Attack on lawyer-activist sign of growing religious intolerance

The recent attacks on civil society activists displayed an alarming trend of religious intolerance across the country, expressed a leading church body on Monday.

Referring to last week's attack on social activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan, the National Council of Churches in India said the attack on a Supreme Court lawyer in Delhi had exposed the lack of religious tolerance and free speech.

The assault on eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan raises serious concern over the moral fibre of our nation and its democratic values, the council for Protestant churches said.

Bhushan was beaten up by three youth, suspected to be from Sri Ram Sene as they were apparently upset with his stand on Jammu and Kashmir.

The assault took place on Wednesday inside Bhushan's chamber near the Supreme Court while he was giving an interview to a channel.

"This act of violence is not an isolated incident. Earlier the house of the prominent activist and author Ms. Arundhati Roy had been damaged. In Mumbai auto drivers had faced violence in the hands of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists some weeks back," said Samuel Jayakumar, secretary of NCCI's Commission on Policy.

"The NCCI is concerned over the growing intolerance and the way in which some right wing groups have been taking law into their own hands. The council calls for dialogue on such pertinent issues and holds strongly to the conviction that no dispute can be responded to with violence and damage to life and property," said Jayakumar.

Prashant Bhushan is a senior advocate and an activist who has taken up various public interest litigations including the question of reservations for Dalit Christians.

Commenting on the incident, Christian activist Franklin Cesar, a petitioner in the Supreme Court on Dalit Christian demands said, "Bhushan was attacked because of his support for minorities and oppressed communities. Strong action must be taken against such offenders."

Earlier, the Catholic Church condemned the attack in strongest terms and appealed to the police to take stern actions.

"I am pained though not surprised that some lunatic elements in our society in the name of nationalism could take law into their own hands and attack a noted Supreme Court advocate known to be fighting for human right issues," said Archbishop Vincent M Concessao of Delhi.

The archbishop said such attacks have become the trademark of Ram Sene goons who in 2008 attacked Christians, including nuns, in Karnataka on the false accusations of conversion and had also attacked young boys and girls in pubs around Valentine's Day.

Several Rights activists, representatives of civil society organisations and political leaders have condemned Wednesday's attack on Bhushan.

Two of the attackers left behind pamphlets that accused the senior lawyer of attacking the country's unity and integrity in the name of human rights. The outfits accused him of pushing his "hidden agenda" by associating himself with India Against Corruption.

The accused have been booked for entering into a conspiracy to commit house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt.