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ASSEMBLY POLL '98
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'Making Advani home minister is akin to putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop'
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 19:51:25 -0500 Depressing. I hope we do not have to further demonise Christians/missionaries in order to justify these killings. Enough of statements like "we strongly condemn these killings, but these guys deserve it" kind of nonsense (despite its admitted therapeutic value).
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 20:03:34 EST It is a sad day. Misdirected, crowds who commit such crimes have no place in the Indian or world society. Missionaries are doing what they believe is their mission. Opposition to them by killing children has no place in Indian society and is totally non Hindu. The people responsible for the act should be caught and hung. I hope the perpetrators are a disorganised bunch and are not part of a greater plan to de-stabilise the country by driving a wedge along religious lines. I hope the perpetrators are not from the RSS or BJP, it would be a stupid act for members of a party in power. They will lose any Hindu support they have. I hope the perpetrators are not from the Congress or any third faction, it would be the worst way to try to gain support of the minorities and the majority. I hope the perpetrators are not led by "a foreign hand" attempting to destabilise India, it is not a war of children. It would behove the right wing Hindus to extend as much support to their Christian brethren in a time like this to squash the attempts of any outside agency. It would also behove missionaries to not hastily point fingers. It is time for the different groups to sit together and address the issue before it gets out of hand. India is a democracy and in democracies the majority makes the rules. I am a minority in another country and the majority here does make the rules. It is the responsibility of the majority to ensure the equality and safety of minorities. Their is no place for crusades and holy wars in India and the modern world.
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 19:00:02 PST Missionaries attacked, this thing sucks. It stinks. If I were Vajpayee, I would have resigned today. The tri-colour needs to be lowered in shame. This country will not progress. I am a well educated software engineer who has worked in Intel, Microsoft and currently working in IBM. This country has lost touch with its basic ethos. When the Babri Masjid was pulled down and the BBC told the secular face of India is lost, I thought that was an over statement. Any conscious person associated with the Sangh Parivar has to condemn these gory acts. How low can they go to create hatred. Targeting cricket, targeting minorities -- Amartya Sen and Mother Teresa are agents of the West -- Ashok Singhal should be deported without trial. India belongs to one and all. From tomorrow, we don't want an India on religious lines. This has to end and end now. Even if it means banning the VHP or the Bajrang Dal or whichever associate of the RSS. What we want is growth and prosperity by a vibrant middle class. I normally don't respond to press articles, and do not express my self. This is outrageous and it needs to end now, or will create one more Punjab. Mr Advani, you knowingly to responded to V P Singh's Mandal Commission by starting the Toyota rath yatra. Can you come forward and stand accountable to what you started? Tearing a fabric is easy, building it is difficult. Pramod Mahajan, who preached cultural nationalism and the likes -- I thought your preachings were right. You represented the vibrant middle class. I am wrong. You represent the uncivilised animal instincts in all of us, which were given voice, driven by naked ambition. The BJP needs to go. Vajpayee is the unfortunate secular helpless leader. This country needed a government better than the Congress. But we need a government which keeps the country united. Not sell dreams which are not even as worthy as used up condoms. These acts remain as black marks on the country's secular credentials as it moves forward or a divisive struggle will start. Look at Sri Lanka, Yugoslavia, Middle East. Where are we heading? What is happening to our human values? I am not a great believer in Gandhi. But probably all of us need to look at what he preached and gain moral strength in these trying times from the father of the nation.
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 15:03:23 -0800 It is unfortunate to see the fanatics still fighting for their existence. It is a shame. It worried me a lot. I really want to share the news with somebody, the moment I read it. It is very inhuman and all Indians should be ashamed of what these people are doing in India. What ever be the reason, we can't kill a person so cruelly. This is a typical example of what fundamentalists can do. I still don't understand why people who talk so greatly about their religion can resort to such practices. Chalapathi Rao
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 18:54:39 +0530 I think we have reached the depths of disgusting behaviour of our fellow countrymen by being silent spectators to this dastardly act. It is very shameful to see such acts of barbaric behaviour by people of a so-called democratic country. I bow my head in shame today to call myself as an Indian and offer my sincere apologies to the bereaved family on behalf of this once great country. K S Shankarraman
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1999 09:41:42 EST I am reading with much interest your articles on the increasing attacks on Christians in Gujarat, especially amongst the Dangs. With the most recent killing of the Australian and his two sons, the level of ruthless violence has escalated to an ominous portent which India must gird itself to put down. Your fearless reportage of these events is appreciated much by some of us here in the US who read Rediff on the NeT daily. I, myself, send your articles to those whom I know have an interest each day. I believe your reportage is probably more honest and unbiased than even those who have the responsibility to protect the minorities and investigate the atrocities perpetrated against them by the fanatics. Please continue in this vanguard effort to bring news. The whole world is watching India, many of us through the lens that you provide for us. Thank you, and may God bless you richly.
Steve Rusk
Date: Sun, 25 Jan 1998 06:38:21 +0530 The massacre of a Christian missionary and his two children has shaken the entire nation. It was Swami Agnivesh who brought this to my notice. He was also the first to issue a press statement condemning it. We must not panic or overreact to these events, even though our hearts break over them. Let us pray that God may give us courage and faith to endure these dark days. Above all, let us pray that our hearts may not be poisoned with hate, even grievance, as we grapple this situation. May God enable us to be a healing influence on our society. Let us pray for all, including ourselves. I feel the shadow of fear falling on our people. I feel it creeping over my heart. As it pleases God to put our faith to the test, let us re-dedicate ourselves to our vocation to love God and serve our people, especially the poor and the powerless. May God help and comfort you.
Yours in Christ,
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 18:15:19 +0530 Well, I think the PM. is not being brave enough. Everybody knows the Bajrang Dal (the Fascists) is involved in this incident, and I fail to understand why they are not being banned considering the string of violent incidents on the Christian community in India. Oliver
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 09:51:57 -0800 I agree with Jayalalitha that perpetrators of any harm towards minorities should, in essence, be treated as terrorists because they tear at the very fibre of society. "Hindu tolerance" seems to have come to mean indifference towards the ravages committed to minority groups. We have tolerated the killing of innocent Sikhs in the riots following Indira Gandhi's death, we have tolerated the tearing down of Babri Masjid in the name of Rama...will we tolerate the depredations against Christians now? To date, none of the criminals have been brought to task. Is this what the much vaunted Hindu tolerance amount too? So what will we tolerate after that -- looting and killing Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and other religious minorities before we move on to other ethnic minority groups? If we are so fearful of the numbers game, that is, Hindus becoming Christians, Muslims what have you, we have to respond to the needs of the people -- materially and spiritually. Again, as Jayalalitha suggests, we have to surpass in acts of humanity -- not kill those who help, those who support and respect life, who educate, who devote their lives to the unloved, neglected pockets of humanity, such as lepers, as did Stains, as did Mother Teresa. It is easy to destroy. Can those who killed Stains and his children claim they created anything at all?
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 07:52:03 PST There should be no surprise if someone from the Sangh Parivar asks for a national debate on this issue. Shameless act. These people have to be treated as anti-nationals and terrorists. And also all these kinds of Sangh Parivars which are terrorists and anti-national in nature (all in the name of God) have to be banned. All involved in the killings have to be identified and punished mercilessly. Otherwise, these kinds of attacks will be increase as it is already happening now. Sanjay Shilpi
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 18:43:40 -0800 I feel terribly sorry for Mr Stains and particularly his innocent children. May they be eternally blessed and rest in peace. One can only hope that these incidents do not repeat again and that common sense will prevail. Gautam Shah
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 13:16:05 -0000 The only course open to the government is to find the murderers and charge him/them promptly for premeditated murder. Unless firm action is taken against criminals, the country will continue to burn. Ruchira Raghav
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 07:28:37 -0700 The murder of the Australian missionary and his two young children was a heinous, dastardly act. However, it infuriates me when Western governments start pulling up the Indian government for this. The murder was the act of fringe groups, not of the government. In the last few months in the US, there have been several instances of African Americans being murdered by white, racist, hate groups. One disabled man was dragged to death behind a truck. The US government didn't feel the need to apologise to the world, or to any particular government or community for this, and rightly so. My advice to the Indian government is, ask the ambassadors to back off and mind their own business. Murli
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 09:56:16 -0500 I have been following the events taking place in Orissa in the last couple of days. All I can say after all that has happened is that this is one of the darkest hours for all true god loving Hindus. Let this be a lesson to all Indians as to what can happen when they elect a weak and communal party who are totally controlled by some third rate fundamentalist organisation and whose ally is a person like Bal Thackeray or whatever his name is. I am a Hindu and have no political preferences, but I know one thing, our country is the greatest nation in the world. How else can you explain it surviving the torture that a small band of sterile, scum of the earth politicians are putting it through? My heart goes out to the Stains family. I know god will give them the strength to overcome the grief. The people responsible for this cowardly act will pay for this because they have killed an innocent man and his two kids. I apologise to that family on behalf of all humans who believe god created everybody equal. I ask for their forgiveness. Anish
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 20:42:12 +0530 Your coverage of Stains makes me proud to be a Christian, and proud also that there is a secular media which is willing to fight on behalf of a small and peaceful community which is by the foundation of its faith bound to love and forgiveness. Also worth mentioning is T V R Shenoy's comment about the proper way to react to conversions and the legal framework within which missionaries operate. Christians need the support of the media to fight street fighters, which has been never been part of their training curriculum. Shantanu Dutta
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 11:50:53 -0500 I do not usually send you reactions, but thought your sensitive article on the murder of the Stains family was very well done.
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1999 17:25:25 -0500 An interesting article. Am wondering where this guy gets all his information from. Looks like the reason for this article is well presented right in the title. Let us see whether a similar article will be written chastising the alleged killers of 19 people in Bihar. Ramana
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 09:03:48 -0800 "He was then a Bajrang Dal activist. The organisation had sent him to Orissa with a mission: to 'cleanse' the tribal-dominated areas of 'evil minorities'." What is he now? And did the Bajrang Dal have any role in this incident? That is what matters. Nathuram Godse was once associated with Veer Savarkar. But the court vindicated Veer Savarkar of any wrong doings. Organisations cannot claim the responsibility of its ex-members. There has never been any precedence. So before crucifying the RSS/VHP/Bajrang Dal and projecting them as evil, one should analyse these facts. Sameer Kuppahalli
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 09:46:56 PST The point should not be missed that only the missionary Stains was targeted. This shows great conviction on the part of the assassins that only Stains should be destroyed. Such zealots cannot be stopped by catching and hanging Dara Singh. Fifty years after Independence there are now sufficient numbers of Hindus who are interested in a "Hindu" India. If an Islamic Pakistan or Catholic Spain, why not a Hindu India. Even if this does not happen, the hard-core faction is only going to increase. For those preaching about a secular India and secular Hinduism, let them not forget that Islam came through invaders, and Christianity through Portuguese and British invaders. Secularism was thus imposed and not a choice for the oppressed Hindus. A Hindu in Goa or Agra in days past had no choice but to be secular. Now with over 300 million Muslims from undivided India living in Pakistan and Bangladesh, there is no reason that the 82.6 % of India cannot ask for a Hindu India. After all it has taken a good thousand years to get over these invasions.
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 11:17:25 -0800 I think all these reporters who write on Rediff don't want to step out from there home, but want to condemn the acts just by sitting in their homes. Nagaraj
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 18:28:48 -0800 How many innocent people have to die before the BJP government takes stern action action against the Bajrang Dal? Advani lost whatever moral authority he had when he conspired to destroy the Babri Masjid. Making Advani home minister is akin to putting the fox in charge of the chicken coop. Joachim Fernandes
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 22:07:03 EST The tacit approval of the powers that be in the BJP government, the spineless display against Bal Thackeray by our home minister and the systematic organised attacks against Christians has now culminated in this heinous crime. The criminals, murderers masquerading under religious groups appear to take over. Will this incident be attributed as a natural reaction by the VHP to the so-called "forcible conversions?" I'm totally disgusted and shocked beyond belief . My prayers go for strengthening the oppressed believers. Samuel Beera
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 08:53:02 PST I don't know how people can be animals to burn Stains and his two sons, while they were sleeping in their vehicle. Did the animals know that he was doing such a great service to the lepers and that too for 32 years. It is so very shameful to know that the people of India -- a land of various religions and languages, who have lived peacefully for centuries -- can do such a wicked thing. I pray their souls rest in peace. Kiran and Pari How Readers responded to Varsha Bhosle's earlier columns
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