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PRESS RELEASE
Contact: PD John, Executive Director,
Date: July 18, 2002,
Time 2:30 PM
Panel Discusses Political and Religious Violence in South Asia
A Symposium on South Asia was sponsored by the Policy Institute for Religion & State
in Washington at the Cannon House Office Building from 11 AM to 12:30 PM.
The panel was chaired by Honorable Nina Shea of the Center for Religious Freedom. The panel discussed Pakistan's record of violence against Ahmadis, Christians and the small population of Hindus in Sindh. Also covered was the recent sentencing by a tribal panchayat (court of five elders) of an 18-year–old girl to committing gang rape. This was done to punish her family for permitting her pre–adolescent brother to walk with a girl from a higher caste. It was also noted that there has been widespread outrage in Pakistan over this and the actual rapists have been arrested. These incidents illustrate the deep division in Pakistan’s society.
India's minority rights record is less well publicized though it is little, if any, better than its neighbor's reputation. For example, human rights abuses (Hindu vs. Muslim) are usually disguised as
counter–terrorist actions and so the cycle of retaliatory violence continues. The recent violence against Muslims by members of the Hindu Sangh Parivar (VHP, RSS Bajrang Dal and BJP) and their sympathizers in
Gujarat has not only seriously undermined the credibility of the present Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at home and abroad, but it has created a constitutional crisis for the world’s largest secular
democracy.
According to Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the US Department of State violent attacks were not confined to Muslims but rapidly spread to women in general, Dalits (former so-called
Untouchables), Adivasis (tribals), Christians and any group against which there was a perceived grievance. This is the pattern of violence against religious minorities. As “righteous indignation” escalates, it
metastasizes into indiscriminate hatred, latching on to any proximate group or idea against which there is perceived conflict.
One of the Four Supreme Heads of the Hinduism, His Holiness the Sankaracharya of
Puri from India pointed out to the hijacking of the Hindu religion by a small minority of radical Hindu extremists are bringing bad name to the religion itself. He urged Washington and the international
community to reject the groups that advocate violence to promote their political interest. He said if the policies of the current government in Delhi is to be followed, it will destroy the Indian society which
propagated peace and prosperity to the world for thousands of years.
Various speeches of the panelists are available upon request. Panelists include: Dr. Bruce Robertson (US State Department and Johns
Hopkins University, Washington, DC), Dr. Lise McKeon (Author, Chicago, IL) and John Dayal (Secretary General, All India Christian Council, New Delhi, India).
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