Chennai - Sandesh

April 19, 2013

When Presspersons Tore Into A Bishop’s Intransigence 

Kudos to the Mediapersons of Ooty (Nilgiri district) who attended the press meet there addressed by Bishop M Prakash, Chairman of the Tamilnadu Minorities Commission on April 16. This is what happened: The Bishop created a flutter at the press conference held in the presence of Collector Archana Patnaik and Superintendent of Police T Senthil Kumar at the Nilgiri Collectorate in Ooty, by saying that Hindu terrorists were objecting to the construction of churches.However, he retracted his words after some electronic media persons played his recorded voice and said that his statement would have serious repercussions if it was published or telecast. Realising his blunder, he defended himself, saying that he referred to Hindu fanatics and not terrorists. In a bid to sound innocuous, he said “during my visit to various districts, Christians complained that Hindu fanatics are objecting and blocking the construction of churches. Christians also complained that Vinayakar (Ganesh) temples are being constructed everywhere, but it is difficult to get permission to construct churches and mosques. It is the voice of the Christians and not mine. Hence I ask Collectors and SPs to permit the construction of churches in TN.” When pointed out that the Collectors and the Superintendents of Police had the right to refuse permission in some cases to prevent law and order problem in their respective districts, Bishop Prakash said that the commission would cooperate with the Collector and the SP in such cases. But a question remained: responsible neighbourhood residents associations in many parts of the state normally oppose construction of church or mosque in their locality fearing a breach in peace and secure injunctions from the court; so does the Bishop consider all those associations as “fanatics”?

At Tirunelveli, 200 Christians Come Back to Hindu Fold

In a solemn homecoming (paraavartan) programme under the auspices of Vishwa Hindu Parishad on April 10 at Tirunelveli, 200 Christians returned to their mother religion and were given Hindu names. A havan was performed on the occasion. Swami Shantananda blessed the homecomers. Gopalaratnam, state vice president of VHP spoke and informed that VHP will see that Hindu names of the homecomers are published in the Gazatte. State secretary of hindu Lawyers Munnani, Kutralanathan, also was present on the occasion.

When Sense Prevailed In The Police Force 

An Auto driver Selva Prabhu while on his job refused to receive a hand bill distributed by the Pastor of AG Church, Pallikaranai, Chennai. The Pastor started arguing with Prabhu, who left the place receiving the phone number of the pastor. Later in the noon, he received a call from the Pallikaranai Police Station SI asking him to come to the police station for investigation. When Prabhu went to the Police Station along with Ravindran of Hindu Munnani and Vijayakumar, some persons from the Church began to manhandle Prabhu. Then, the SI had talks with both the parties and asked Prabhu to come once again by 7.00 p.m. to the station. When Prabhu was about to leave the station, the Church people started attacking the three. Immediately, Prabhu entered the police station for security. But unfortunately, the Christian Inspector started beating him and arrested him by registering a false case. The struggle intensified as the news spread and hundreds of volunteers of BJP and Hindu Munnani staged a road roko demo near the station while the police took Prabhu to lodge him in Puzhal prison. The victim was produced before the Alandur court; meanwhile a sensible Assistant Commissioner of Police saw through the mischief of his Christian subordinates.At his behest prabhu was released and the false case was withdrawn.The AC assured that action will be taken if complaint is lodged against conversion activities.