The National Commission for Minorities felt concerned with various reports recently appeared in some sections of the Press relating to Christian Minority Educational Institutions at Kosi, Mathura and Agra in the State of Uttar Pradesh and decided to visit these places on 26thApril to make an on the spot assessment of the situation. The Commission's assessment is (as) below:

Visit to Kosi: The Commission visited St. Theresa's school at Kosi on the forenoon of 26 April 2000 ... The Commission is fully satisfied that it is pure and simple a case of robbery and nothing else.

Visit to Mathura: The Commission met Fr. Joseph Dabre, Principal of St. Dominic's School ... The Commission is of the view that the present matter is simply a law and order problem with no communal tinge, whatsoever, The Commission visited Sacred Heart School ... The Commission found that this was a routine problem between the parents and the Principal ... There is no communal angle in it whatsoever ...

Visit to Agra: The Commission ... visited the Archbishop's House and met the Vicar General ... The Commission is fully satisfied ... that this too, like other problems referred to above, is simply a law and order problem and there is absolutely nothing communal about it ...

Rewari Incident: The Deputy Commissioner, Rewari accompanied by Father Phillip Parmar and two nuns Sr. Ludmilla D'souza and Sr. Gertrude of Deepti Ashram, Rewari visited the Commission in Delhi on 27 April, 2000 ... The Commission is, therefore, of the view that this is a case of a simple road accident and that no communal meaning be attributed to it. (Source: The Indian Currents, 4.6.2000)

Church must Lead Struggle against Fascism

.. The Christians in India, a vulnerable and non-violent community, are still groping in the dark as to what to make out of these communalists attacks on them ... Atrocities all over the country with frightening frequency and particularly targeting Christian missionaries and their institutions are not considered as part of a nation wide modus openandi of the Hindutva forces. Therefore, the victims are forces to see the event only as a local incident. Besides they are often helpless and accept the police version of the events as 'isolated and accidental'.

It is time that the Church leaders pose an aggressive stand rather than just merely fight for their rights whenever they are violated. It is time to fight the forces of fascism, communalism, majoritarianism and the forces of lies and untruth with ... non-violent means ... The church should not wait for attacks on it to counter it, but must begin a campaign against forces that persecute the minorities, the Dalits, the poor and the disadvantaged in the name of 'Swadeshi' and 'nationalism' and also must fight not for themselves alone but for all of India so that our democracy and secularism can survive. (Source: Saby Vempeny The Indian Currents, 4 June, 2000)