URGENT PRESS STATEMENT
RE; WHAT A SHAME THAT THE SUPREME COURT HAS TO INTERVENE TO PROTECT THE MINORITIES IN ORISSA. BOMBAY CATHOLIC SABHA WELCOMES ORDER PASSED BY THE SUPREME COURT TO ORISSA GOVERNMENT TO PROTECT THE MINORITIES OR OTHERWISE QUIT. WE ALSO THANK THE ROLE OF MR. P.. CHIDAMBARAM, UNION HOME MINISTER IN ENSURING A PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS AND DEMANDS THAT THE CENTRAL PARAMILITARY FORCES SHOULD NOT BE WITHDRAWN UNTIL EVERY SINGLE CHRISTIAN FAMILY IS SAFELY RETURNED AND REHOUSED.
The Supreme Court on Monday (January 5) said it would not allow "persecution" of minorities and asked the Orissa government to resign if it was unable to protect Christians who were targeted in recent riots that followed the assassination of a VHP leader in 2008.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice Markandey Katju and Justice P. Sathasivam asked the BJD-led government to reconstruct the churches damaged during the violence.
"We will not accept the persecution of minority. If the state government is unable to protect them it should resign. We have to protect the minorities… No minority community should be insecure in the country," Justice Katju said.
"It is the duty of the state government to protect the minority community. You (state) have done this only after 50,000 people of the minority community fled to the jungles," he stated.
The apex court, which in October last, had directed the stationing of para-military forces in the riot-hit areas till December-end in view of Christmas, asked the state government not to take any unilateral decision on its withdrawal.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Cuttack Archbishop Raphel Cheenath seeking the intervention of Central forces in stemming the communal violence which erupted in Kandhamal District of Orissa against Christians after prominent Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Laxmanananda Saraswati was gunned down on August 23, 2008 at his ashram.
Nun Rape Case Development
In the Nun Rape case, the 29-year-old nun identified two persons from a line-up of 80 during the identification parade (IP) which was held at high-security Circle Choudwar jail in Cuttack on January 5th 2008. Although ten persons had been arrested in connection with the case, however, 80 others were also paraded before the nun during the IP.
A court in Baliguda had fixed dates for the TIP twice earlier, but the nun, who had left Orissa after the incident, failed to turn up while seeking change of venue stating that she did not want to visit Kandhamal again.
The nun was allegedly raped at K Nuagaon in strife-torn Kandhamal during the communal violence on August 25.
WE HOPE THIS DIRECTIVE WILL SHAME THE ORISSA GOVERNMENT TO ACT AND ENSURE THAT RELIEF AND REHABILITATION OF THE CHRISTIANS IS DONE IMMEDIATELY AND WITH DIGNITY.
Best Regards,
Dolphy D'souza
President
THE BOMBAY CATHOLIC SABHA
St Michael's Church,
Mahim, Mumbai 400 016.
Tel: 9820226227
Email: president@bcsabha.org