GLOBE COUNCIL OF INDIAN CHRISTIANS

Curb Sangh Parivar: Christians council

CHENNAI, SEPT. 29. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) has urged the Prime Minister to `curb' the activities of the Sangh Parivar and ban private militia as wells as organisations such as the Bajrang Dal to instil confidence in all sections.

While expressing "deep concern'' at the recent terrorist attack on the U.S., the GCIC examined its ramifications for India and made this appeal, urging the Prime Minister to shed his "Sangh Parivar mask and lead the country as a true statesman''.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr. Sajan K. George, GCIC convener, said the Centre should immediately convene the National Integration Council and a meeting of Chief Minister to "expand the dialogue between the majority and the minority communities to the grass roots level''. He wanted the Centre to declare any crime involving religious or ideological hatred 'terrorism'. India's stance on secularism, and not its army was the greatest long-term threat to anti-Indian sentiment, he said. "Any attempt to destroy secularism would destroy the republic built with the toil of all sections''.
As for the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India, he said the Government should place before Parliament all facts which led to the action. "Without justifying anything, the GCIC feels the wounds that caused militancy have to be healed''.

On its part, the GCIC would encourage the continuation of the dialogue started by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India and the National Council of Churches with the RSS.

Mr. Gnana Robinson, chairman, Peace Trust, Kannyakumari, said the GCIC and the Trust would organise regional meets to promote inter-faith conferences in different States from November.
"We want to encourage and enlarge the scope of dialogue among different communities for peace and harmony'', he added.

Hindu Nationalists Seek to 'Indianize' Christians
In a fresh attack on Christians and Muslims, the Hindu nationalist Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in demanding their Indianization. "We are not demanding conversion of Muslims and Christians into Hindus. For the sake of unity and integrity of the country, we are demanding that they should be indigenized, and be given Indian names," he said.

Last October, RSS chief K. S. Sudershan called on Christians and Muslims to cut their spiritual links with "foreign sources." In a separate development, the VHP's general secretary claimed that about 33,000 people had been converted to Christianity in the northern state of Sikkim in the last 25 years. He added that the figure was compiled by VHP workers touring villages, cautioning people against conversion.

Meanwhile the VHP says it is planning to revamp its image and highlight its "social work" component in the rural areas among the backward castes and tribals. According to VHP's chief of social projects, the aim is to counter the influence of Christian missionaries.