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'Anti-Christian attacks started in Nov 1997'

The attacks on Christians in the tribal areas of Dangs in south Gujarat have been going on for the past one year and are not the outcome of a sudden upsurge of developments on December 25 last year, inquiries have revealed.

Even on Christmas, when the maximum number of churches and Christian institutions were hit and burnt down, the attacks were not isolated but planned and systematic.

The Hindu activists allegedly descended in hordes in several villages around the same time -- between 1900 hours and 2000 hours -- to indulge in similar acts of vandalism, an independent fact-finding team has ascertained.

The team, led by Justice (retired) S Suresh of the Bombay high court who had inquired into the Bombay riots, went around the affected villages and spoke to the tribals, the clergy and Hindu leaders.

In the submissions made before the team, it was revealed that the first of the attacks was in Kudas village on November 11, 1997 when priest Premchand Gambit was beaten up. On November 14, at Umerpada, 24 Christians were threatened and implicated in false cases.

On February 20 last year, at village Divan Temroon and Jamalapada, Christians were beaten up while praying. In May, at Jorsod, Christians attending a two-day convention were attacked.

As many as five attacks took place in July. First, at village Dholidod, a prayer hall was damaged. A week later, an attempt was made to burn the prayer hall at Bobkhal. Two days later, at Payargodi, Sukar Bhai Gambit was attacked. Three days later, at Padalkhadi, Christians were attacked while they were praying.

In June, at Singhana and Lahan Kadmal, prayer halls were burnt down. In August, at Jamniamal and Morjira, Christian families were attacked and beaten up. All these details have also been compiled in a memoranda submitted to the prime minister and government officials by Christian organisations.

A month prior to the Christmas attack, prayer halls were burnt down in Nirgudmal, Borigouda, Lahancharia, Subir and Kamath.

On December 25, prayer halls were set on fire at Gadvi, Jamalapada, Nadagkadi and Padalkhadi. Standing outside a demolished church structure at Gadvi, Lakshubhai Kodgia told UNI that he had embraced Christianity voluntarily after the local pastor cured his sons through the reading of the Ten Commandments. ''Now I will remain a Christian till my last breath,'' he said.

At Jamalapada, despite the religious animosity, the tribal bonding was evident. The Hindu tribals here conceded their Christian brethren request not to burn the prayer hall as its flames would fan into their adjoining houses. The church property was, therefore, brought out and set on fire and the prayer hall only ransacked, signs of which were visible a week later too.

The next day the activists attacked the prayer halls at Behadun, Karadiamba and Waki and completely demolished these. First information reports have been filed in all the cases.

The attacks that intensified on the third day saw eight churches completely demolished at Bordal, Sepuamba, Shivbara, Pipaldagad, Gougan, Karenjpada, Mulchond and Baripada.

In the continuing violence two structures were demolished at Mathalbari and Rovchond the next day. At Jorsod and Naktiyanvathagain, prayer halls were demolished.

In notes circulated by Hindu activists, the Christians are being ''perceived as threats''. Urging people to ''purify yourself through yagna and become a Hindu,'' Sathya Priya Dasana, in a note, said, ''One who does not understand is a fool. Let god give wisdom to such innocent adivasis.''

The warning also alleged that presently the Christians of Dangs have been conspiring to convert innocent and poor Hindu adivasis to Christianity by showing various allurements.

They are conspiring to break the nation by creating division in each and every house, the freely circulated note said.

UNI

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