AIDWA condemns attacks on minorities

AIDWA condemns attacks on minorities
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

AHMEDABAD, DEC 15: The All-India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has condemned the recent attacks on minorities and the rising communal violence in various parts of the State.

At a meeting initiated by AIDWA and the All India Christian Council (AICC), more than a dozen organisations comprising AICC, Samvad, Peoples' Union for Human Rights, Vikas Adhyayan Kendra met on Wednesday to express concern and exchange views on the situation of escalating violence against minorities, communalisation of politics, Constitution and the rule of the law, among others.

Discussing the recent communal riots in Ahmedabad, the meeting agreed on the need for a joint and broad-based action and openly condemned the situation of escalating violence, state inaction and complicity. They also vehemently condemned Home Minister Haren Pandya's controversial remarks on Chindia.

It was said that the BJP and Sangh Parivar organisations have become particularly desparate ever since they lost the civic elections and that the recent outbreak of communal violence against Muslims in the city was a sign of this. It was also pointed that the Christian community in particular apprehends an escalation of violence against them during the Christmas season, more so because no one of those guilty of the anti-Christian violence since 1998 has been brought to justice.

The organisations demanded the State government to re-establish the right of worship in the ECI Church Hall in Chindia, to identify and prosecute persons guilty of sacrilege and violence, to withdraw the fabricated cases against ECI Bishop Ezra Sargunam, to take immediate steps and reverse the process of its communalisation, among other demands.