ASIA/INDIA - Trial for seven innocent Christians: appeal for their release

Tuesday, 16 October 2018 persecutions   justice   peace   legality   christianity   civil society  

New Delhi (Agenzia Fides) - It is urgent to speed up the judicial process which sees seven innocent Christians of Kandhamal, a district in the Indian state of Orissa, in prison. The seven have been languishing in jail because of the false accusation of the murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati , the Hindu leader killed by the Maoists in 2008. This is what the Delhi Minorities Committee (DMC) asks for, which has produced and published a documentary film in Hindi entitled "Kaid mein Bekasoor" (Innocents imprisoned). As reported to Agenzia Fides, the documentary was produced by journalist Anto Akkara who has been spearheading a campaign for the release of the seven innocents.
"It is shocking to know about the plight of these innocents languishing in jail for the last 10 years. It should concern the whole nation", said Zafarul-Islam Khan, President of the Committee for Minorities. "Our mandate is to speak up for the voiceless and minorities. That is why the Commission decided to host this programme to spread awareness about the shocking injustice to the Christian minorities", he stressed.
"It is a shame for Indian democracy and judicial system that the seven innocents - six of them illiterates – are in jail to perpetuate a political fraud", urged Akkara, who made 27 trips to remote Kandhamal jungles villages and authored the nationally acclaimed book "Who Killed Swami Laxmanananda?" that has now been translated into Hindi and Malayalam.
Akkara has been anchoring an online signature campaign for the release of the innocents on www.release7innocents.com. Each signature on this website generates four instant emails to the Chief Justice of India, President of India, NHRC chairman and the Odisha High Court .
"It is time for everyone to come together to fight for law and justice and adequate compensation for the victims of the 2008 anti-Christian violence" said Father Kulokant Dandasena, a Catholic priest who works for the survivors in Kandhamal. "Seven innocent people in prison is a shame for a secular and democratic country like India", he added.
"We are taking up this case to awaken the minorities and others to massive injustice to innocent people", said Advocate Sister Anastasia Gill, a lawyer and member of the DMC. "This is the moment for all the minorities to join hands together and challenge the forces that are trying to divide people in the name of religion", she concluded. (PN) (Agenzia Fides, 16/10/2018)


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