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Refugee Review Tribunal

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: IND34243 Country: Date: 30 January 2009

Keywords: India – – Christians – – Communal violence – State protection

This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services 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. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein.

Questions

1. Is there conflict (including violence) between Hindus and Christians in Punjab? 2. To what extent is the government providing protection to victims of violence? 3. Are Christians discriminated against by the authorities?

RESPONSE

1. Is there conflict (including violence) between Hindus and Christians in Punjab? 2. To what extent is the government providing protection to victims of violence? 3. Are Christians discriminated against by the authorities?

Reports abound of conflict and violence between Hindus and Christians in India in general and to a less extent in Punjab while almost all the reports depict Hindus as the perpetrators. Several Christian organizations have recorded a large number of incidents of attacks on Christians by Hindus in recent years. One of them, Compass Direct News describes 2007 as the most violent year (US Department of State 2008, International Religious Freedom Report – India, 19 September, Section III – Attachment 1).

In 2001, Amnesty International commented that:

International attention continued to focus on violence against Christian minorities but victims of apparently state-backed violence in several areas included , dalits and (tribal people). Concerns about discrimination based on , particularly directed at members of the Christian community, were heightened by statements made by members of right-wing Hindu groups which appeared to encourage the use of violence. Attacks on members of Christian communities and church property continued (Amnesty International 2001, Annual Report 2001 – India – Attachment 2).

To give further details of the nature and extent of conflict and violence in Punjab and the government response, some of the reports are listed below:

• Until recently, members of BJP, RSS, Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and VHP would either attack Christians directly or use the media to accuse the Christians of Conversion. But since the formation of the coalition government between Akali Dal (B) and BJP in Punjab, they have started using some of the members of the Sikh Community against Christians.

On 10 September 2008, the police arrested a local evangelist Bahadur Giri along with two Christians Daljeet and Malkait Singh under Section 295A on charges of burning the Sikh Holy Scriptures. After five days of police custody the three were bailed out on 15 September 2008, but a case has been registered against them in the court.

On 16 September 2008, another Christian convert Balkaran Singh was arrested under the above mentioned charges without any proof whatsoever. Later he was released on bail. Around 30 pastors from different districts of Punjab met the District Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police of District and submitted a memorandum stating cases of Christians being falsely implicated (All India Christian Council 2008, ‘New attacks in Orissa, Karnataka, Punjab, and Kerala’, 21 September http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/2406/45/ - Accessed 22 January 2009 – Attachment 3).

• Bajrang Dal activists converted a Christian church into a gurudwara in Lehragaga of of Punjab on April 10, 2007. Later Sikh leaders came to the rescue of the Christians.

Sources told the All India Christian Council (AICC) that Pastor Malok Singh from Lehragaga was falsely accused of rape by Bajrang Dal activists. He was arrested under 109 section of the India Penal Code (IPC) and remained in jail until he was bailed out on April 18, 2007.

In connection with the allegation against Pastor Singh, Bajrang Dal activists numbering over 100 came and attacked the church. The AICC was told that church furniture was broken and musical instruments were stolen, A Granth Sahib (Sikh religious scripture) was placed inside the church, holy reading of Granth Sahib was conducted, and church signboard was changed into Gurudwara Sahib.

It has also been reported that Bibles were torn inside the church and large number of Christian literature was taken by two lorries to undisclosed place and reportedly burned.

A source said that Sikh leaders along with police personnel restored the church by removing the Granth Sahib placed inside the church.

Church members have filed a complaint against the Bajrang Dal activists at Lehragaga Police Station for provoking enmity among two of and . The complaint against the culprits was lodged under the IPC sections 295, 452, 447, 506, 148, and 149 on April 11, 2007.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Mr. Balraj Singh reported to the AICC that the District Magistrate has set up an enquiry commission under the leadership of Sunam Sub-Divisional Magistrate to submit a report within two weeks.

No arrests of Bajrang Dal activists have been reported, while pastor Singh was arrested within short time of the complaint against him (All India Christian Council 2007, ‘Hindutva Forces Convert Church into Gurudwara in Punjab: Sikh leaders come to the rescue of Christians’, 10 April http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/1279/42/ - Accessed 21 January 2009 – Attachment 4).

• The accused three pastors from Bathinda in Punjab have been sent to judicial custody after producing them in the court 12 March 2007. As the case has been booked under section 326, 307, they cannot have bail for 90 days. Only the High Court can overrule and release them on bail. Meanwhile the Government of Punjab transferred both DSP and SI for providing protection to Christians. Disturbed by the development, the Christian community has appealed to All India Christian Council (aicc) to do the needful to get the three Pastors released on bail. It may be recalled the three Pastors were arrested and charged with attempts on the lives of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists at Bathinda in Punjab. Fifteen women were having a prayer service in Pastor Amit ’s home in Bathinda on 10 March 2007 when a group of VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders came and asked them to stop. The matter was brought to the attention of other local Christians, resulting in a clash with VHP and Bajrang Dal activists. The sources said a VHP activist was severely injured and later Pastor Kulwan Raj, Chootta Singh and Harfool Singh were booked with an attempt on the lives of VHP activists. On the following day, Vijay Bhardwaj, general secretary of VHP, and Sumit Kumar, co- coordinator of Bajrang Dal, led a group 50 Hindutva activists and tried to attack the occupants of Pastor Amit Sidhu’s house. The police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd, resulting in some of them getting injured. Gurjit Romana, Station House Officer of city police station, who protected the Christians from VHP and Bajrang Dal activists has been suspended.

The three accused pastors, who were produced before the magistrate on 12 March 2007, have been put in police custody for 24 days. “Christians have been targeted because they exercised their voting rights, and VHP and Bajrang Dal activists were angry that Christians voted against their political alliances,” one victimized Christian said.

A complaint has been registered against VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders for abusing Christian women (All India Christian Council 2007, ‘Three Pastors sent to jail in Punjab’, 12 March http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/736/45/ - Accessed 21 January 2009 – Attachment 5).

• A recent anti-Christian incident occurred in Punjab, in northwest India where 15 GFA Bible students were attacked by about 40 militants on March 26 [2007]. The Christian students had refused to stop sharing the Gospel in their village despite extremists threatening them to stop (Riley, Jennifer 2007, ‘Persecution in India Rises with Increased Hindu-Christian Conversions’, Christian Post, 5 April http://www.christianpost.com/Intl/Persecution/2007/04/persecution-in- india-rises-with-increased-hindu-christian-conversions-05/index.html – Attachment 6).

• The worst episodes of anti-Christian violence occurred in Punjab and Chhatisgarh, where Hindu nationalist groups have threatened those who celebrate the birth of Christ...

In Punjab, local police arrested a pastor from the Good Shepherd Community Churches, releasing him after warning him of serious consequences “if he celebrated speaking about Christ.”

Two other Protestant leaders received the same treatment. They were arrested on December 23 and released the next day after they were warned “not to preach the Gospel anymore”. For the All India Christian Council, these “are but a few examples because it is impossible to report every episode of violence and persecution that have taken place in this period” (‘INDIA: Indian Christians suffer persecution on Christmas day’ 2006, Aisa.News.it, 28 December http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8103# - Accessed 21 January 2009 – Attachment 7).

• The radical Hindu groups VHP and Bajrang Dal attacked a Pastor in Punjab this weekend.

On March 10th, four persons were injured following an attack on Christians by Hindu radicals in in the state of Punjab.

In Gobin Pura village, in Bathinda district of Punjab, a prayer meeting was convoked at the house of a Sikh convert to Christianity.

VHP and the Bajrang Dal activists instigated the local village to oppose this prayer meeting and they connived together, making false allegations of forcible conversion. The brigade alleged the pastors were forcing poor Dalit families to convert.

Under pressure, the prayer meeting was cancelled (International Christian Concern 2007, 'Punjab Hindu radicals attack Christians and shut down prayer service', Persecution.org website, 3 November http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newsdetail.php?newscode=4768 - Accessed 21 January 2009 – Attachment 8).

• [...] in the northeastern state of Punjab where Hindu militants forced the cancellation of a prayer meeting, after attacking the Christians, the GCIC [Global Council of Indian Christians] said. At least four people were injured in the attack in Gobin Pura village in Punjab’s Bathinda district, Indian Christians said (‘Indian Hindu Militants Burn Down Church, Attack Pastors’ 2007, Worthy News, 15 March http://www.worthynews.com/1297-indian-hindu-militants-burn-down- church-attack-pastors - Accessed 21 January 2009 – Attachment 9).

• In June 2000 [...] A Christian pastor, Rev Masih, is murdered in northern Punjab state; the Punjab Christian Association says that this is part of a concerted campaign by Hindu militants against Christians in the area (Christian Solidarity Worldwide 2002, ‘India’ http://www.cswusa.com/Countries/India.htm - Accessed 21 January 2009 – Attachment 10).

• [...] a village near Bhatinda, Govindpura [in Punjab] on 12.3.2007 where a socially segregated community of Dalits were holding a peaceful congregation. They were doing bible reading from bibles translated into good, simple, spoken Punjabi in rural Punjab. In came the right-wing Hindu goon's of the Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena and Vishav Hindu Parishid, the attack force of the RSS and its political wing the BJP. They kicked the bibles out of the hands of the congregation, tore their literature, and spilt their broth, made with their hard earned money by working as labourers. They were beaten and humiliated—mainly the women folk. They were attacked by the right-wing Hindus belonging to the Vishav Hindu Parishid (VHP) leader Vijay Bhardwaj along with Bajrang Dal Sunil Kumar who falsely accused them of conversion of other villagers to Christianity [...]

This same gang of Hindu goons had, after disturbing and disrupting the Christian gathering at close by village Govindpura, proceeded to this city, surrounded the house of the pastor, were in the process of setting it on fire and roasting the small Christian community within alive in the same manner as their extremist Hindu organization had set ablaze an Australian Christian and his three sons while they slept in their van in far away Orissa. Luckily a plucky Station House Officer, a Sikh Inspector of Police Gurjit Singh Ramana sensing trouble rushed to the spot whereby these Hindu scalawags fled. Soon enough the Inspector of Police was transferred from that police station from orders of Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal [...]

on 17 April 2007 [...] in a southern town of this district the Vishav Hindu Parishad and Bajring Dal Hindu goons descended in a mob to the local Christian church, beat up the Christian gathering, tore the bibles and mischiefly placed the Sikh Holy Scripture the in the Church. Our local party leader of Shiromani Akali Dal () sensing trouble, immediately along with other party cadres reached the church under attack, chased away the Hindu goons and respectfully restored the holy Guru Granth Sahib to the Gurdwara from where these ultra nationalist Hindu's had forcibly carried it to the church [...]

Hushiarpore where on 14.11.2007 Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal cadres went wild and fanatic Hindu ultra's burst into a marriage palace where the Christian community was holding a peaceful congregation. They thrashed the faithful and the pastor and made them flee the hall, with many Christian ladies leaving the premises so hurriedly that they left their bags and shoes behind (Mann, Simranjit Singh 2007, ‘Christians and Muslims under attack in Punjab’, The Panthic Weekly, 21 November http://www.panthic.org/news/125/ARTICLE/3693/2007-11- 21.html# - Accessed 21 January 2009 – Attachment 11).

• Religious press outlets reported that on April 16, 2006, in Bathinda, Punjab, a group of approximately five Hindu extremists led by the RSS broke up an Easter Day event at the home of a member of the "House of Prayer," an independent Christian denomination, warning its members not to hold further meetings and vandalizing some of the property. When the pastor attempted to register a FIR, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) reprimanded him for his Christian activities and told him that he required permission from the district magistrate to hold this event. On May 4, 2006, after All-India Christian Council (AICC) leaders contacted the superintendent, he recanted and permitted the services. Two Shiv Sena members and another man were arrested for the raid, but were released the same day (US Department of State 2006, International Religious Freedom Report: India, 15 September, Section II – Attachment 12. See also ‘INDIA: Police investigate Easter attack on Church in Punjab’ 2006, Compass Direct, 9 May 2006 – Attachment 13).

• Duggalwala village, Taran Taran district, 2 July: church attacked in presence of police - A mob of 20 people, reportedly led by Pyara Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Bachitar Singh and Ajayab Singh, entered the church in Duggalwala village [in Punjab] during its Sunday service, ransacking the building and physically assaulting a number of the worshippers. Among those injured were Pastor Bagh Masih and a member of the congregation, Mr Bakshish, who was hospitalised. Later that night, around 50 men went to the hospital where Mr Bakshish was being treated, threatened him with death if he did not leave the hospital and then forcibly removed him. Pastor Bagh Masih had been receiving threats demanding that he leave the church.

The attack took place in the presence of police, who had been deployed following a High Court order to ensure the protection of the Christians, but they failed to intervene. Subsequently, police officers allegedly passed on a false report to their superiors, and refused to file an FIR. No action was taken against the perpetrators (Christian Solidarity Worldwide [undated], ‘Briefing: Annual Report 2006 - India: Religious Discrimination and Violence against Christians’, p 36 – Attachment 14).

• [... ] on 16 April 2006, a group of men belonging to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bajrang Dal led by one Sukhpal Singh came to Pastor Kulwanth Singh’s home when they were celebrating Easter. They forced them to stop all the worship services [...]

Pastor Singh informed the matter to other Christian leaders in the town and then went to Railway Police Station to file a First Information Report (FIR). When Station House Officer (SHO) Gurjeet Singh refused to oblige them, they approached Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Birendra Kumar. Instead of coming to the rescue of the Pastor and his people, the officer reprimanded him for carrying out Christian activities. Birendra Kumar asked the Pastor to get permission from the District Collector to have the Christian Satsang. However soon after reporting to the police, two RSS and Bajrang Dal activists were arrested, only to be released on bail the same day. Christian leaders of Bathinda [in Punjab] tried to meet Birendra Kumar thereafter but he refused to meet them under one pretext or the other. Pastor Singh and other Christian leaders went to the office of the police official on 2 May 2006. No sooner had they arrived than Birendra Kumar walked away. On 3 May 2006, Pastor Singh and other Christian leaders went once again to the office of SSP and waited for hours to meet the police official but in vain (All India Christian Council 2006, ‘Hindu extremists stop Christian worship gathering in Punjab’, 5 May http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/912/45/ - Accessed 21 January 2009 – Attachment 15).

• Accusing the pastor of an independent church in the northern state of Punjab of “forcible conversion” [to Christianity from ], an Indian woman from Canada and three unidentified youths on February 8 beat the Christian leader so severely that he required hospital treatment. (, Vishal 2006, ‘INDIA: Pastor beaten for ‘forcible conversion’ in Punjab’, Compass Direct, 22 February – Attachment 16).

• [...] police who had taken several Christians into custody, presumably to protect them from Hindu extremists, instead beat them in jail. At least 40 Christians were praying at a home in Maloud the night of September 25 when a mob, including members of the Hindu extremist group Bajrang Dal, stormed the house. The mob threatened the Christians and beat some of them. The believers called the police, and four of them – Gurdev Singh, Balkaran Singh, Jaswant Singh and Amar Singh, a pastor – were taken into custody, as the mob had grown increasingly violent. At the police station, however, Hukum Chand Sharma, assistant sub- inspector of the Maloud Police station, repeatedly struck the Christians, gravely injuring Gurdev Singh and Amar Singh. He later also beat a 60-year-old pastor, Sukhdev Singh, who was later hospitalized with serious injuries (Lal, Vijayesh 2005, ‘INDIA: Police beat Christians in Punjab State, India, Compass Direct, 3 October – Attachment 17).

One of the rare reports of Christians suspected attacking Hindus in Punjab is provided by The Tribune. It comments that:

Five activists of the Punjab Christian Movement (PCM), who were arrested on Sep 26 in connection with attack on RSS activists in , were bailed out from Phagwara jail yesterday.

Three persons, including a woman, were injured in a clash which broke out between the activists of the two groups when PCM workers were holding a protest march opposing the proposed visit of RSS chief, Mr K.C. Sudarshan to Jalandhar on October 2 (‘PCM activists get bail’ 2005, The Tribune, 16 October, Jalandhar online edition http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051017/jal.htm#6 - Accessed 30 January 2009 – Attachment 18).

As to the difficulties suffered by Christians and the authorities’ attitudes towards different religions, the 2008 US Department of State International Religious Freedom Report comments that:

Article 17 of the Constitution outlawed untouchability; however, members of lower castes remained in a disadvantageous position. The Government continued to implement a quota system which reserved government jobs and places in higher education institutions for SC/ST [Scheduled Castes and Scheduled ] members belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist religious groups, but not for Christians or Muslims.

Christian groups filed a court case demanding that SC converts to Christianity and enjoy the same access to "reservations" as other SC and argued that Christian SC suffer from the same caste-based socioeconomic and political stigmas and discrimination. The usual counterargument is that there is no caste system in Christianity and, therefore, no need to extend reservations to SC Christians. The case was appealed to the Supreme Court, which had not ruled by the end of the reporting period. Reservations existed in Andhra Pradesh for Muslims. Reservations also existed for certain Muslim other backward caste (OBC) grouping communities in Maharashtra. In May 2007 the Mishra Commission recommended 15 percent of jobs in government services and places in education institutions be reserved for minorities. The Commission also recommended including Muslim and Christian Dalits on the SC/ST list. [...]

There were no reports of forced religious conversions [...] Authorities arrested numerous Christians under state-level "anticonversion" laws during the reporting period for allegedly engaging in conversions by force, allurement, or fraud (for more information, see Abuses). Hindu nationalist organizations frequently alleged that Christian lured low-caste Hindus with offers of free education and healthcare and equated such actions with forced conversions. Christians responded that low-caste Hindus converted of their own free will and that efforts by Hindu groups to "reconvert" these new Christians to Hinduism were themselves accompanied by offers of remuneration and thus fraudulent. [...]

On October 22, 2007, the Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously passed a law granting Muslims and Christians belonging to the "Backward Classes" separate reservations (quotas) for education and employment. Each of the communities was to receive a 3.5 percent share in government jobs and educational opportunities. Approximately 90 percent of the Muslims and 75 percent of the Christians in Tamil Nadu belong to the "Backward Classes" and were already eligible for reservations alongside Hindu members of the "Backward Classes." The Andhra Pradesh Government allocated $474,000 (Rs. 20,145,000) in the 2008 budget as subsidies to Christians wanting to visit the Holy Land. (Section II. Status of Religious Freedom, Improvements and Positive Developments in Respect for Religious Freedom) [...]

Efforts at ecumenical understanding brought religious leaders together to defuse religious tensions. Prominent secularists of all religious groups made public efforts to show respect for other religious groups by celebrating their holidays and attending social events such as weddings. Muslim groups protested against the mistreatment of Christians by Hindu extremists. Christian clergy and spokespersons for Christian organizations issued public statements condemning anti-Muslim violence in places such as Gujarat. [...]

The issue of conversion of Hindus or members of lower castes to Christianity remained highly sensitive and resulted in assaults and/or arrests of Christians. However, Christians often held large public prayer meetings without violence or protests. [...] The AICC, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and the Christian Legal Association recorded at least 200 incidents of anti-Christian attacks, including 4 murders, before violence erupted in Orissa's Kandhamal district that killed at least 5 Christians and burned 730 houses and 95 churches" (US Department of State 2008, International Religious Freedom Report – India, 19 September, Section III. – Attachment 1).

As is outlined above, the Punjab state police has not been able to provide effective protection for victims of violence. It is attributed largely to the corruption permeating throughout the government agencies and politicization of the police. Referring to the scope of human rights violation and police corruption in India, the 2008 US Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices comments that:

Corruption in the police force was pervasive and acknowledged by many government officials. Officers at all levels acted with considerable impunity and were rarely held accountable for illegal actions. Should authorities find an officer guilty of a crime, transfer to a different post or position was the common response. Human rights activists and NGOs reported that bribery was often necessary to receive police services.

According the Ministry of Home Affairs, the NHRC [National Human Rights Commission] recorded 6,923 cases against the police; 35 against armed forces, and 39 against the paramilitary forces for violation of human rights during 2006…

During 2005 the Home Ministry reported 139 deaths in police custody. However, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) confirmed 1,730 deaths in police and judicial custody during the same time period. During 2006 the National Crimes Record Bureau reported 38 unnatural deaths in police custody. According to the Home Ministry's 2006-2007 Report, the NHRC reported 1,159 total deaths in police custody between April and December 2006 (US Department of State 2008, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: India, 11 March, Section I – Attachment 19).

Referring to the police and political corruption in Punjab, Punjab Newsline reports that:

• In Punjab where prosperity and corruption grow together, the extent to which a person is corrupt is often measured by his or her rank and social status. SS , former Punjab DGP -- a 1970 batch IPS officer of Maharashtra cadre -- represents the same class. His case is classic example of Police-criminal-politician nexus going strong in Punjab and other parts of India… Virk has himself admitted that he had rehabilitated about 300 Sikh terrorists who had helped police eliminate militancy. These terrorists were shown dead in police records and were given new identities. Virk is now accused of using these terrorists for land grabbing and extortion (Bains, Satinder 2007, ‘Former Punjab DGP Virk deserves no leniency’, Punjab Newsline, 30 September http://punjabnewsline.com/content/view/5908/93/ - Accessed 23 June 2008 – Attachment 20).

• The Amloh police has registered a case against Sub Inspector(SI) Hemant Kumar, Additional SHO of Amloh police station under various sections of Prevention of Corruption Act (Mehak, Gurpreet Singh 2008, ‘ additional SHO booked on corruption charges’, Punjab Newsline, 12 June http://punjabnewsline.com/content/view/10786/38/ - Accessed 23 June 2008 – Attachment 21).

• Taking congnizance of a sting operation by a private news channel (Zee News) in which some officials of the Nawanshahr police were shown accepting money for promoting and facilitating the sale of drugs and flesh trade in the district…Punjab ADGP(Intelligence) J.P.Virdi in announced that two sub inspectors and Surjit Singh have been dismissed from service. They were allegedly involved in flesh trade beside drug abuse (Sareen, Verinder 2006, ‘Two Punjab police officials dismissed after Zee TV sting operation’, Punjab Newsline, 27 September http://punjabnewsline.com/content/view/1663/38/ - Accessed 23 June 2008 – Attachment 22).

• The autocratic style of functioning of Amarinder Singh had derailed the Congress in Punjab much before the elections… Amarinder Singh had contested the 2003 assembly election on the single issue of corruption and he himself ended up more corrupt than any previous regime. The common people during Congress rule were left with little option for redressal of their grievances which is essential part of democracy. The network of corruption had became so organised that even senior journalists were made to pay bribe for their personal works (Bains, Satinder 2007, ‘Punjab finally gets rid of Amarinder autocracy’, Punjab Newsline, 13 March http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/3288/7/ - Accessed 23 June 2008 – Attachment 23).

Similarly, addressing the issue, The Tribune comments that:

A criminal case was today registered against Head Constable Amarjit Singh, Punjab Police (PP), posted in Mansa district and another policemen identified as Manjit Singh for their alleged involvement in making an attempt to kill Paramjit Kaur, a local resident and widow of a brother of the accused Amarjit Singh, yesterday (‘2 cops booked for attempt to kill’ 2004, The Tribune, 20 July http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040721/punjab1.htm#32 - Accessed 20 June 2008 – Attachment 24).

A 2005 survey conducted by the ORG Centre for Social Research, a division of AC Neilsen ORG-MARG reveals that the Punjab police is the most corrupt of Punjab state government departments (Dhaliwal, Sarbjit 2005, ‘Police most corrupt, says govt-sponsored survey’, The Tribune, 14 December http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051215/punjab1.htm - Accessed 20 June 2008 – Attachment 25).

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources : Government Information & Reports Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada http://www.irb- cisr.gc.ca/en/research/index_e.htm UK Home Office http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ US Department of State http://www.state.gov/ CIA Factbook https://www.cia.gov/ United Nations (UN) UNHCR http://www.unhcr.ch/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home Non-Government Organisations Amnesty International http://www.amnesty.org/ Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/ International News & Politics BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk Daily India http://www.dailyindia.com/ Daily Times http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/ Economic Times http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/ Frontline http://www.frontlineonnet.com/ Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ Punjab Newsline http://punjabnewsline.com/ Times http://www.hindustantimes.com/ India Daily http://www.indiadaily.com/ India Today http://www.india-today.com/itoday/ Khaleej Times http://www.khaleejtimes.com/Index00.asp rediff.com http://in.rediff.com/index.html The Telegraph http://www.telegraphindia.com/ The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ The Tribune http://www.tribuneindia.com/ Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Yahoo India News http://in.news.yahoo.com/ CBC News http://www.cbc.ca The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life http://pewforum.org/ Search Engines Google http://www.google.com.au/ Copernic http://www.copernic.com/

Databases: Public FACTIVA Reuters Business Briefing DIAC BACIS Country Information CISINFO DIAC Research Responses CISLIB CIS Library Catalogue REFINFO IRBDC Research Responses (Canada) UNHCR REFWORLD UNHCR Refugee Information CD-ROM MRT-RRT ISYS RRT Country Research database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. MRT-RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. US Department of State 2008, International Religious Freedom Report – India, 19 September.

2. Amnesty International 2001, Annual Report 2001 – India.

3. All India Christian Council 2008, ‘New attacks in Orissa, Karnataka, Punjab, and Kerala’, 21 September http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/2406/45/ - Accessed 22 January 2009.

4. All India Christian Council 2007, ‘Hindutva Forces Convert Church into Gurudwara in Punjab: Sikh leaders come to the rescue of Christians’, 10 April http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/1279/42/ - Accessed 21 January 2009.

5. All India Christian Council 2007, ‘Three Pastors sent to jail in Punjab’, 12 March http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/736/45/ - Accessed 21 January 2009.

6. Riley, Jennifer 2007, ‘Persecution in India Rises with Increased Hindu-Christian Conversions’, Christian Post, 5 April http://www.christianpost.com/Intl/Persecution/2007/04/persecution-in-india-rises-with- increased-hindu-christian-conversions-05/index.html - Accessed 21 January 2009.

7. ‘INDIA: Indian Christians suffer persecution on Christmas day’ 2006, Aisa.News.it, 28 December http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=8103# - Accessed 21 January 2009.

8. International Christian Concern 2007, 'Punjab Hindu radicals attack Christians and shut down prayer service', Persecution.org website, 3 November http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newsdetail.php?newscode=4768 - Accessed 21 January 2009.

9. ‘Indian Hindu Militants Burn Down Church, Attack Pastors’ 2007, Worthy News, 15 March http://www.worthynews.com/1297-indian-hindu-militants-burn-down-church- attack-pastors - Accessed 21 January 2009.

10. Christian Solidarity Worldwide 2002, ‘India’ http://www.cswusa.com/Countries/India.htm - Accessed 21 January 2009.

11. Mann, Simranjit Singh 2007, ‘Christians and Muslims under attack in Punjab’, The Panthic Weekly, 21 November http://www.panthic.org/news/125/ARTICLE/3693/2007-11-21.html# - Accessed 21 January 2009.

12. US Department of State 2006, International Religious Freedom Report: India, 15 September.

13. ‘INDIA: Police investigate Easter attack on Church in Punjab’ 2006, Compass Direct, 9 May 2006. (CISNET India CX153143)

14. Christian Solidarity Worldwide [undated], ‘Briefing: Annual Report 2006 - India: Religious Discrimination and Violence against Christians’.

15. All India Christian Council 2006, ‘Hindu extremists stop Christian worship gathering in Punjab’, 5 May http://indianchristians.in/news/content/view/912/45/ - Accessed 21 January 2009.

16. Arora, Vishal 2006, ‘INDIA: Pastor beaten for ‘forcible conversion’ in Punjab’, Compass Direct, 22 February. (CISNET India CX147471)

17. Lal, Vijayesh 2005, ‘INDIA: Police beat Christians in Punjab State, India, Compass Direct, 3 October. (CISNET India CX136502)

18. ‘PCM activists get bail’ 2005, The Tribune, 16 October, Jalandhar online edition http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051017/jal.htm#6 - Accessed 30 January 2009.

19. US Department of State 2008, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: India, 11 March.

20. Bains, Satinder 2007, ‘Former Punjab DGP Virk deserves no leniency’, Punjab Newsline, 30 September http://punjabnewsline.com/content/view/5908/93/ - Accessed 23 June 2008.

21. Mehak, Gurpreet Singh 2008, ‘Punjab police additional SHO booked on corruption charges’, Punjab Newsline, 12 June http://punjabnewsline.com/content/view/10786/38/ - Accessed 23 June 2008.

22. Sareen, Verinder 2006, ‘Two Punjab police officials dismissed after Zee TV sting operation’, Punjab Newsline, 27 September http://punjabnewsline.com/content/view/1663/38/ - Accessed 23 June 2008.

23. Bains, Satinder 2007, ‘Punjab finally gets rid of Amarinder autocracy’, Punjab Newsline, 13 March http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/3288/7/ - Accessed 23 June 2008.

24. ‘2 cops booked for attempt to kill’ 2004, The Tribune, 20 July http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040721/punjab1.htm#32 - Accessed 20 June 2008.

25. Dhaliwal, Sarbjit 2005, ‘Police most corrupt, says govt-sponsored survey’, The Tribune, 14 December http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051215/punjab1.htm - Accessed 20 June 2008.