VHP approaches minorities commission against Christian missionaries

A Vishwa Hindu Parishad-led delegation, comprising ethnic tribesmen from North-Eastern states and Punjab, on Tuesday met the National Minorities Commission and National Tribal Commission to submit evidence of alleged misdeeds by Christian missionaries.

The delegation was led by Vishwa Hindu Parishad's national spokesperson Surendra Jain and comprised representatives from the states of Tripura, Mizoram and Punjab.

"On September 10, Christian missionaries burnt the Guru Granth Sahib in Bhatinda. In Mizoram, a sub-divisional magistrate wrote a letter to a Chakma tribe family, asking it to give up its agricultural land for construction of a church. We have a copy of that," said Jain.

"We have submitted copies of documentary evidence, photographs and newspaper clippings of cases of missionary aggressions and forced conversions to both the commissions," he added.

The delegation handed over a memorandum to the Tribal Commission seeking their right to retain their culture, belief and livelihood. The delegation from Punjab approached the National Minorities Commission seeking protection of their minority status.

source: http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/sep/23vhp.htm

Jammu areas burn as protests continue

About eighty persons, including 15 police personnel received injures at various places in J&K, while a mob of five hundred Shiv Sainiks and activists of BJP attacked a police party in Durga Nagar on Jammu Bantalab road in the outskirts of Jammu city..

A MOB set a police vehicle on fire at Sector 2, Durga Nagar area of Bantalab on Thursday afternoon. Sources said that protesters at Muthi attacked the house of Congress minister Mula Ram. However, police guards posted there barred them from going inside.

Sources quoting eyewitnesses said that a group of Sena activists threw stones on police at various places, opposing revocation of land transfer to Amarnath Shrine Board.

The situation in Bantalab area of Jammu remained tense as a protesting mob attacked police vehicle and set it on fire. In an hour-long battle between police and protesting Hindu activists, about 20 persons, including five police personal were injured. The police also detained dozens of protesters from the area. Police fired dozens of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, but the vehicle was completely gutted and the driver was given a severe thrashing by the mob.

A heavy contingent of Rapid Action Force was reportedly called in the area. More than five old Kashmiri Pandit ladies were injured when police opened fire and burst teargas shells inside their homes. This was done when police was unable to control the protesters so they attacked the ladies in their houses in Sector 2 of Durga Nagar area.

In Bantalab, a group of protesting activists of various Hindu organisations damaged a building owned by former militant and Member of Legislative Council (MLC) late Javed Shah, which houses government middle school.

“Activists of BJP and Shiv Sena barged into the house of a Hindu Hurriyat leader, Sharma in Nanak Nagar area and ransacked it,” sources informed, adding pitched battles were fought between police and protesters in other parts of the city.

Dozens of persons were also reported to have been injured in separate areas of Jammu, where protesters threw stones despite imposition of curfew and section 144. As per reports about ten persons, including a driver have been injured in police-public clashes.

Reports from Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Ramban, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Poonch and Rajouri said pitched battles between police and the protesting Sena and BJP activists were reported.
Meanwhile, police opened fire and burst teargas shells to quell workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena, who demonstrated at various places across the state today. Source: http://india.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=136947

Centre closely monitoring situation in Jammu

New Delhi, July 3 (PTI) The Centre is closely monitoring the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and has also rushed in four companies of CRPF today for tackling increasing violence in the state over Amarnath land transfer issue.A spokesperson of CRPF, responsible for counter insurgency operations in the state, said four CRPF companies (nearly 400 personnel) have been sent to Jammu following fresh violence in the city.The Centre has also rushed a company of Rapid Action Force (RAF) to Indore in Madhya Pradesh after curfew was imposed in some areas of the city following a clash.Senior Home Ministry officials held a series of meetings besides talking to the state government officials to have a first-hand information about the situation in Jammu.Protesters halted trains, set afire vehicles and fought pitched battles with police at many places in Jammu region where 25 people were injured in fresh violence over the Amarnath land transfer revocation row.Shiv Sena activists barged into the house of a Hurriyat Conference leader and assaulted him as curfew clamped in several areas remained in force for the third day. PTI

VHP sees conspiracy behind land transfer row

Mumbai (PTI): The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Wednesday accused the Jammu and Kashmir and the Central governments of "conspiring" to stop Hindu pilgrimages and said the VHP will not allow that to happen in this country.

"The conspiracy is to stop the pilgrimage of Hindus in the name of preserving forest, mountain, sea shore and rivers", VHP leader Venkatesh Abdeo told reporters here today.

The Maharashtra unit of the VHP will join the nation-wide bandh on July 3 call given by its central leadership to protest against the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board land transfer issue in Jammu and Kashmir, Abedo said.

He said that if the Jammu and Kashimir government did not transfer the land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, then the government should take away the Haj houses from the Muslims.
He also demanded immediate halt of Haj subsidy and all other facilities given to the Muslims.

VHP in the state also urged people to support the shutdown by keeping their businesses and offices closed. They have also requested the schools and colleges in the state to remain closed.
"People should also boycott all goods made in Kashmir as a sign of protest," Abdeo added.

For security of the Amarnath devotees and to protect the state of Jammu and Kashmir from Jehadi terrorists the government should immediately quash the special status given to the state under Article 370 and should impose military rule in the state," Abdeo said.

Abdeo further said revocation of grant of land in Amarnath was `tip of the iceberg', as the real conspiracy was to stop all the Hindu pilgrimages.

VHP asks Centre to ensure security

GUWAHATI, June 29 – The Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP), North East chapter, today urged the Central Government to ensure safety and security to the Hindu pilgrims visiting the Amarnath shrine in Jammu and Kashmir. Taking strong exception to the volatile situation in J&K, Jyotish Chandra Pathak, president, VHP said, “If the situation is not brought under control immediately, it might hamper the existing communal harmony in the country.”Speaking to newsmen here at the Guwahati Press Club, the Parishad further demanded of the Government to set up a separate secretariat for the development of the Sattras and other religious institutions of the State, as it is done for char (riverine) area development.“Apart from setting up a separate secretariat for the development of the Sattras and other religious institutions of the State, we also demand that the Hindu pilgrims visiting various religious places like the Kamakya temple be given some sort of subsidy by the Government to facilitate their visits,” said Pathak.Pathak also rued that both the Central and the State Government are not doing enough to negate the activities of the fundamentalist organisation operating in the State, especially in the char areas.“Though the activities, as reported by various sections of the media, are increasing, the number of arrests made in this connection is very few and the intelligence wing of the law enforcing agencies has utterly failed to provide any concrete clue,” he rued. He also appealed to the people residing in and around the char areas to keep a strict vigil on anything suspicious and urged them to co-ordinate with the administration in this regard. “Activities of the fundamentalist forces are increasing in alarming proportions but the law enforcing agencies seemed to be least bothered about it, the latest case being that of a district court acquitting as many as 10 alleged ISI operatives owing to lack of concrete evidences,” Pathak asserted.“If the police did not have enough evidence then why were they arrested and if they were really ISI operatives and if there were enough evidences why were those not produced before the court?” he questioned. source: assam tribune