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From: C-afp@clari.net (AFP)
Newsgroups: clari.world.asia.india,clari.world.organizations.un,clari.world.asia+oceania,clari.world.organizations
Subject: UN rights chief hail Indian assurances on religious freedom
Organization: Copyright 1999 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
Message-ID: <Qindia-unURFJa_9FH.Rjr7_9FH@clari.net>
Lines: 66
Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 8:46:17 PST
ACategory: international
Slugword: India-UN
Threadword: india
Priority: urgent
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Note: (UPDATES with Indian PM's statement)
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   NEW DELHI, Feb 17 (AFP) -  UN human rights chief Mary Robinson  
voiced satisfaction Wednesday with the Indian government's 
commitment to protecting religious minorities. 
   Robinson said she had raised the issue of anti-Christian  
violence during talks here with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, 
Home Minister L.K. Advani and Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh. 
   "I was told by the Indian authorities that they had constituted  
a commission of inquiry and they will bring people responsible to 
justice," Robinson told reporters. 
   "I am aware that the concerns are quite widespread and there is  
a pattern. It is important that these issues are addressed 
seriously," she said. 
   The violence against Christians included arson attacks on  
churches and missionary schools in the western state of Gujarat over 
Christmas. 
   It culminated in the murder last month of Australian missionary  
Graham Staines and his two young sons in the eastern state of 
Orissa. 
   The Hindu nationalist-led coalition government has been  
criticised for failing to prevent the attacks and seeking to appease 
the Hindu hardliners. 
   "I have raised the issue in the context of Christians, tribals  
and other castes," Robinson said, adding she was "struck by the 
seriousness" of the dialogue generated by the attacks. 
   Statements by the president and prime minister and the  
establishment of an inquiry, have indicated that "Indian democracy 
was committed to the freedom of religion," she said. 
   Indian President K.R. Narayanan in his annual Republic Day  
address denounced the violence and stressed the nation's unity was 
"not based on any monolithic idea." 
   Robinson said she believed displays of religious intolerance in  
India were taken very seriously and the constitution provided a 
"strong guarantor" of religious freedoms. 
   "I hope if there is a pattern (in the attacks) it can be  
arrested by strong opposition." 
   She also took part in the seventh Asia-Pacific workshop on the  
regional promotion and protection of human rights. 
   Foreign Minister Singh told the conference the attacks on  
minorities in India were an "aberration" and not a norm. 
   "I do not feel any faith feels unsafe. What happened is an  
aberration. It is an assault on human traditions more than against 
any faith ... and deserves condemnation," Singh told the delegates. 
   Prime Minister Vajpayee, meanwhile, expressed concern Wednesday  
over "growing intolerance" in India and in an oblique reference 
attacked rightwing Hindu groups allied to his government for the 
religious bigotry. 
   "The growing intolerance in our national life is not compatible  
with democracy," Vajpayee said at a centenary celebration of a local 
college here Wednesday. 
   "India has always provided refuge to religious communities  
fleeing from fear, terror, exploitation and persecution. 
   "Our traditions have taught us that let the winds of thoughts  
come from all directions, but it is equally important that one 
should not get swayed by the winds and firmly hold on to the 
ground," Vajpayee said. 
   In a thingly-veiled attack on rightwing Hindu groups allied to  
his ruling coalition the prime minister said: "Unfortunately, some 
people neither allow the winds to blow nor keep their feet firmly on 
the ground." 
   Christians make up just 2.5 percent of India's 975 million  
people. Christian leaders say there has been a sharp increase in 
attacks on their community since Hindu nationalists took power in 
March 1998. 
  	   	

