October 13, 2008 – Dr. Raj Baldev, Chairman National Integration Assembly (NIA), gave his comments when his attention was drawn to the article published in New York Times authored by Somini Sengupta alleging that the Christian families are being forced to bow before the Hindu God and are being compelled to abandon their faith in exchange of their safety.

Comments by Dr. Raj Baldev: “The picture about the flight of the Christian families is being wrongly painted. India, is the greatest populous democracy and officially a secular nation, and every religion has fundamental right to live peacefully and is respected by other religions. Why this difference of faith has arisen and why the Christians suffered is a matter of investigation, a big question needed to be examined rather than to exploit?

“My representative visited the affected areas where the Christians are reported to have complained that they are being pressurized either to bow before a Hindu God or abandon their faith in exchange of their safety. This claim by Christian families whom we approached did not confirm that they were forced to bow before a Hindu God or compelled to leave their religion in exchange of their safety.

“This allegation is false and is contradicted by all responsible people in the affected areas. Even the Christiana families have simply apprehended this notion, no Hindu family or their leader ever compelled them to leave their religion in exchange of their safety. The inside fighting was there between both the communities on certain trivial issues but there was no question of such a degraded threat from Hindus as claimed by  media report published by New York Times.

“There is absolutely no assault on anyone’s fundamental freedom in India, whether one is Christian, Muslim, Sikh or a person from any other religion. This is just exaggerated report, no Christiana families were ever forced to either bow before a Hindu God or compelled to abandon their faith in exchange of their safety.”

“Here is a blame from eastern Orissa State, riven by six weeks of religious clashes, Christian families like the Digals say they are being forced to abandon their faith in exchange for their safety.”

“My representative examined the situation, the claim is ridiculous, it is observerd that the statement by a Christian family is exaggerated; no one is reported to have forced Christian families to bow before Hindu God or threatened to abandon their faith in exchange of their safety. Even Mr.Digal has denied the allegation as leveled in New York Times,” Dr. Raj Baldev said.

Dr. Raj Baldev, Chairman, National Integration Assembly (NIA) has repeatedly expressed his concern on the misbehavior of certain non-Christian lobbies over Christian families in Orissa and visited the place in person, even while he was suffering from high fever.

Not only he condemned but also appealed to all religious leaders to behave with secular minded sense; but the wild allegations as being imposed against Hindu community by Somini Sengupta as appeared in the New York Times under the title of Hindu Threat to Christians: Convert or Flee looks to be exaggerated and baseless as per NIA’s investigations, conducted by NIA Chairman.

Dr. Raj Baldev said, “The situation is different, there is a serious gap  of deep understanding and responsibility between both the communities, otherwise such an insulting blame should not have come upon the secular state like India, particularly when India’s Prime Minister was abroad and President Bush was doing his utmost to get the Indo-US Nuclear Deal through despite several odds. Can’t one smell some conspiracy to divide Hindus and Christians and to spread hatred between the two peaceful communities, particularly when our Prime Minister was trying to save the country’s prestige?

“Such allegations are a direct attempt to abuse the biggest democracy of the world, Dr. Raj Baldev said. I don’t say that Hindus are innocent; I have found even Christians are also not innocent, both communities have some serious lack of understanding that has led to such an ugly situation where wild allegations are being leveled freely against each other without any solid base.

Christian families are absolutely safe in India, the authorities are trying their best to restore the old goodwill among different religious communities, Dr. Raj Baldev, said, the volunteers of the National Integration Assembly (NIA) are on the job and the situation shall soon pick up friendly atmosphere, even the Govt. authorities including the Centre is exerting their influence to respect the high spirit of democracy and secularism,” Dr. Raj Baldev said.