Faith in the police - 30 Sep 2008

http://www.mailtoday.in/epapermain.aspx

Faith in the police is a must if India is to fight and defeat terrorists

by Maxwell Pereira

I AM NOT a great proponent of ‘ encounters’. For police encounters have always given me a queasy feeling for various reasons — the foremost being that I firmly believe the right to take life remains solely with the One who created it and none else.

But then we live in a society that creates laws making it justifiable to take life of persons considered a danger to society; and we have societies that wage wars that require one to kill the enemy to emerge victorious.

That’s okay with me, as a necessary evil as long as the law permitting it remains on the statute. As an extension to this argument, I am also okay with police encounters where they are a must, and where they are inevitable.

The Batla House Jamia Nagar encounter of Friday, 19 September, following the Delhi blasts of the previous Saturday the 13th, is one such in which two suspected terrorists were shot dead. In the exchange of fire between the raiding party and the ones raided, a much- decorated officer of Delhi Police’s anti- terrorist Special Cell, Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma, who led the raid, also lost his life following bullet injuries suffered when fired upon by inmates there. The raid and encounter yielded the live capture of one inmate, from whose interrogation the Delhi Police and other law enforcement authorities across the nation have now been able to bust terror modules linked to a majority of the bomb blasts that ripped various cities in the country since 2005.

Despite the colossal sacrifice of an illustrious officer’s valued life snuffed out in his prime, and despite the merits of the major breakthrough achieved in the investigation of hitherto unsolved blasts in various parts of the country, there is a shocking effort on to confuse and confound public opinion by sectarian and partisan groups for reasons best known to them.

Even before the investigations are complete, efforts are on to pick holes and contradictions in the police versions emanating from different states — and especially in the Delhi Police brief on the encounter at L- 18 Batla House, without a thought for the interests of safety and security of the people and the integrity of the country which is at stake.

Protagonists of the fake encounter theory are busy feeding stories, not realising that the red herrings and canards they spread will help the real accused whose guilt beyond doubt has ultimately to be established in court. For which purpose, the investigators have to adduce fool- proof evidence that stands scrutiny — and any premature disclosure of details is fraught with danger of attempts to destroy evidence, intimidate or win over witnesses and a plethora of maladies that plague our criminal- justice system. So confident are the ones postulating theories counter to the police version that one of them even challenged me for a bet that not one of those arrested by the police following disclosures made after the encounter would ever be convicted. This is the scenario under which the police work.

Canards

So what are the canards sought to be spread? Firstly about the two in the police version said to have escaped from the tenement - that it is impossible for anyone to escape because of the single access into the building for entry or exit.

Without agreeing or disagreeing with this contention, I ask who cares whether or not there was an escape at all, and how many actually escaped – other than for purposes of further investigation and wrapping up of the case? What matters is whether or not the inmates ( however many they were) were genuinely members of a terror module, and whether they could have been captured alive without resorting to the use of firearms.

The second is the issue of the absence of blood on Sharma’s clothes in the photograph showing him being propped up ( probably while being led to a vehicle to transport him to hospital) by two colleagues.

What expertise does the one who has theories on this issue to speak either way? In my 35 years of active policing, I have witnessed bodies splattered with blood all over – I have also seen bodies which left us wondering: “ where did all the blood go?” Isn’t it best left to forensic experts to provide answers to these seemingly puzzling aspects at the right time and place? The other canard is that the bullet which killed Sharma was from the gun of a fellow raiding- partymember, the result of what in army parlance is termed accidental “ friendly fire”. Anyone with basic knowledge of ballistics would know how preposterous this is, as not by any stretch of imagination can more than one bullet hit the victim in a “ friendly fire” when the raiding party had no repeat- fire automatic weapon with them.

The Muslim community has many issues over being marginalised and discriminated against, as I as a Christian have issues over the burning of churches and raping of nuns. But these community issues cannot be used to deviate from the main issue in hand, to confuse and divert the focus from main investigations – as with the allegation about stereo- typing Muslims by parading arrested suspects with faces muffled in redchecked abaaya scarves associated with the Muslim community. By no stretch of imagination was this a deliberate act with malicious intent — and I wonder if those responsible for raising this realize the greater harm they have done to the Muslim cause by themselves drawing attention to it which would otherwise have gone totally unnoticed.

Broadly summed up, the incident in Jamia Nagar was not a planned encounter, it was primarily a recce for verification that led to chance positive identification of suspects. The unobtrusive communication managed through a cell phone missed call couldn’t tell all – just two things: either something positive, or indicating trouble, which made Sharma rush alone to the spot, simultaneously calling for backups. The actual circumstances that made Sharma go to the ill- fated tenement without adequate protection, no one can tell.

Speculation

The raiding party that followed and faced the bullets were as conscious of their lives as anyone prudent ought to be, and resultantly my enquiries tell me the bit about two escaping was based on the versions of those from the crowd that gathered below on hearing the shots. This in a nutshell is what happened.

Now, whatever be the speculations on the nittygritty surrounding these basic facts — whether by rumour- mongers, vested interests, or mischievous elements with an agenda, ultimately it is the ones in the raiding party who have to depose from the witness stand to tell the truth.

Every police department worth its salt needs its hitmen.

So does Delhi Police, given its peculiar circumstance as a much sought after target for bomb- blasting terrorists, the so- called aggrieved states and communities of the country; and plundering criminals from Delhi’s own bordering lands who find the riches of Delhi too much of a temptation to resist. That Delhi’s multi- ethnic and impersonal culture provides faceless anonymity and a safe haven to a fugitive to hide in or operate with impunity is also a factor. But then, not everyone can measure up to be a police hit- man. Among other things, it requires guts, and a willingness to be condemned for life to be afraid of one’s own shadow.

Courage

In hindsight one is often wiser. As perhaps would be the case in the matter of the Jamia Nagar encounter when analysts have finally settled the dust on their deliberations and perambulations – on what could have been and what should have been done. The officers and staff of the Special Cell are an experienced and seasoned lot – of a steel frame and of rare courage tempered in sweat and blood. It is very easy for people to postulate theories from the safety of their armchairs or desks – but how many of these with the fake- encounter theory have guts to stand at the door with bullets flying at them and around them? There is no need to doubt the courage or integrity of the likes of Mohan Chand Sharma whom the nation has awarded for gallantry seven times!

The writer is a former joint commissioner of police

Copyright Permission www.mailtoday.in

Encounter Canards - 28 Sep 2008

I am not a great proponent of ‘encounters’. For police encounters have always given me a queasy feeling for various reasons – the foremost being that I firmly believe the right to take life remains solely with the One who created life and none else. But then we live in a society that creates laws making it justifiable to take life of persons considered a danger to society; and we have societies that wage wars that require one to kill the enemy to emerge victorious. That’s okay with me, as a necessary evil as long as the law permitting it remains on the statute. As an extension to this argument, I am also okay with police encounters where they are a must, and where they are inevitable.

The Batla House Jamianagar encounter of Friday, 19 September following the Delhi blasts of previous Saturday 13th is one such, in which two suspected terrorists were shot dead. In the exchange of fire between the raiding party and the ones raided, a much decorated officer of Delhi Police’s anti-terrorist Special Cell, Inspr Mahan Chand Sharma who led the raid, also lost his life following bullet injuries suffered when fired upon by inmates there. The raid and encounter yielded the live capture of one inmate, from whose interrogation the Delhi Police and other law enforcement authorities across the nation have now been able to bust terror modules linked to majority of the bomb blasts that ripped various cities in the country since 2005.

Despite the colossal sacrifice of an illustrious officer’s valued life snuffed out in his prime, and despite the merits of the major breakthrough achieved in the investigation of hitherto unsolved blasts in various parts of the country, there is a shocking effort on to confuse and confound public opinion by sectarian and partisan groups for reasons best known to them. Even before investigations are complete efforts are on to pick holes and contradictions in the police versions emanating from different states – and especially in the Delhi police brief on the encounter at L-18 Batla House, without a thought for the interests of safety and security of the people and the integrity of the country which is at stake.

Protagonists of the fake encounter theory are busy feeding stories, not realising that the red-herrings and canards they spread will help the real accused whose guilt beyond doubt has ultimately to be established in court. For which purpose, the investigators have to adduce fool proof evidence that stands scrutiny – and any premature disclosure of details is fraught with danger of attempts to destroy evidence, intimidate or win over witnesses and a plethora of maladies that plague our criminal justice system. So confident are the ones postulating theories counter to the police version, that one of them even challenged me for a bet that not one of those arrested by the police following disclosures made after the encounter would ever be convicted. This is the scenario under which the police work. The handicap of the police is real, and high time people realise this before giving ear to versions of agents provocateur that are abounding.

So what are the canards sought to be spread? Firstly about the two in the police version said to have escaped from the tenement - that it is impossible for anyone to escape because of the single access into the building for entry or exit. Without agreeing or disagreeing with this contention, I ask who cares whether or not there was an escape at all, and how many actually escaped – other than for purposes of further investigation and wrapping up of the case? What matters is whether or not the inmates (however many they were) were genuinely members of a terror module, and whether they could have been captured alive without resorting to the use of firearms.

The second is the issue of the absence of blood on Sharma’s clothes in the photograph showing him being propped up (probably while being led to a vehicle to transport him to hospital) by two colleagues. What expertise does the one who has theories on this issue to speak either way? In my 35 years of active policing, I have witnessed bodies splattered with blood all over – I have also seen bodies which left us wondering where did all the blood go! Isn’t it best left to medical forensics to provide answers to these seemingly puzzling aspects at the right time and place? Only a pervert devious mind will try dub the post-mortem finding of “death due to heart failure caused by excessive loss of blood” to be the result of collusion between the doctors and the police.

The other canard is that the bullet which killed Sharma was from the gun of a fellow raiding-party-member, the result of what in army parlance is termed accidental “friendly fire”. Anyone with basic knowledge of ballistics would know how preposterous this is, as not by any stretch of imagination can more than one bullet hit the victim in a “friendly fire” when the raiding party had no repeat-fire automatic weapon with them.

The Muslim community has many issues over being marginalised and discriminated against, as I as a Christian have issues over the burning of churches and raping of nuns. But these community issues cannot be used to deviate from the main issue in hand, to confuse and divert the focus from main investigations – as with the allegation about stereo-typing Muslims by parading arrested suspects with faces muffled in red-checked abaaya scarves associated with the Muslim community. By no stretch of imagination was this a deliberate act with malicious intent – and I wonder if those responsible for raising this realize the greater harm they have done to the Muslim cause by themselves drawing attention to it which would otherwise have gone totally unnoticed.

Broadly summed up, the incident in Jamianagar was not a planned encounter, it was primarily a recce for verification that led to chance positive identification of suspects. The unobtrusive communication managed through a cellphone missed call, couldn’t tell all – just two things: either something positive, or indicating trouble. Which made Sharma rush alone to the spot, simultaneously calling for backups. The actual circumstances that made Sharma go to the ill-fated tenement without adequate protection, no one can tell. Now that he is no more, whatever reasons other investigators or his superiors attribute for this can be faulted by those determined to chase phantoms. The raiding party that followed and faced the bullets were as conscious of their lives as anyone prudent ought to be, and resultantly my enquiries tell me the bit about two escaping was based on versions of those from the crowd that gathered below on hearing the shots. This in a nutshell is what happened.

Now whatever be the speculations on the nitty-gritties surrounding these basic facts – whether by rumour-mongers, vested interests, or mischievous elements with an agenda, ultimately it is the ones in the raiding party who have to depose from the witness stand to tell the truth. It is our bounden duty not to influence or intimidate them into becoming victims to the nefarious designs of those interested in chaos and break-up of our nation.

Every police department worth its salt needs its hit-men. So does Delhi Police, given its peculiar circumstance as a much sought after target for bomb-blasting terrorists, the so called aggrieved States and Communities of the country; and plundering criminals from Delhi’s own bordering lands who find the riches of Delhi too much of a temptation to resist. That Delhi’s multi-ethnic and impersonal culture provides faceless anonymity and a safe haven to a fugitive to hide in or operate with impunity is also a factor. But then, not everyone can measure up to be a police hit-man. Among other things, it requires guts, and a willingness to be condemned for life to be afraid of one’s own shadow.

In hindsight one is often wiser. As perhaps would be the case in the matter of the Jamianagar encounter when analysts have finally settled the dust on their deliberations and perambulations – on what could have been and what should have been done. The officers and staff of the Special Cell are an experienced and seasoned lot – of a steel frame of rare courage tempered in sweat and blood. It is very easy for cowards to postulate theories from the safety of their armchairs or desks – but how many of these with the fake-encounter theory have guts to stand at the door with bullets flying at them and around them? It is only cowards that doubt the courage of the likes of Mohan Chand Sharma and doubt the integrity of this officer whom the nation has awarded for Gallantry seven times!

Copyright © Maxwell Pereira: 3725 Sector-23, Gurgaon-122017

Email: mfjpkamath@gmail.com; web: www.maxwellpereira.com

Separated at death - 27 Sep 2008

(080927.toi.separatedatdeath)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Separated_at_death/articleshow/3532310.cms

Times of India

0018 hrs IST, MAXWELL PEREIRA,TNN

Both lived by the gun and were felled by the gun. Only, one went unsung. The other went with honour. Why the difference?

Between the two they notched up nearly a hundred kills in police 'encounters' - sounding the death knell for criminals and terrorists alike. Assistant commissioner of police Rajbir Singh and inspector Mohan Chand Sharma were both Delhi Police's 'hit men', leaders of its 'Dirty Harry' squad. This year has claimed them both.

Rajbir came into prominence in the early 80s, an efficient hand for District Special Staffs. When the UP way of tackling crime - where elimination was preferred to captures - was in vogue he was not to be left behind by the Rathi brothers who by now had created a niche for themselves in the 'encounter' field. UP's gang wars and the violent 90s provided Rajbir ample opportunity to show his mettle, boosted no less by the creation in 1986 of the Anti-Terrorist Special Cell into which he got inducted. With initial encounters - then deemed exceptional - came out-of-turn promotions, first as an inspector and within a year thereafter as an ACP, all within 13 years of service.

A 1989 recruit and junior to Rajbir, Mohan Chand too got inducted into the special cell almost immediately after field training. From the start he stood shoulder to shoulder with Rajbir, together in every encounter; Rajbir in the limelight, Mohan Chand preferring anonymity.

Rajbir was the front man, his forte was getting tip-offs from a vast network of informers he assiduously developed, backed by the daredevilry he displayed. Mohan Chand played second fiddle. He developed enviable skills by keeping his nose to the ground and gaining expertise in analysing intelligence inputs, tracking telephone linkages, and tapping communications - a field of operations earlier perfected by Raman Lamba.

Rajbir became the media's blue-eyed boy. But with each success came controversy too. Despite heading the team that cracked the Parliament and Red Fort attack cases, his later operations - especially the infamous Ansal Plaza encounter - raised unsavoury questions. A leak to the media of a taped conversation that sought to expose his links with drug traffickers led to a vigilance enquiry and his removal from the Special Cell to the armed police.

Mohan Chand came across as an affable, unassuming guy who was not publicity hungry. Yet, he was very effective and remained loyal to the end to Rajbir. His superiors valued him as an ace investigator who had mastery over the use of computers and electronic surveillance. He had extensive knowledge of terrorist outfits, their groups and sub-groups, and the various affiliations of their members and leaders - all through a data bank built up systematically over time studying every terrorist activity in the country.

Rajbir was murdered in March in Gurgaon by a property dealer, apparently after a quarrel over money and property deals gone sour. Masala enough for eyebrows to be raised and for media channels to smell shady deals. Mohan Chand succumbed this month to bullet injuries suffered in a raid in Jamia Nagar on terrorists involved in the recent Delhi blasts. It was a call of duty he had responded to - straight from the hospital bed where his son lay battling dengue.

Granted Rajbir was not on official duty when he died, but despite being a much-decorated officer of the Delhi Police no notable city or national leader, and not a single senior officer was present at his cremation. With Mohan Chand's death came a great sense of loss. But it resulted in restoring a nation's faith and confidence in its police force. Thousands of police personnel, commoners and politicians flocked to his funeral at Nigambodh Ghat to pay tribute. National leaders including former deputy prime minister L K Advani, home minister Shivraj Patil, Delhi's chief minister Sheila Dikshit were all there at the cremation conducted with full police honours. Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's homage came in the form of a floral wreath laid on his behalf. Unlike
his mentor, Mohan Chand died a national hero, the pride of khaki.

The writer is former joint commissioner of police, Delhi.

Sinister Designs - 05 September 2008

Orissa Government told Supreme Court on Thursday, 4-Sep that no VHP rally that could inflame the smoldering passions in Khandhmal would be allowed. The proposed yatra by Praveen Togadia was ostensibly for the declared purpose of carrying the ashes of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati done to death by yet-to-be-determined extremist elements on August 23. The assurance followed Orissa Archbishop Raphael Cheenath’s submission to the apex court through senior advocate Colin Gonsalves that allowing any such yatra would be akin to striking a matchstick into the communal tinder box. It is widely feared by the victimized community locally in Orissa that the “asthi-kalash” yatra is merely a ruse – since the Swami was not cremated but buried, so no ashes really to parade – to incite communal passions yet again for a repeat of Gujarat-like engineered carnage; to give effect to the oft-repeated and declared agenda of the Hindu fundamentalists to “wipe out Christians” from the State.

As per reports, VHP leader is quite undeterred by the SC’s flak or its orders to the State to keep communal elements at bay, and declared the yatra would go on. He has merely changed the “asthi-kalash yatra” to a “shradhanjali yatra” to condole the Swami’s death, and said they “will march through every village and town of Orissa”.

It may be recalled the so-called “spontaneous” reaction to target Christians commenced this second time round on August 26 and only after the venom spitting Praveen Togadia’s visit to Orissa on Aug 25 – who in his typical style aroused the crowds by blaming Christians for the brutal murder – and not earlier or immediately after the Swami’s killing on Aug-23. This view is supported by analysts and now even by a section of the local police brass who feel the hasty suspension of SP Kandhmal who had effectively controlled any communal fall-out immediately after the Swami’s killing on Aug-23 was a knee-jerk reaction, which act may in turn have helped the communal forces he had controlled to have a free hand to commit the carnage without state intervention.

In the aftermath of the on-going violence against the minority peace loving Christian community, at least 26 Christians have been killed; six priests and other religious injured, more than 40 Churches and convents burnt, 11 other Christian institutions including orphanages attacked and ten Christian shops looted; and over 5000 Christian houses torched or destroyed – affecting 50,000 people who have fled into jungles for safety.

Earlier, in the first of ethnic cleansing of Christians from the area which had begun on the eve of Christmas 2007 and lasted for a month thereafter, more than 100 churches were destroyed in arson, at least six people killed and thousands of Christians rendered homeless to hide in jungles braving severe winter, and surviving on forest products.

Following the current carnage, His Grace Vincent M. Concessao – Archbishop of Delhi, led a peace mission to Orissa on September 2-3 to meet up with Hindu leaders on the issue of violence in Kandhmal and neighboring areas. I was part of this delegation, which also included Archbishop Raphael Cheenath – the centre-stage head of the victimized community in Orissa to espouse whose cause and that of the larger Christian community we were going – who however had to drop out following serious threats to his own life. Our one point agenda – to seek a dialogue and appeal for cessation of all violence in the State, restore peace and harmony, and promote inter-community understanding through proactive dialogue with mutual respect for each other's concerns.

The Christian delegation consisting of Archbishop Vincent, Fr. Dominic Emanuel –the spokesperson of Delhi Archdiocese, and myself – reinforced by Orissa locals Bishop Sarat Chandranayak of Berhampur and Dr. Swarupnanda Patro of the Baptist Federation…. met the Hindu leaders on September-2: Ashok Das - Orissa Chief of RSS; Ashok Sahu of Hindu Jagaran Manch; Bipin Behari Rath- State President VHP; Laxmikant Dash – State Gen Secy Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram; Prof Gopal Chandra Mohapatra – Gen Secy RSS; Gauri Prasad Rath – State Gen Secy VHP; and later, also Ajit Mohapatra the Kshetriya Pracharak of RSS.

It was obvious that this host of Hindu front organizations generally known as the Sangh Parivar have serious problem with people converting to Christianity of their own freewill. Their simple thesis is Islam and Christianity are foreign religions, so their followers or converts to them automatically owe their allegiance elsewhere and turn anti-national. No arguments, evidence by way of statistics, or the contribution Christians have made to the development of this country in terms of education or health services or their role in the army and other services, in preserving the languages and cultures of India; or the fact of their diminishing population (from 2.8 % about five decades ago to 2.33% in 2001) brook merit to convince the Sangh members. No testimony contrary to the ideological brainwashing received at their morning Shakhas over last 80 years seems to cut ice.

The Church has all along clarified that conversion to Christianity by force or fraudulent means is strictly forbidden. The Indian Constitution and Indian Penal Code hold such activities criminal. Despite that, several Indian states have passed anti-conversion laws, Orissa being one of the first to do so in 1967 – for reasons it would appear no other than to harass and put hurdles to the developmental work the Church is engaged in.

The self-coined refrain “Christians killed Swami Laxmanananda” continues relentlessly despite no substantiation through fact or evidence, and despite claims by Maoists and the state police that the killing appeared to be carried out by Maoists. It is but natural that the voice of two percent Christian community against the canards of 84% majority community just gets drowned, rendering the Christian community at its wits end.

In the circumstances, it was agreed during the dialogue, that we should at least build upon the unanimously agreed desire for peace, and to issue a joint declaration to this effect. Even so the reluctance of the representatives to append their signatures to this joint declaration or to be seen on the same platform with the Christian delegates while pronouncing this declaration – for reasons of being viewed adversely by their rank and file, and before the proposed “shradh” yatra, surprised us all. In fact the foreboding message this spells out is loud and clear. Are we to expect another Gujarat-like pogrom too to wipe out minorities in Orissa?

Where were you when they crucified me? - 01 Sept 2008

“Ohh…oh.. oh… some times it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble…… Were you there when they crucified me on the Cross!” These haunting words of the hymn and its accompanying melody were the theme throughout this Sunday’s service at the village church I usually attend within Gurgaon’s new developments. Though far from the carnage in Orissa, the poignant, electrifying and gripping service this Sunday was a penitential one, to pray for Orissa – its victims and its perpetrators.

On Christmas Eve 2007, while Christians in Orissa were preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus, gangs of fanatical elements in Kandhamal District, in a series of pre-planned and well organised assaults, attacked churches and Christian institutions, damaging them, desecrating statues and Bibles, and even burning houses in Christian bastis.

The atrocities continued for a month, and left 107 churches destroyed in arson, at least six people dead and thousands homeless. Though instances of violence were spread across the State, the bulk of it was concentrated in Kandhamal District. The district has a population of 6 lakh people of whom almost 2 lakhs are Christians. Practically all tribal, very poor and exploited.

By February although the brutality seemingly subsided, the persecution never stopped. Fanatical elements kept up pressure on Christians to renounce their faith and convert to Hinduism. Christians were taunted at work, boycotted socially, women were harassed, children caught and shaved bald.

In the forefront of the movement to force Christians to abandon Christianity was Lakshmananda Saraswati, a Vice President of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Though a sadhu, he was known to be deeply involved in politics. On the night of August 23^rd, a band of 20 to 30 masked men, armed with sophisticated weapons, including AK-47 rifles, attacked Lakshmananda Saraswati’s ashram and shot him and four of his associates dead. The operation was typical of the Naxalites - with the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army, a Maoist Communist outfit, even claiming credit for the killings – as Lakshmananda Saraswati they said, had been mixing politics and religion too much for too long.

Despite differences the Christians had with him, the Church and the All India Christian Council immediately condemned the killing of Saraswati, and appealed to the police to arrest the killers, since the Church is always against violence.

But the fundamentalists found in this an opportunity to make Christians the scapegoats, knowing full well that the poor tribal Christians were incapable of the killings using such sophisticated weapons. They rejected the by-now-publicly-believed-fact that Naxalites had killed Saraswati, and instead began a violent persecution of Christians in revenge and retaliation.

For the last week and more there has been a dance of death and destruction in Orissa. Over twenty-six Christians killed in different instances, an orphanage destroyed and a woman helper, possibly a nun, burnt to death. Many priests beaten, one burnt. In what is believed to be a spreading infection of violence, a CMI priest - Fr. Thomas Pandippally was brutally murdered on the borders of a neighbouring state. Nuns raped and children tonsured. Even the Archbishop’s house in Bhubaneshwar attacked, dozens of churches and prayer halls across the State burnt, sacred statues broken, Bibles torn and burnt, tabernacles desecrated, and saffron flags hoisted on churches and crosses.

The violence has spread to all the districts of Orissa. Not satisfied with destroying churches and convents, even Christian schools and hospitals are attacked. There is a systematic attempt to destroy the livelihoods of Christians. Hundreds of little shops and small businesses owned by Christians have been targeted and Christian houses broken. Thousands of Christians including priests and nuns forced to abandon their houses and flee to jungles, to live in fear, braving rain and poisonous insects.

In a state with history of repeated communal violence and persecution of Christians, the state police are doing little to protect the lives and properties of Christians, claiming inadequate manpower and resources, and saying the rural roads have been blocked by trees. Christians are being denied their fundamental right to life, livelihood and property.

Not all victims are Christians. Hindus who work in Christian institutions or who live in Christian bastis, and those friendly with Christians too are targeted. The attempt is to polarise society on communal lines, and drive a wedge between communities.

To mark their solidarity with the Orissa Christians and as a protest against all acts of communal violence and brutal murders of priests and nuns of Orissa, the Delhi Christians sat on a 48-hour dharna in front of Sacred Heart Cathedral from 27^th August. And on 29^th, all Christians with teaching and non-teaching staff from all Christian schools, institutions and organizations in Delhi, gathered in front of the Orissa Bhavan for a protest demonstration - even as Christian schools and institutions all over the country remained closed for the day

While dharnas and demonstrations are important, Christians believe their strongest and most trustworthy weapon is prayer. And so the prayers at all Christian worship places like the one I witnessed in Gurgaon this Sunday, not only for the victims of Orissa carnage, but also for their perpetrators. “Father forgive them – for they know not what they are doing!”