DOCSLIB.ORG

India – Goa – Evangelical Christians – Shiv Sena – RSS – Jamat-E-Islami

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
India – Goa – Evangelical Christians – Shiv Sena – RSS – Jamat-E-Islami Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: IND31233 Country: India Date: 2 February 2007 Keywords: India – Goa – Evangelical Christians – Shiv Sena – RSS – Jamat-e-Islami This response was prepared by the Country Research Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Questions 1. What is the activity of the Bajrang Dal, Jamaat -E-Islam, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak and Shiv Sena against evangelical Christians in Goa? 2. What difficulties do evangelical Christians face in Goa? 3. Would the police in Goa condone and/or be involved in discrimination / persecution against evangelical Christians in Goa by these groups? RESPONSE 1. What is the activity of the above mentioned four groups against evangelical Christians in Goa? 2. What difficulties do evangelical Christians face in Goa? 3. Would the police in Goa condone and/or be involved in discrimination / persecution against evangelical Christians in Goa by these groups? The state of Goa has a significant Christian population. According to the 2001 India census, Goa has a Christian population of 359,568 on a total population of 1,347,668 (there are 886,551 Hindus and 92,210 Muslims). Christianity, and the Catholic Church in particular, has played a significant role in Goa’s history and since Goa’s 1962 integration into the Indian Union this has continued to be the case. Studies of the Goan Christian identity, such as Dr Charles Borges’ 2000 study, tend to emphasize the inclusion and participation of the Christian population in Goa’s social and political life (‘Population by religious communities’ (undated), Census of India website http://demotemp257.nic.in/httpdoc/Census_Data_2001/Census_data_finder/C_Series/Populat ion_by_religious_communities.htm – Accessed 31 January 2007 – Attachment 24; Borges, C. 2000, ‘The Changing Faces of Christianity in Goa: From Being Portuguese to Being Indian?’, Lusotopie http://www.lusotopie.sciencespobordeaux.fr/borges.pdf – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 25). Information addressing the above queries is set out below under the following subtitles: Attacks on Evangelical Christians; Attacks on other Christians in Goa – Catholics; Hindu nationalism in Goa – Rashtriya Swayam Sevak and Shiv Sena; Jamaat-e-Islami in Goa; Christians and police protection in Goa. Attacks on Evangelical Christians in Goa The Journal of Church & State’s ‘Notes on church-state affairs’ provides regular monthly reports of incidents of this kind, and regularly documents attacks upon Evangelical Christians in other Indian states. No reports of attacks upon Evangelical Christians have, however, ever been noted by the Journal of Church & State’s ‘Notes on church-state affairs’ for the state of Goa. Nonetheless, reports of two such incidents, one in 2005 and the other in 2002, were located within other sources, and details on these reports follow below. A report published on the All India Christian Council (AICC) website claims that “the church of the New Life Fellowship in Ponda” was harassed by “Hindu fundamentalists” who attempted to have “the pastor Rev Cajetan Tellis” prosecuted by the police in December 2005. The police reportedly “questioned the pastor but found nothing wrong”. The Hindu fundamentalists are reported to have subsequently attacked and vandalized the church. The report is vague in its reporting of the nature of the police response. It is stated that the police “refused to take action against those who took law into their hands”; but also that: “The police arrested six persons for the attack on 18 December 2005 and detained them in the police station”. In any event, the AICC was clearly of the view that the police had not done enough to protect the congregation. The report follows: Hindu fundamentalists ransacked a church at Ponda in Goa when the worship was going on and dragged its pastor to the local police station alleging that he was disturbing peace in the area. And the police refused to act, leaving the stage to the hooligans to do whatever they wanted. As usual the church of the New Life Fellowship in Ponda, 40 km from Panaji, the capital of Goa, started the worship on 18 December 2005 with a gathering of about 80 believers. Just after the worship began, about 20 Hindus carrying chains, iron rods and sticks and barged in and started to smash the audio system and other equipment. When some believers tried to protest, they manhandled them and chased all of them out of the church. The attackers threatened the pastor Rev Cajetan Tellis with dire consequences if he tried to preach in the church again. All this happened after alerting the local police in advance against the fundamentalists who had tried to intimidate him on 11 December 2005. In fact on that day the attackers had brought six policemen to the church who took him to the police station. The in-charge of the police station questioned the pastor but found nothing wrong. Yet he refused to take action against those who took law into their hands. The police arrested six persons for the attack on 18 December 2005 and detained them in the police station. In a memorandum submitted to Governor SC Jamir, the All India Christian Council (aicc) condemned the attack and sought stringent action against culprits as well as adequate security for all churches in Goa. “The devious insensitivity of the district administration and the police is a matter of great shame as we profess to be the world’s largest secular democracy. These constant efforts by communal fanatics to strike at the heart of India’s plurality to eliminate any semblance of diversity with a blatant disregard for the religious rights enshrined in the Constitution of India must be put to a stop. Such a shameful act is unacceptable in a civilized society such as ours in an era of globalisation and is in violation against the provision of the Article 25 of our Constitution and accepted ‘Universal Human Rights Convention’. The Christian Council demands that the perpetrators of this crime be arrested and booked under the appropriate sections of the IPC viz. section 153 (A) and 295 (A),” the memorandum said. The memorandum was signed by aicc president Dr Joseph D’Souza, aicc Maharashtra State General Secretary Dr Abraham Mathai, Goa United Christian Leaders Association Chairman Rev Gerson Coutinho, New Life Fellowship Coordinator Rev Felix Cardozo and Rev Mathew Kurien of the Assemblies of God Church,Goa (‘Church attacked, Pastor intimidated in Goa’ (undated), All India Christian Council website http://www.aiccindia.org/news/church_attacked_pastor_intimidated_in_goa.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 6). “The aicc documented over 24 attacks against Christians from Nov. 2005 to March 2006. Of the confirmed attacks listed” only one occurred in Goa. The worst states were Madhya Pradesh (with six) Andhra Pradesh (with five) and Orissa (with four) (‘A report on activities of the aicc from Nov. 2005 – March 2006’ 2006, Secular India website, source: All India Christian Council, 7 April http://www.secularindia.com/comments/2006/04/13Christian.htm – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 7). According a November 2002 Mission Network News bulletin, “an Indian pastor along with team members from Operation Mobilization, were savagely beaten in the State of Goa”. According to this source: “The team had just shown the DaySpring International film on the life of Christ when some 30 people attacked them”. It was further reported that “police encouraged them to file a formal complaint” We begin today in India where an Indian pastor along with team members from Operation Mobilization, were savagely beaten in the State of Goa. The team had just shown the DaySpring International film on the life of Christ when some 30 people attacked them. The film’s director, John Gilman says the movie reflects the life of Christ filmed in the Indian context and it has had a huge impact on those who view it. “Dramatically demonstrating the story of Jesus and his love really is a seed that is planted in the hearts of the people and they never forget seeing Jesus crucified and what that means.” Gilman says they won’t stop showing the film. “I think we have a challenge to bring the Gospel to these people as a seed. Someone said don’t bring it to us as a potted plant, bring it to us as a seed and often Western Christians are tempted to have already grown something and bring it with their own flavor.” Meanwhile, the victims of the assault are recovering and police encouraged them to file a formal complaint (‘Story number 1 for 26 Nov 2002’ 2002, Mission Network News website, 26 November http://www.mnnonline.org/article/4056 – Accessed 16 January 2007 – Attachment 8). A 1997 article, published by the Christian Worldwide Challenge Magazine, also reports that Evangelical missionaries have encountered hostility when traveling to screen a film on the life of Christ. According to this report Evangelical Christians have faced opposition in Goa even from the state’s Catholic population. Nonetheless, according to one missionary: “outright attacks on film teams are rare in Goa”; “‘We can count on two hands the number of times the JESUS film teams were attacked,” he says, “maybe only seven or eight times in all’”. The relevant extracts follow. When John Esteves returned to his home in Goa, India, to show the JESUS film, a cousin confronted him publicly. “If you screen that film here or anywhere in Goa,” he shouted, “I’ll break your legs! I don’t want you to bring shame to our family.” …Goa, an Arabian Sea port 200 miles south of Bombay, is not like the rest of India.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Wholesale List at Bardez
    BARDEZ Sr.No Name & Address of The Firm Lic. No. Issued Dt. Validity Dt. Old Lic No. 1 M/s. Rohit Enterprises, 5649/F20B 01/05/1988 31/12/2021 913/F20B 23, St. Anthony Apts, Mapuca, Bardez- Goa 5651/F21B 914/F21B 5650/20D 24/20D 2 M/s. Shashikant Distributors., 6163F20B 13/04/2005 18/11/2019 651/F20B Ganesh Colony, HNo.116/2, Near Village 6164/F20D 652/F21B Panchyat Punola, Ucassim , Bardez – Goa. 6165/21B 122/20D 3 M/s. Raikar Distributors, 5022/F20B 27/11/2014 26/11/2019 Shop No. E-4, Feira Alto, Saldanha Business 5023/F21B Towers, Mapuca – Goa. 4 M/s. Drogaria Ananta, 7086/F20B 01/04/2008 31/03/2023 449/F20B Joshi Bldg, Shop No.1, Mapuca, Bardez- Goa. 7087/F21B 450/F21B 5 M/s. Union Chemist& Druggist, 5603/F20B 25/08/2011 24/08/2021 4542/F20B Wholesale (Godown), H No. 222/2, Feira Alto, 5605/F21B 4543/F21B Mapuca Bardez – Goa. 5604/F20D 6 M/s. Drogaria Colvalcar, 5925/F20D 09/11/2017 09/11/2019 156/F20B New Drug House, Devki Krishna Nagar, Opp. 6481/F20 B 157/F21B Fomento Agriculture, Mapuca, Bardez – Goa. 6482/F21B 121/F20D 5067/F20G 08/11/2022 5067/20G 7 M/s. Sharada Scientific House, 5730/F20B 07/11/1990 31/12/2021 1358/F20B Bhavani Apts, Dattawadi Road, Mapuca Goa. 5731/F21B 1359/F21B 8 M/s. Valentino F. Pinto, 6893/F20B 01/03/2013 28/02/2023 716/F20B H. No. 5/77A, Altinho Mapuca –Goa. 6894/F21B 717/F21B 9 M/s.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Social and Economic Development
    Journal of Social and Economic Development Vol. 4 No.2 July-December 2002 Spatial Poverty Traps in Rural India: An Exploratory Analysis of the Nature of the Causes Time and Cost Overruns of the Power Projects in Kerala Economic and Environmental Status of Drinking Water Provision in Rural India The Politics of Minority Languages: Some Reflections on the Maithili Language Movement Primary Education and Language in Goa: Colonial Legacy and Post-Colonial Conflicts Inequality and Relative Poverty Book Reviews INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHANGE BANGALORE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (Published biannually in January and July) Institute for Social and Economic Change Bangalore–560 072, India Editor: M. Govinda Rao Managing Editor: G. K. Karanth Associate Editor: Anil Mascarenhas Editorial Advisory Board Isher Judge Ahluwalia (Delhi) J. B. Opschoor (The Hague) Abdul Aziz (Bangalore) Narendar Pani (Bangalore) P. R. Brahmananda (Bangalore) B. Surendra Rao (Mangalore) Simon R. Charsley (Glasgow) V. M. Rao (Bangalore) Dipankar Gupta (Delhi) U. Sankar (Chennai) G. Haragopal (Hyderabad) A. S. Seetharamu (Bangalore) Yujiro Hayami (Tokyo) Gita Sen (Bangalore) James Manor (Brighton) K. K. Subrahmanian Joan Mencher (New York) (Thiruvananthapuram) M. R. Narayana (Bangalore) A. Vaidyanathan (Thiruvananthapuram) DTP: B. Akila Aims and Scope The Journal provides a forum for in-depth analysis of problems of social, economic, political, institutional, cultural and environmental transformation taking place in the world today, particularly in developing countries. It welcomes articles with rigorous reasoning, supported by proper documentation. Articles, including field-based ones, are expected to have a theoretical and/or historical perspective. The Journal would particularly encourage inter-disciplinary articles that are accessible to a wider group of social scientists and policy makers, in addition to articles specific to particular social sciences.
    [Show full text]
  • The Other Face of Fanaticism
    February 2, 2003 The Other Face of Fanaticism By PANKAJ MISHRA New York Times Magazine On the evening of Jan. 30, 1948, five months after the independence and partition of India, Mohandas Gandhi was walking to a prayer meeting on the grounds of his temporary home in New Delhi when he was shot three times in the chest and abdomen. Gandhi was then 78 and a forlorn figure. He had been unable to prevent the bloody creation of Pakistan as a separate homeland for Indian Muslims. The violent uprooting of millions of Hindus and Muslims across the hastily drawn borders of India and Pakistan had tainted the freedom from colonial rule that he had so arduously worked toward. The fasts he had undertaken in order to stop Hindus and Muslims from killing one another had weakened him, and when the bullets from an automatic pistol hit his frail body at point-blank range, he collapsed and died instantly. His assassin made no attempt to escape and, as he himself would later admit, even shouted for the police. Millions of shocked Indians waited for more news that night. They feared unspeakable violence if Gandhi's murderer turned out to be a Muslim. There was much relief, also some puzzlement, when the assassin was revealed as Nathuram Godse, a Hindu Brahmin from western India, a region relatively untouched by the brutal passions of the partition. Godse had been an activist in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (National Volunteers Association, or R.S.S.), which was founded in the central Indian city of Nagpur in 1925 and was devoted to the creation of a militant Hindu state.
    [Show full text]
  • Cornerstone Forum a Conversation on Religious Freedom and Its Social Implications No
    Cornerstone Forum A Conversation on Religious Freedom and Its Social Implications No. 87. June 30, 2016 Reflections from the Margins on Independence Day John Dayal Human rights and peace activist On this day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits the United States for the first time since his visa ban was lifted. On this momentous occasion, Cornerstone revisits the implications of Modi's rise to power. ​ ​ --- It is not a jubilee year for independent India, but it is nonetheless a landmark anniversary. Not since Mrs. Indira Gandhi lost office and Mr. Morarji Desai assumed power at the head of the Janata Party has there been such a drastic change, even a reversal, of ideologies, policies, and a vision for the future. The factors that led to the defeat of Mrs. Gandhi in 1977 are now well known. She halted democracy in its tracks and gifted the country’s governance to her son Mr. Sanjay Gandhi, who emerged as the undisputed extra-constitutional center of power and authority. For all practical purposes, the Constitution was suspended, and an unofficial dictatorship came into being. I mention the Emergency [1975-1977] for two reasons. The first reason for the total recall is that the Emergency shattered the belief that the foundations of Indian democracy are so strong and rooted in the Freedom Struggle that they cannot be shaken even momentarily. The second is that a “popular” and “strong” leader with a mass following and little opposition—and perhaps assisted by extra-constitutional power centers—can if she or he wants to, do just about anything with the governance machinery.
    [Show full text]
  • List of Representation /Objection Received Till 31St Aug 2020 W.R.T. Thomas & Araujo Committee Sr.No Taluka Village Name of Applicant Address Contact No
    List of Representation /Objection Received till 31st Aug 2020 w.r.t. Thomas & Araujo committee Sr.No Taluka Village Name of Applicant Address Contact No. Sy.No. Penha de Leflor, H.no 223/7. BB Borkar Road Alto 1 Bardez Leo Remedios Mendes 9822121352 181/5 Franca Porvorim, Bardez Goa Penha de next to utkarsh housing society, Penha 2 Bardez Marianella Saldanha 9823422848 118/4 Franca de Franca, Bardez Goa Penha de 3 Bardez Damodar Mono Naik H.No. 222 Penha de France, Bardez Goa 7821965565 151/1 Franca Penha de 4 Bardez Damodar Mono Naik H.No. 222 Penha de France, Bardez Goa nill 151/93 Franca Penha de H.No. 583/10, Baman Wada, Penha De 5 Bardez Ujwala Bhimsen Khumbhar 7020063549 151/5 Franca France Brittona Mapusa Goa Penha de 6 Bardez Mumtaz Bi Maniyar Haliwada penha de franca 8007453503 114/7 Franca Penha de 7 Bardez Shobha M. Madiwalar Penha de France Bardez 9823632916 135/4-B Franca Penha de H.No. 377, Virlosa Wada Brittona Penha 8 Bardez Mohan Ramchandra Halarnkar 9822025376 40/3 Franca de Franca Bardez Goa Penha de Mr. Raju Lalsingh Rathod & Mrs. Rukma r/o T. H. No. 3, Halli Wado, penha de 9 Bardez 9765830867 135/4 Franca Raju Rathod franca, Bardez Goa Penha de H.No. 236/20, Ward III, Haliwada, penha 8806789466/ 10 Bardez Mahboobsab Saudagar 134/1 Franca de franca Britona, Bardez Goa 9158034313 Penha de Mr. Raju Lalsingh Rathod & Mrs. Rukma r/o T. H. No. 3, Halli Wado, penha de 11 Bardez 9765830867 135/3, & 135/4 Franca Raju Rathod franca, Bardez Goa Penha de H.No.
    [Show full text]
  • If Goa Is Your Land, Which Are Your Stories? Narrating the Village, Narrating Home*
    If Goa is your land, which are your stories? Narrating the Village, Narrating Home* Cielo Griselda Festinoa Abstract Goa, India, is a multicultural community with a broad archive of literary narratives in Konkani, Marathi, English and Portuguese. While Konkani in its Devanagari version, and not in the Roman script, has been Goa’s official language since 1987, there are many other narratives in Marathi, the neighbor state of Maharashtra, in Portuguese, legacy of the Portuguese presence in Goa since 1510 to 1961, and English, result of the British colonization of India until 1947. This situation already reveals that there is a relationship among these languages and cultures that at times is highly conflictive at a political, cultural and historical level. In turn, they are not separate units but are profoundly interrelated in the sense that histories told in one language are complemented or contested when narrated in the other languages of Goa. One way to relate them in a meaningful dialogue is through a common metaphor that, at one level, will help us expand our knowledge of the points in common and cultural and * This paper was carried out as part of literary differences among them all. In this article, the common the FAPESP thematic metaphor to better visualize the complex literary tradition from project "Pensando Goa" (proc. 2014/15657-8). The Goa will be that of the village since it is central to the social opinions, hypotheses structure not only of Goa but of India. Therefore, it is always and conclusions or recommendations present in the many Goan literary narratives in the different expressed herein are languages though from perspectives that both complement my sole responsibility and do not necessarily and contradict each other.
    [Show full text]
  • 1. BOOKS and AUTHORS Nobel Literature
    1. BOOKS AND AUTHORS Nobel Literature Rabindranath Tagore Gitanjali Gora Gardner The post office Hungry stones The king of dark chamber The home and the world Chandalika VS Naipaul In a free state A bend in the river An area of darkness The Mystic masseur India : A million mutinies now Half a life A house for Mr. Biswas Magic seeds Amartya sen The argumentative Indian Growth economics The idea of justice On economic inequality Identity and violence : The illusion of destiny Commodities and capabilities Inequality re-examined Equality of capacity. 2. STATES AND THIER CHIEF MINISTERS. Andhra Pradesh - Shri YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Arunachal Pradesh - Shri Pema Khandu Assam - Shri Sarbananda Sonowal Bihar -Shri Nitish Kumar Chhattisgarh - Shri Bhupesh Baghel Delhi - Shri Arvind Kejriwal Goa - Shri Pramod Sawant Gujarat - Shri Vijaybhai R. Rupani Haryana - Shri Manohar Lal Himachal Pradesh -Shri Jairam Thakur Jharkhand - Shri Hemant Soren Karnataka - Sri B. S. Yediyurappa Kerala - Shri Pinarayi Vijayan Madhya Pradesh - Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Maharashtra - Shri Uddhav Thackeray Manipur - Shri N. Biren Singh Meghalaya - Shri Conrad Kongkal Sangma Mizoram - Shri Pu Zoramthanga Nagaland - Shri Neiphiu Rio Odisha - Shri Naveen Patnaik Puducherry (UT) - Shri. V. Narayanasamy Punjab - Shri Capt. Amarinder Singh Rajasthan - Shri Ashok Gehlot Sikkim - Shri PS Golay Tamil Nadu -Thiru Edappadi K. Palaniswami Telangana - Shri K Chandrasekhar Rao Tripura - Shri Biplab Kumar Deb Uttar Pradesh - Shri Yogi Aditya Nath Uttarakhand - Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of Christian Missions an Overview
    www.sosinclasses.com CHAPTER 4 IMPACT OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS AN OVERVIEW 4.1 The Impact of missions, a summing up 4.2 Christian missions and English education CHAPTER FOUR IMPACT OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS-AN OVERVIEW 4.1 The impact of missions, a summing up In the preceding part an attempt was made to understand the Christian missions in India in terms of western missionary expansion. As stated earlier, India had a hoary tradition of tolerance and assimilation. This tradition was the creation of the syncretic Hindu mind eager to be in touch with all other thought currents. “Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides”1 was the prayer of the Hindu sages. The early converts to Christianity lived cordially in the midst of Hindus respecting one another. This facilitated the growth of Christianity in the Indian soil perfectly as an Indian religion. The course of cordiality did not run smooth. The first shock to the cordial relation between Christian community and non-Christians was received from the famous Synod of Diamper. Latin rites and ordinances were imposed forcefully and a new world of Christendom was threatened to be extended without caring to understand the social peculiarities of the place where it was expected to grow and prosper and ignoring the religio-cultural sensitivity of the people amidst whom the 1 Rigveda 1-89-1. www.sosinclasses.com 92 new religion was to exist. As pointed out earlier the central thrust of the activities of the Jesuit missions established in India during the second half of sixteenth century was proselytizing the native population to Christianity.
    [Show full text]
  • Sr. II N O. 8 Ext. 2.Pmd
    Reg. No. G-2/RNP/GOA/32/2015-2017 RNI No. GOAENG/2002/6410 Panaji, 31st May, 2017 (Jyaistha 10, 1939) SERIES II No. 8 PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY EXTRAORDINARY No. 2 GOVERNMENT OF GOA hereinbelow and so on as mentioned in the Notification No. 19/6/DP/Reservation/2011/1698 Department of Panchayati Raj and dated 8-05-2012. Community Development This order shall have effect for the purpose of Directorate of Panchayats ensuing General Elections 2017 to the Village __ Panchayats of State of Goa. Notification SCHEDULE–A No. 19/DP/Reservation/2017/2558 Name of the District–North Goa In exercise of the powers conferred by Clause Name of the Name of the Village Panchayats (c) of Section 45 of the Goa Panchayat Raj Act, 1994 Taluka/Block where the post of Sarpanch (Goa Act 14 of 1994), the Government of Goa hereby is reserved for women reserves the offices of Sarpanchas of the Village 12 Panchayats as specified in the Schedule–A hereto and the offices of Deputy Sarpanchas of the Village (I) Satari (1) Guleli. Panchayats as specified in Schedule–B hereto for (2) Mauxi. women. (3) Morlem and The reservation of offices of Sarpanchas and Dy. (4) Pissurlem. Sarpanchas for women shall allotted by rotation (II) Bicholim (1) Mencurem-Dhumacem. during every subsequent general election to the (2) Navelim. Village Panchayats, as specified in Schedule–A, (3) Naroa. Schedule–B and Schedule–C, hereto respectively. (4) Ona-Maulingem- -Curchirem and Explanation: For the purpose of this Order, (5) Pale-Cothombi. “rotation” means the reservation of offices of Sarpanchas of the Village Panchayats specified in (III) Bardez (1) Guirim.
    [Show full text]
  • Report on International Religious Freedom 2006: India
    India Page 1 of 22 India International Religious Freedom Report 2006 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor The constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. However, the Government sometimes did not act swiftly enough to counter effectively societal attacks against religious minorities and attempts by some leaders of state and local governments to limit religious freedom. This resulted in part from legal constraints on national government action inherent in the country's federal structure and from shortcomings in its law enforcement and justice systems, although courts regularly upheld the constitutional provision of religious freedom. Despite Government efforts to foster communal harmony, some extremists continued to view ineffective investigation and prosecution of attacks on religious minorities, particularly at the state and local level, as a signal that they could commit such violence with impunity, although numerous cases were in the courts at the end of the reporting period. While the National Government took positive steps in key areas to improve religious freedom, the status of religious freedom generally remained the same during the period covered by this report. The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) continued to implement an inclusive and secular platform based on respect for the country's traditions of secular government and religious tolerance, and the rights of religious minorities. Terrorists attempted to provoke religious conflict by attacking Hindu Temples in Ayodhya and Varanasi. The Government reacted in a swift manner to rein in Hindu extremists, prevent revenge attacks and reprisal, and assure the Muslim community of its safety.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Rights Annual Report 2005
    House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Human Rights Annual Report 2005 First Report of Session 2005–06 HC 574 House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Human Rights Annual Report 2005 First Report of Session 2005–06 Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 15 February 2006 HC 574 Published on 23 February 2006 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £0.00 Foreign Affairs Committee The Foreign Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the administration, expenditure and policy of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and its associated agencies. Current membership Mike Gapes (Labour, Ilford South), Chairman Mr Fabian Hamilton (Labour, Leeds North East) Rt Hon Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Conservative, Wells) Mr John Horam (Conservative, Orpington) Mr Eric Illsley (Labour, Barnsley Central) Mr Paul Keetch (Liberal Democrat, Hereford) Andrew Mackinlay (Labour, Thurrock) Mr John Maples (Conservative, Stratford-on-Avon) Sandra Osborne (Labour, Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) Mr Greg Pope (Labour, Hyndburn) Mr Ken Purchase (Labour, Wolverhampton North East) Rt Hon Sir John Stanley (Conservative, Tonbridge and Malling) Ms Gisela Stuart (Labour, Birmingham Edgbaston) Richard Younger-Ross (Liberal Democrat, Teignbridge) The following member was also a member of the committee during the parliament. Rt Hon Mr Andrew Mackay (Conservative, Bracknell) Powers The committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk. Publication The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House.
    [Show full text]
  • Parliamentary Documentation
    Parliamentary Documentation Vol.XLIII 16-31 March, 2017 No. 6 AGRICULTURE -AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 1. RAINA, Sunita and Others Analysing agriculture extension services for media mixes for transfer of technology. JOURNAL OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (HYDERABAD), V.35(No.3), 2016(Jul-Sep.2016): P.465-478. Highlights the role of mass media in providing and upgrading information for farming community, agricultural universities to accelerate agricultural productivity. **Agriculture-Agricultural Research; Agricultural Production; Mass Media. -FORESTS AND FORESTRY 2. DAYANI, S K and Others Potential of agroforestry systems in carbon sequestration in India. INDIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES (NEW DELHI), V.86(No.9), 2016(Sep.2016): P.1103-1110. **Agriculture-Forests and Forestry; Global Warming. -LAND ACQUISITION 3. VISEN, Sanjay Kumar Erroneous claims denied. ORGANISER (NEW DELHI), V.68(No.39), 2017(26.3.2017): P.42-43. Describes the salient feature of Enemy Property Act, 2016. **Agriculture-Land Acquisition. BIOGRAPHIES -CHATURVEDI, BAL KRISHNA 4. KAUSHIK, Narendra Grassroots administrator. GFILES (NEW DELHI), V.10(No.12), 2017(Mar. 2017): P.48-51. Applauds the achievements of Bal Krishna Chaturvedi, a bureaucrat and former Union Cabinet Secretary. **Biographies-CHATURVEDI, Bal Krishna; Bureaucracy-(India). -KUMARAN, P 5. MALLESWARA RAO, K. Durga Farewell to a pioneer pracharak. ORGANISER (NEW DELHI), V.68(No.38), 2017(19.3.2017): P.44. Pays tribute to P Kumaran, the first Sangh Pracharak from Kerala. **Biographies-KUMARAN, P; Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. 2 **-Keywords CENSUS AND POPULATION -CENSUS RECORDS-(INDIA) 6. IRUDAYA RAJAN and Others Update on trends in sex ratio at birth in India. ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL WEEKLY (MUMBAI), V.52(No.11), 2017(18.3.2017): P.14-16.
    [Show full text]