Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE Research Response Number: IND34243 Country: India Date: 30 January 2009 Keywords: India – Punjab – Christians – Hindus – 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 Muslims, dalits and adivasis (tribal people). Concerns about discrimination based on religion, 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 Bathinda 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 Sangrur district 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 religions of Christianity and Sikhism. 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 Sidhu’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 Christmas 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 Bathinda district 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 gurdwara to oppose this prayer meeting and they connived together, making false allegations of forcible conversion. The Saffron brigade alleged the pastors were forcing poor Dalit families to convert.