Keshubhai cancels meeting with bishop

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR, DEC.12. The dispute over the alleged attack on a church by some Vishwa Hindu Parishad activists at Chhindia village in south Gujarat and the consequent fast undertaken by the Evangelical Church of India president, Bishop Ezra Sarguanam, has taken a curious turn.

After agreeing to meet the Bishop to sort out the matter, both the Chief Minister, Mr. Keshubhai Patel, and the Minister of State for Home, Mr. Haren Pandya, have cancelled the meeting scheduled here for tomorrow.

Mr. Pandya said the dispute was sub- judice as both the Vyara civil court, which had banned entry to the disputed (property) premises by all concerned, and the High Court, where the Christians have filed a petition against the civil court order, were ``seized of the matter.''

Sources close to the Government, however, refused to accept the argument. It was believed that the BJP Government had to bow under pressure from the VHP and other Sangh Parivar outfits. The issue had been pending in the court even when the Chief Minister fixed the meeting and Mr. Pandya invited the Bishop for preliminary talks yesterday which offer, however, was turned down by the Christian leader who was keen on meeting Mr. Patel first.

The Christian leaders, who have joined hands with the Bishop and sought a meeting with the Chief Minister to discuss various issues facing the community and not alone the Chhindia issue alone, were shocked at the cancellation of the meeting since no law prevents the Government finding a solution outside the court even if the matter was sub-judice.

Besides, the Bishop, acting as an emissary of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, could have been granted a courtesy call by Mr. Patel. Mr Karunanidhi had in a fax message, requested Mr. Patel to grant audience to the Bishop, who is also the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Minority Commission.

The fact that the Bishop was a member of the DMK, an ally of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre, has further complicated the matter and the State Government was awaiting instructions from the Union Home Ministry, which it had alerted earlier stating the Bishop was creating a law and order problem.

The Bishop, who came here from Surat after receiving Mr. Karunanidhi's message asking him to return to Chennai, said he was ready to return at the earliest but only after meeting the Chief Minister.

The All-India Christian Council and the Gujarat United Christian Forum for Human Rights have sent a joint letter to the Chief Minister requesting him to grant audience to the Bishop and other Christian leaders.

Even as the Christian leaders hoped that the Chief Minister would accept the plea, Mr. Pandya launched a counter- offensive against the Bishop, pointing out that the criticism of the Council describing the alleged attack on the church at Chhindia as a ``government-sponsored vandalism'' smacked of ill- intentions of the Christians to create disturbances on the eve of Christmas to defame the BJP Government. Saying the Government was ``keeping a close watch on every movement of the Bishop,'' Mr. Pandya accused the Christian leaders of ``inducing'' innocent tribals to convert.

He said he had definite information that Mr. Punyabhai Kotwalia, ``owner'' of the land on which the Chhindia church stood, was given Rs. 500 cash and a promise of free education for his children for converting to Christianity in 1995. ``He did fall prey then but has returned to Hinduism now and is unwilling to allow the church to function on his land,'' Mr. Pandya said.

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