From Christian Solidarity worldwide Extremist propaganda being used to promote a Hindu religious festival has raised fears of attacks on Christians and Muslims in the Dangs, a remote district in Gujarat, western India.

The slogan "Hindu Jago, Christi Bhagao" ("Arise Hindus, throw out the Christians") has been used by the organisers to stir up religious tensions and to give the Dangs people a Hindu sense of identity. The Shabri Kumbh, a new religious festival which is due to be held between February 11 and 13, has caused grave concerns to Muslims and Christians in the area.

The event, which is aiming to attract up to 500,000 people, is said to commemorate the mythological story of Shabri and Ram in which the latter kills the demon Ravana. The Hindu nationalist organisers of the event have called for the same treatment for Christians, describing it as a dangerous foreign faith.

Commentators in India have drawn attention to the fact that while this event is modelled on the Kumbh Mela festival, a centuries-old tradition which takes place every twelve years in one of four fixed locations across India (none of which are in Gujarat), its real focus seems to be an attack on the practice of Christian faith in the district.

According to Dr John Dayal, Secretary General of the All India Christian Council and member of the Indian Government's National Integration Council, "the motives of this [festival] reek of rabid communalism and antipathy and physical hostility towards Christians. This area has been targeted by the Sangh Parivar for many years".

The Dangs area is inhabited by tribal peoples, a small minority of whom are Christians and Muslims. The majority practise animism, but the festival has been organised to encourage them to "re-convert" to Hinduism.
A slogan on the main Hindu temple in the district is translated, "Our resolve is to free the world from the ideologies of conversions and jihad."

Two separate fact-finding teams from a cross-section of civil society travelled to the Dangs to investigate the intimidation and spoke to Hindu activists, district officials and representatives of the Sangh Parivar.

They reported, "We could see the fear writ on the face of most of the Christians we met".

They concluded the festival was being arranged to intimidate those tribals who have embraced a non-Hindu religion, and to encourage communal tensions to ensure they remain divided and subjugated. Gujarat is governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under Chief Minister Narendra Modi, and it is alleged that state funds are being used to promote the festival.

There is fear of a repeat of the severe anti-Christian violence in the district in 1998 when 36 rural churches were attacked over the Christmas period.

CSW partner, the All India Christian Council, is lobbying the Central Government in Delhi and the State Government in Gujarat to ensure that the festival takes place peacefully and without any harassment of Christians.

CSW is joining with the AICC in lobbying the Indian Government about the possible religious violence which may take place.

Stuart Windsor, CSW's National Director, said: "Given the fears of the Christian and Muslim tribal people in Dangs, it is vital that the Indian Government heeds their call and works to ensure their safety and to prevent an outbreak of violence against them. The tribals in India have long been marginalised by society and allowing them to be exploited in an inflammatory festival is a serious indictment on the state. CSW is calling on the Indian Government to ensure religious hatred is not whipped up again in Gujarat."

For more information, please contact Richard Chilvers, Communications Manager at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on 020 8329 0045 or email richard.chilvers@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk

CSW is a human rights organisation which specialises in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The violence against Christians in 1998 is often directly attributed to the anti-Christian propaganda of local Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Swami Aseemanand. He is also involved in the promotion of the Shabri Kumbh
in February.

A total of 38 incidents were reported in the wave of anti-Christian violence in 1998, and Muslims were also affected. At that time Christians were represented as misleading vulnerable tribal people.

There are about 186,000 people living in the Dangs area, 92 percent of whom are tribals (adivasis) from the Bhils, Kokanis and Warlis. About 5 percent are Christians.