New Delhi, 7th October, 2006.
Dr. Udit Raj, Chairman of the All India Conference
of SC/ST Organizations and Lord Buddha Club said
in his statement in a joint Press Conferess organised
by All India Christian Council and SC/ST Confederation
on October 6, 2006 that the World Religious Freedom
Day will be marked at Nagpur on 13th and 14th
October, 3006 in which not only people from India
but from USA and European Union will participate.
Eminent persons of U.K. U.S.A. and European Union
countries will attend that programme . He said
that this event would coincide with the embracing
of Buddhism Dr. Ambedkar on 14th October, 1956,
with hundreds of thousands of people at Nagpur.
This was an historical Religious Freedom Occasion
not only in India but in the world. The year 2006
is golden jubilee of this religious freedom. Lord
Buddha's 255oth Parinivarna is coinciding with
this. (Picture: Press Conference at Press Club
of India, New Delhi, Oct. 6, 2006)
Dr. Udit Raj said that recently, Gujarat Government
had passed anti- conversion law according to
which Buddhists and Jains have been declared
as a part of Hinduism. Buddhists and Jains are
much agitated and outraged at this atrocious
bill . Dr. Udit Raj further said that on the
one hand, Sangh Parivar is attempting to intimidate
and discriminate against Christians and Muslims
by brining out a draconian law but on the other,
they are trying to appropriate Buddhism and
Jainism to Hinduism. He said that as a protest
against anti-conversion laws of Chattisgarh,
Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, Dalits
will convert their religion from Hinduism to
Buddhism. Important religious and human rights
leaders from Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism
and Sikhism will participate in the event.
Mr. Madhu Chandra, Regional Secretary of the
All India Christian Council headed by Dr. Joseph
D'souza said that their Council is a partner
of the All India Confederation of SC/ST Organization
on this matter. The main concern of the Council
is about the religious freedom enshrined in
the Constitution. Mr. Madhu Chandra said that
the Christians in Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan and Gujarat are being targeted and
beaten up .He further said that the Christian
priests and pastors can't help even a person
who is ill or has met with an accident because
they are immediately charged for proselytization.
Thus they cannot educate and give medical aid
to the needy. BJP ruled states like Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh have brought about
anti-conversion law which denies religious freedom
and now victims of caste system cannot walk
out of Hinduism. Mr. Madhu Chandra said that
Christians cannot even carry out their normal
service to the community like education and
health, because the moment they try to provide
first aid or admit an injured person to a hospital,
RSS/BJP workers immediately pounce on them charging
them that they were converting people. Mr. Madhu
Chandra said that people from Rajasthan and
Chhatisgarh are approaching his organization
that since they are not allowed to change their
religion in these States, they are willing to
embrace Christianity on the World Religious
Freedom Day to be held at Nagpur on 14.10.2006
Mr. Madhu Chandra said in the end that the
All India Confederation of SC/ST Organizations
and the All India Christian Countily have jointly
decided to burn copies of the anti-conversion
laws passed by the Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh,Rajasthan
and also the Gujarat Bill. There will be religious
discourse on 13th October and next day i.e.
14th October, will be followed by a Rally in
which copies of anti- conversion law will be
burnt and those willing to embrace Christianity
will be wlcome.
