Team News Riveting
Raipur, December 23
The Sarva Samaj (all communities) in Chhattisgarh have called for a state-bandh on Wednesday to protest against the conversion by the Christian missionaries and violence that took place in Kanker district.
The office bearers of the Samaj said in a press conference that in Chhattisgarh, the increasing incidents of conversion had been causing outrage in the entire society. Sarva Samaj announced a state-wide bandh on the issue and said it was against the ongoing social unrest, attack on tribal faith and organized cultural clash in the state.
The Bandh will be peaceful, democratic and within the constitutional framework, in which various social, tribal and civil organizations of the entire society will participate, they said. According to Sarva Samaj, the recent incident in Amayeda area of Kanker district is not the first or the only incident. Incidents of this type have been occurring in the past not only in the tribal and rural areas of Chhattisgarh, but many times in the plains as well.
Under a certain pattern such situations are being created in a well-planned manner by the Christian missionaries and their associated conversion-motivated groups, due to which tension, conflict and social animosity are spreading in the society. Unfortunately, all societies, especially tribal communities, have to bear the direct consequences of these incidents, they added.
The Amabeda incident has further exposed the reality that the role of Gram Sabha in the tribal areas notified under the Fifth Schedule, the constitutional protection of tribal faith and traditions has been seriously neglected. Despite local opposition and constitutional provisions, the inaction of the district police-administration, the organized role of outside organizations like the Bhim Army and biased actions have come to light, raising serious questions about the impartiality of the district police-administration.
The office bearers said the Mahaband of Sarva Samaj had received the support of social and business organizations across the state and Chhattisgarh. A memorandum will be given to the district administration during the Mahabandh, they added.
The five demands raised by the Sarva Samaj included introduction of Freedom of Religion Bill in the State at the earlies, immediate action under strictest provisions against all the accused persons associated with Bhim Army and Christian groups responsible for the concerted attack on the tribal society in Kanker district, suspension of District Superintendent of Police Indira Kalyan Elesela as mere transfer was not sufficient, action against SDM A S Paikra and Tehsildar Sudhir Khalkho who adopted a biased administrative attitude during the burial process and made malicious and false accusations against the Hindu society and withdrawal of cases registered against the tribal villagers.
The office bearers made it clear that no tribal community member was involved in burning the Churches while the miscreants from the missionaries did the job.
