Monday, November 02, 2015

Indian Christians Condemn Growing Intolerance in the Country (November 2nd 2015)


Indian Christians Condemn Growing Intolerance in the Country

We, the undersigned Indian Christians as citizens of our country India and as Christians in unequivocal terms denounce the growing intolerance in the country. We also denounce the sinister attempts to do away with reservation policy and ultimately the attempt to undermine the Constitution of India; we denounce the planned move to utilize religion for politico-economic benefits; we denounce the well orchestrated efforts to use government machinery to achieve ones evil ends; we denounce all the efforts to divide the nation into fiefdom of some elements.

We denounce all the attempts to erode scientific temper and scholarship by meddling with the education system of the country. We are in  special way concerned at how the Indigenous Adivasi People in our country are being coerced to leave their traditional nature-based religious beliefs and practices and are subjected to so-called ‘ghar vapsi’ by some hindutva elements thus ushering in disharmony within their communities. Under this pretext, they are being alienated from their natural habitat and resources.

As citizens, we uphold the democratic, secular and socialist principles and practices of our mother country; we uphold the basic foundations of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity enshrined in our Constitution for all the citizens of the country; we uphold the right to freedom of different cultures, religions, ways of life, beliefs, traditions, practices, customs and orientations; we uphold the right of the citizens to live a life without any intimidation by anyone; we uphold the age old tradition of living in harmony and unity by all the citizens of this country; we uphold the value of rural reconstruction and nation building.
Further, we stand in solidarity with all victims of targeted violence against Adivasis, Dalits, Women, religious minorities and people of other orientations. We uphold freedom of expression and ways of life. We are in defence of human rights defenders and advocacy groups.

We stand in solidarity with all those from various walks of life, faiths, traditions, backgrounds, cultures, communities, professions and orientations who have raised voice against the growing intolerance in the country and call upon all the citizens to resist every move to create crisis and conflict by some vested interests.

We invite others too to stand up at this time and express concern and do whatever is needed to uphold inclusive development, peace, unity, integrity, sovereignty and harmony in our Country India.

Citizens of India
Mr. Francis Colaco – Former DGP Karnataka
John Dayal – Member, National Integration Council, Writer and Activist
Archbishop Thomas Macwan, Archbishop of Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Henri Tiphagne–Secretary, Human Rights Defenders Alert (HRDA), New Delhi
Ms.Virginia Saldanha - Secretary, Indian Christian Women's Movement, Mumbai
Dr. Astrid Lobo - Satyashodhak, Mumbai
Darryl  D'Monte  – Journalist, Maharashtra                  
Dr. Walter Fernandes – Social Scientist, Guwahati
Dr. Prakash Louis – Patna
Cedric Prakash – Human Rights Activist , Ahmedabad                       
A.C. Michael – Former Minority Commission Member, Govt of Delhi
Lukose Vallatharai IAS (Rtd) – Bengaluru
Philomena Fernandez – Goans in Gulf
Dolphy Dsouza - Police Reforms Watch, Mumbai
Eugene Culas, Director - Voice of Dalit International, UK
Prasanna Thomas, Bengaluru
Florence Fernandes - Mumbai
Dr. Kochurani Abraham - Indian Women Theologians Forum, Kottayam
Managing Committee Members of the Bombay Catholic Sabha, Kalina Unit
BG Koshy - The Rainbow Forum, Bengaluru
Margaret Gonsalves - ANNNI Charitable Trust, Maharashtra
Mary Alfred - International Travel House, Mumbai
John D’souza, Ahmedabad
Dominic Emmanuel – Media Person, Delhi
Edwin D’souza - Sindhudurg   
Dr. Felix Raj – Principal, St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata
Dr. Hazel D'Lima - Mumbai
Aasha Ramesh – Bengaluru                      
Deepak Mukarji – Delhi                            
Clement Pereira – Bengaluru                     
Alana Golmei – Manipur                         
Ajaya Singh – Bhubaneswar                       
Manju Tirkey – Rourkela   
Maria Pragasam – Tamil Nadu
Swebert D’silva - Mangaluru                       
Harvey Hoddings – Bengaluru        
Joseph Amodia, Ahmedabad                    
Cynthia Stephen – Bengaluru                             
Dr. Keith D’Cunha – Bengaluru                          
Helen Saldanha – New York  
Greta Cutinho, Mumbai                    
Alex Ekka – Ranchi                                   
Marie Charmaine  Lamount -  Bengaluru  
Rajesh M Singh – Bengaluru  
Agapith Tirkey – Pathalgaon, Chhattisgarh                   
Dr. Goldy George – Raipur                       
R. Viegas – Mumbai                                  
Gracias C – Bengaluru                                        
Benny Chiramel – Trivandrum    
Lona Pinto, Ahmedabad                       
Venus Mario John – Bengaluru                           
Lynette Gomes – Mumbai                         
Sebastian Poomattam – Chattisgarh         
Harry Pereira – Bengaluru                         
Anthony Dias – Mumbai                                    
Santona Das – Bengaluru                                    
M. Shimray – Manipur                       
A R F Viegas – Mumbai                                     
Fredrick Francis – Bengaluru                          
Rebecca Kurian – Bengaluru                              
Angela L Viegas – Mumbai    
Beena Macwan, Ahmedabad                   
Omena Matthan – Bengaluru                    
Eldred Tellis – Mumbai                      
Loyola Azavedo – Mumbai                          
Fulgence Lakra – Jashpur                         
Sannybhai – Surat                                              
Mario Jason Braganza – Thane                           
Prasanna Thomas – Mumbai              
Aloysius Irudayam - Madurai,                            
Joe Mattam – Vadodara
Joe Xavier – Madurai                                
Rosely Cheeramkunnel – Mumbai             
Sr Mariola BS – Mangalaru                      
Velangani Sinnamuthu – Kalol, Gujarat
Stan Swamy - Ranchi
A.J. Philip - Delhi
Stanley H Mark - Bengaluru
Jothi – Kolkata
Alwyn D’Souza – Bangkok
Julius Gonsalves - Bengaluru
Dorothy D'Souza - Pune
Manu Alphonse – Chennai
Fredrick Francis - Bengaluru
Ruth D’Souza - Maharashtra
Benedict Joy -  Bengaluru
R. Viegas – Mumbai
Philu Thomas - Pune
Rapheal RSM - Bengaluru
Xavier Jeyaraj - Kolkatta
William Stanley – Vizag
Lewis James – Bengaluru
Dr. Rudi Heredia - Mumbai    
Bobby – Delhi
K.M. Selvaraj – Ooty
Freda Coelho -  Ahmedabad
Anoushka Viegas - Mumbai
Ruby – Jammu
James Pochury - Nagaland
Xavier Manjooran – Songad, Gujarat
Shanta Mathai – Bengaluru    
Nithiya Sagayam – Trichy
Apem Shangh - Manipur
Premalatha  Kumar – Bengaluru      
Lydia Fernandez – Bengaluru
Mathai Kochuparampil – Ahmedabad        
Prashant Olalekar – Lonavala
Valerian Mendonca - Belgium
Rita Puthenkalam – Bihar
Leela Jose - Kochi
Enid Fernandes – Mumbai
Antony Arulraj - New Delhi
Dinesh Braganza – Mumbai
Mathew AJ – Trichy
Rohit James Joseph – Mumbai
Sr Jessy Leena BS - Mangalaru
Velangani Sinnamuthu – Kalol, Gujarat
Lynette Viegas – Lector, Our Lady of Egypt Church, Mumbai
Praxedes Gomes – Senior Citizen, Mumbai
Sahaya Philomin Raj – Tamil Nadu
Valerian Mendonca - Doctoral Researcher, Belgium
Owen Chourappa – Kohima
David Solomon - Dumka
Varkey Perekkatt - Delhi        
Jacob Kujur – Pathalgaon
Lilly Pereira BS - Austria
Lourdu Raju. D. Joy – Khammam, Telangana 
Dr. Pius Kizha - Kerala
Nestor J Rodrigues - Bengaluru
Samuel Kapani - Austria
Vedanayagam – Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu
Arockiasamy Arulandu - Madurai
 

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