NCM lashes out at Rajasthan, M.P. Govts. for failing to protect Christians

New Delhi – After criticizing the Uttar Pradesh Government for failing to protect Muslims during April's riots in Aligarh, the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) has lashed out at two other Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)–ruled states, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for not taking adequate steps to protect Christian communities from persecutions by Hindu extremists.

The Commission, disturbed by the attacks on Dalit Christians in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in the past few months has expressed its dissatisfaction over the lack of response from the state authorities.

"We cannot say whether there is a pattern in these attacks but the frequency is disturbing. We have asked for a detailed report on these incidents," the newly–appointed NCM chairman, Mr. Mohammed Hamid Ansari said.

Noting that several attacks launched on Christian educational institutions in the recent past, including a Bible study group in a private home in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Ansari said that the state authorities have either remained unresponsive to such incidents of persecution or have colluded with the Hindu extremists.

NCM has also voiced its concerns over the news of attacks on the Emmanuel Mission International orphanages, schools and other missions in Rajasthan in April.

The arrest of Dr. Samuel Thomas, president, Hopegivers International, following complaints lodged by Hindu hardliners that the mission group published and promoted a controversial book, Haqiqat, which allegedly denigrates Hindu spiritual leaders and gods and goddesses, has drawn widespread protests with thousands of Christians marching through the streets of Rajasthan's capital Jaipur.

"The response we have got from the authorities has been unsatisfactory. We will now have to see how to proceed further," said Ansari.

The NCM, which has the powers of a civil court, is now contemplating asking specific officials to explain the unprecedented attacks on the Christians and even getting witnesses to give details of the incidents.

India is home to 150 million Muslims, the world's second largest population after Indonesia. Christians number 24 million in a population of over a billion people.