Christian Women Raped for Changing Religion (from Hinduism to Christianity)
Indian Catholic ^ | June 6, 2006

Posted on 06/07/2006 6:23:34 AM PDT by NYer

Bhopal (ICNS) -- In a gruesome incident, two Christian women in a remote village in Madhya Pradesh have been raped by a group of Hindu activists as punishment for changing their religion.

Briefing reporters about the incident on Monday, Indira Iyengar, a member of the Madhya Pradesh State Minority Commission, said that the rape had taken place in the remote district of Khargaon. “We have received the reports that two tribal Christian women have been raped by some Bajrang Dal activists. This heinous crime has been inflicted on these poor women as punishment for changing their religion from Hinduism to Christianity,” Iyengar told Indian Catholic. “This is cruel and makes no sense. This is an encroachment on one's fundamental right. It is also a punishable act. But nobody here listens to us, neither the police nor the collector. They all are least bothered,” the minority commission member pointed out. She said though the Christians are especially the victims, police take them away, beat them, file an FIR against them and put them behind bars. “We want the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister to know all this is happening here. We want this inequality to be stopped. We just want our safety," said Iyengar. The tribals, who have changed their religion to Christianity, complained that they are not being given proper and due justice. The police and administration also turn a deaf ear to them, they say. According to Rekha Bai, one of the rape victims who were present during the news conference said: "Police say that our complaint is fake. They don't listen to us. We have nowhere to go." Meanwhile, the pro-Hindu Bajrang Dal denied the allegation and created a ruckus over the issue at the venue of the press conference. "Christian community is changing everyone's religion here. We will not tolerate this with our religion. Bajrang Dal is exposing the negative aspect of this whole operation. We respect all the women, be they of any religion. They are defaming our organisation which we will not tolerate", said Devendra Singh Rawat, Bajrang Dal leader. The Bajrang Dal activists have warned the Minority Commission to stop defaming their organisation over this episode. But the Commission members said that they will take it up with the higher authorities and bring the perpetrators of the crime to book.   ____________________________________________________________________