IN September-October 2008, there were reports of attacks on churches in eight districts of Karnataka. After the attacks, there were attempts to blame some Hindu organisations as well as the state’s BJP government for it. These attacks were investigated by three different Commissions or fact finding teams including Justice Somasekhara Commission appointed by the Karnataka government, Justice Michael Saldanha, and a team of Citizens for Harmony.
Shri PN Benjamin, member of the Karnataka State Minorities Commission and chairman of Bangalore-based Initiative for Religious Dialogue (BIRD) analysed the findings of all the three reports. New Delhi-based India Foundation published this analysis in the form of a booklet—A Tale of Three Reports: Facts, Fiction and Politics behind the Incidents of Violence against Churches in Karnataka.
In his report, Justice Somasekhara gave a clean chit to both the Hindu organisations and the Karnataka government for those attacks. “There is no basis to the apprehension of petitioners that politicians, BJP, Sangh Parivar and the state government are directly or indirectly involved in the attacks,” said the report. According to Report, circulation of derogatory literature with ‘insulting attitude’ against Hindus and issues of conversion were the main reasons behind the attacks. The Commission had started its investigation in October 2008 and held various sittings in Mangalore, Bangalore, Davangere and Udupi. It accepted a total of 1500 petitions and 34 advocates representing various sections of society presented their cases before the Commission. The attacks had been reported from Mangalore, Udupi, Chikamagalur, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Bellary and Davangere.
“Every bit of inference and findings of the report was based on evidence and elaborate discussion of all contentions presented before the Commission. The final report should be read in continuation of the interim report submitted to the government in February last,” Justice Somasekhara said in the report. The Commission also said that fraudulent conversions have damaged the reputation of Christians as people who serve society and contribute to nation building. It also said that the foreign funds being received in India are being misused by some forces for conversions of innocent and helpless people.
Report by Justice Michael Saldanha
The 304 pages report prepared by retired judge Michael Saldanha looks like ‘a political party’s chargesheet against its opponent’. It is totally a biased report which has even been funded by a former Congress Minister T John. The investigator, Justice Saldanha, is also president of Catholic Association of South Canara (Dakshin Kannada). He directly held the Hindutva forces, Chief Minister and the then Home Minister responsible for the attacks. It is totally one-sided report as neither the witnesses were examined, nor were allowed for cross examination.
Report by the team of Citizens for Harmony
The fact finding team constituted by Bangalore-based voluntary organisation, Citizens for Harmony, visited the affected areas and met the affected people. Nearly 200 affected persons deposed before the team and submitted documentary evidences. The people appeared before the team were highly critical of some Christian groups that have been indulging in aggressive evangelical activities in Mangalore and surrounding districts. It was brought to the notice of the team that the Christian evangelists and missionaries have been targeting the poor and illiterate people extensively as also the youth. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes like Kudubis, Vishwakarmas and Lingayats are some who have fallen prey. The team was also told that there is drastic increase in recent times in aggressive faith marketing strategies flowed by the Christian groups in this region, which has caused anger and resentment against Christians.
“It is beyond any doubt that the incidents of violence against Christians in Karnataka in 2008 have been minor in nature but all have been the result of jointly hatched political conspiracy by the church with full support of discredited parties like the Congress, Janata Dal (S) and others to destabilise the only BJP government in south India,” said Shri Benjamin.
