The All India Christian Council (AICC), partner of Christian Solidarity Worldwide has led a delegation meeting with the Indian Home Minister, to inform him of the problems faced by religious minorities. There has been increasing concern over increasing intimidation by Hindu extremist groups in the run up to a Hindu festival in Gujarat.

|TOP|The AICC delegation met with the Minister on 17th January. They went backed by the All India Confederation of Caste, the Scheduled Tribe Organisations and others. The AICC raised their fears about the Shabri Kumbh Mela (Urn Festival) festival in a remote district in Gujurat- Dangs. The festival is scheduled to take place from 11th-13th February.

The AICC delegation gave voice to its fears that the Hindu festival could stir up communal violence, and will have a significant environmental impact on the area. The district has previously been home to disturbance and anti-Christian violence, when in 1998, 36 rural churches were attacked over Christmas following provocation from Hindu extremist groups.

The AICC delegation has put forward a request to the Government, that the festival be prevented from taking place. Should the Government refuse the request however, the AICC has strongly suggested that the Government take measures to prevent serious religious violence from breaking out.

The organisers of the Hindu festival have used the slogan “Hindu Jago, Christi Bhagao”, which means “Arise Hindus, throw out the Christians”. The slogan has been used in order to stir up religious tension and give the people of Dangs a strong sense of Hindu identity.

About 185,000 people live in the area, most of them tribal Indians. Despite this the event is still hoping to attract some 500,000 attendants. Most of the Tribal Indians of the area are practising animists, the festival has been organised to “re-convert” them into Hindu’s.

|AD|The AICC has expressed its fears that the festival is part of a broader political plan, to increase support for the Hindu nationalist party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The area in which the festival is taking place has traditionally been a stronghold of the more secular Congress Party.

According to the AICC, the Gujarati government, under Chief Minister Modi, has contributed significant amounts of the festivals funding.

The President of the AICC, Dr Joseph D'Souza, said: "We can only imagine the kind of violence and communalism that will emanate if this event is allowed to happen... If the event is allowed, the AICC requests that the Government provides adequate supervision to maintain law and order and save innocent lives."

Dr D’Souza pointed out that the ceremony could cause some considerable social destruction in the Dangs district. Tribal people have a similar position to that of Dalits (untouchables) in the Hindu caste system. Thus far the Dangs tribal peoples have had little experience of the caste system. Dr D’Souza said that "the re-conversion ceremony will definitely include the tribal peoples into the realm of untouchability".

The Home Minister of India, Mr Shrivraj Patel gave assurances to the AICC delegates that sufficient precautions would be taken in order to prevent violence against the Gujarati Christian and Muslim minority communities.

The Chief Executive of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Mervyn Thomas said of the situation: "We fully support the AICC in its concerns as expressed to the Indian government. This festival has the potential for instigating large-scale violence and widespread communal tension and we would urge the Indian Government to do all within its power to ensure the safety of religious minority groups in the area. The tribal people of the Dangs area must be free to choose their religious allegiance without coercion."