chairnhrc@nic.in
4 Diplomatic representatives of
SAMPLE LETTER
Madam President,
We write with deep concern over the communal violence that has engulfed many districts in Orissa since 24 August 2008. The target of the violence has been the Christian minorities, most of whom are tribals and Dalits. The on-going carnage has resulted in the death of at least nine persons. A Catholic nun has been gang-raped. Many people, including priests and nuns have been injured. Their properties and places of worship
have been vandalized. Hundreds, including Catholic school children, were forced to escape into the forests and live in fear and insecurity.
The uncontained violence in many districts of Orissa, which we understand to be a state notorious for a culture of communal violence in recent years, points out that the state government has failed in its duty to protect the lives of Christians. This violates their right to life and personal liberty – the very right enshrined in the Constitution of India (Article 21) and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR Article 6) to which the government of
It is time that your Nation State, which is a member of the UN Human Rights Council, honoured the commitment it has made to the United Nations in April 2006, when a pledge was made for its candidacy to the UN Human Rights
Council: India’s commitment to "promoting and protecting human rights flows from the realization that in a truly pluralistic society, the growth and well-being of citizens can only be guaranteed through a culture of protection and promotion of human rights."
In this context, and with great urgency, we appeal to you, Madam President, to initiate suitable measures that:
• protect the rights, lives and properties of Christians in Orissa;
• provide immediate relief and adequate compensation to the victims as per ICCPR Article 2.3.1;
• ensure a climate of peace and harmony in Orissa state so that people may live without fear; and
• bring perpetrators to justice in order to stop impunity
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