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 Ezra was trying to instigate local Christians: The message, Mr. Pandya said, was in response to a request sent by the State Government pointing out that the Bishop was “trying to instigate” Christians in Chhindia village and creating a “law and order problem”. The Tamil Nadu Government was also informed that the chairman of its Minority Commission had “no jurisdiction” over Gujarat and had adopted a stance of non- cooperation with the authorities. Virtually blaming the Christians for the dispute over the church in the village, Mr. Pandya said the Government would take “stern action” against anyone found “instigating” people. It was a “deliberate scheme” of the Christians to “defame the BJP government in the State”, he claimed.

Christian plot to grab the land of a tribal: Denying knowledge of the involvement of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in the incident of November 26 as alleged by the All-India Christian Council, the Minister said the land on which the “so- called church” was functioning actually belonged to Mr. Puniyabhai Ukadiabhai Kotwalia, a local tribal. Mr. Puniyabhai, who became a Christian some time ago, recently re-converted to Hinduism. On November 29, the Christian Council lodged a complaint with the Vyara police stating that a group of VHP activists “attacked the church” in Chhindia village on November 26 and “desecrated it”. Mr. Puniayabhai, meanwhile, accused Christian leaders of “forcibly entering” the “premises owned by him” and taking away the picture of a Hindu deity.

Conversion trick to create communal tension: While the Council spokesman, Mr. Samson Christian, said the piece of land was jointly owned by seven persons who together handed it over to the local Christian community for building a church in 1996, Mr. Pandya claimed that according to government records, Mr. Puniyabhai was sole owner of the land and inherited it from his father. The “church” was actually a room in his residence which he had “allowed local Christians to use as a prayer hall,” Mr. Pandya said. Mr. Christian had accused the local police of working hand-in- glove with the VHP in attacking the church in the presence of senior government officials including the District Collector and the District Superintendent of Police. Mr. Pandya said the Revenue Department gave Mr. Puniyabhai ownership of the land in June, 1992, as he was cultivating it since 1975. Under the Tenancy Act, he had no authority to sell or re-allocate it to anyone else without the prior permission of the Government and there was no question of his giving the land for construction of a church. But after Mr. Puniyabhai became a Christian in 1995, one of the rooms was used by local Christians as a prayer hall. He re-converted to Hinduism six months ago and since then has refused permission for the room to be used as a church.

Land grabbing Ezra’s style carried on in Gujarat: Contrary to Mr. Samson Christian’s claims, Mr. Pandya said a group of Christians forcibly entered the room on November 26 and removed the picture of a Hindu deity. On a complaint filed by Mr. Puniyabhai, the Vyara civil court issued a stay on December 1 against the use of the land by either sides and fixed the hearing on December 12. The issue could have been resolved earlier but for the adjournment sought twice on November 30 and December 4 by the local Christians on its hearing, Mr. Pandya claimed. He alleged that Bishop Sargunam went on an indefinite fast only after the civil court granted the stay. The Christian Council also filed a petition in the Gujarat High Court against the stay granted by the Vyara civil court. Mr. Pandya also refuted the Council’s claim that 200 Christians had migrated from the village after November 26. The Vyara social justice committee chairman along with some other officials visited the village and found that all the people were staying in their respective houses, he said. No migration had taken place as claimed by Mr. Christian, he stated and pointed out that in the village with a population of 1,500, over 75 per cent were Hindus and the rest Christians.

Local Court granted bail for Ezra, thus escaped from arrest[6]: The Vyara civil court today [14-12-2000] granted anticipatory bail to Bishop Ezra Sargunam, the national president of the Evangelical Church of India, but refused him permission to enter any place within its jurisdiction, which include Chhindia village in south Gujarat, where a church of his denomination was allegedly attacked on November 26, 2000. The Bishop, who is also the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Minority Commission, had filed the anticipatory bail following a criminal complaint filed against him and a few others by the “owner” of the piece of land on which the church stood, Mr. Punyabhai Kotwalia, for allegedly “trespassing” on his property[7]. The Bishop had launched an indefinite fast in front of the church on November 29 demanding restoration of the church, which the Christians claimed was desecrated during the attack and converted into a temple. The Vyara civil court, while granting a stay on December 1 on Mr Punyabhai’s petition that the land was his “personal property,” had also directed the Bishop to stay away from Vyara taluka. The Bishop, who is still here meeting with other Christian leaders, had made it clear that he would take a decision on the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi’s message to return to Chennai only “in consultation with the leaders of the secular forces.”

Ezra indulged in objectionable activities: The Gujarat Minister of State for Home, Mr. Haren Pandya, when asked about the Vyara civil court’s order, said the State Government would ensure that the court order was “strictly implemented” hinting that it would not hesitate to arrest the Bishop if he made any attempt to return to Vyara or Chhindia. The State Home Secretary, Dr V. V. Rama Subba Rao, has written to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, informing him about the “objectionable activities” of the Bishop in the State. Like the Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, who wrote to his Tamil Nadu counterpart twice requesting him to recall the Bishop, Dr. Subba Rao has also requested the Chief Secretary to take immediate steps to ensure that the Bishop stopped “interfering” with the law and order situation in the State[8]. In fact, his refusal to leave, created tension in the area[9]. Meanwhile, the State Government has decided to make elaborate security arrangements in the south Gujarat districts to ensure peace during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. At a meeting of the district collectors and district superintendents of police of Surat, Bulsar, Navsari and Dangs districts convened here today by Mr. Pandya and Dr. Subba Rao, it was decided to deploy adequate number of state reserve police and anti-riot Rapid Action Force personnel in the four districts to assist the local police and home guards to maintain peace during the celebrations.

PTI reports from Surat: The sessions court today banned the entry of Bishops Ezra Sargunam and Fr. Raive Ishudas of Chennai into the Vyara sub- division, without the written permission from the court. According to the conditions imposed by the court on the Bishops, the orders would be applicable till the chargesheet was filed against them. The court allowed anticipatory bail applications by the Bishops and dismissed the criminal application filed by Shankarbhai Gamit of Vyara. The Vyara police was directed to enlarge the two Bishops on bail on their furnishing a solvent surity of Rs. 5000 with a personal bond for the like sum each in the event of their arrest in an offence registered by the Vyara police station.  The same news was also reproduced by the Catholic news agency it its own way[10]. “An Indian court has banned a Protestant bishop from entering the area of a disputed chapel in a ruling the bishop says was politically motivated to harass Christians….. Bishop Sargunam, vice chairman of the Minorities Commission of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, said he left Gujarat after state authorities refused to meet him…….. The Protestant bishop told UCA News that he had to leave the area because of the state government´s partisan approach toward Christians. Anti-Christian attacks in Gujarat are “State-sponsored vandalism,” he said. More than 100 attacks against Christians have been reported in Gujarat in the last two years.” Thus, the persecution myth went on in their own way[11].

© Vedaprakash

14-11-2017

[1] http://www.tamil8.com/watch.php?vid=f5e16b702

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a08ptEvj1dQ

[3] M. Ezra Sargunam, Multiplying Churches in India: An Experiment in Madras, Federation of Evangelical Churches of India, 1974, Madras, pp141-142.

https://christianityindia.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/nothing-illegal-in-encroaching-land-for-church/

[4] The Hindu, Karunanidhi asks T.N. Bishop in Gujarat to return, By Manas Dasgupta, Thursday, December 07, 2000.

[5]http://www.thehindu.com/2000/12/07/stories/0207000l.htm

[6] The Hindu, Bail granted to Bishop, By Manas Dasgupta, Friday, December 15, 2000

[7]http://www.thehindu.com/2000/12/15/stories/02150005.htm

[8] The Tribune, Bishop’s refusal to leave causes unrest, December 9, 2000.

[9] http://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001210/nation.htm – 8

[10] UCAnews, Protestant bishop leaves after Hindu state head refuses to meet, December 15, 2000.

[11] https://www.ucanews.com/story-archive/?post_name=/2000/12/15/protestant-bishop-leaves-after-hindu-state-head-refuses-to-meet&post_id=17391