Attacks on Dalit Christians on the rise in Yadadri district, allege rights activists
HYDERABAD: Alleging that attacks on Dalit Christians have grown exponentially in the past two years in Yadadri region, human rights activists on Thursday appealed to the government to constitute a Special Investigation Team to inquire and prevent such attacks.
The rights activists alleged that the fringe elements would resort to mob lynchings if not curbed at the earliest. Recently, a fact-finding team comprising several rights groups including Human Rights Forum, Bahujana Prathighatana Vedika, Muslim Alochanaparula Vedika, and Kula Asamanatha Nirmulana Porata Samithi visited three villages in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district. They found 32 instances of churches being vandalised and pastors attacked across the State from December 2017 till date.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday, S Jeevan Kumar, a rights activist said that there are many instances of attacks carried out by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, RSS and ABVP on Dalit Christians going unreported. He said, “In the light of CM K Chandrasekhar Rao’s plan to transform Yadadri temple into Telangana Tirupati, there have been attacks on Dalit Christian pastors and their worship places. Neither the people’s representatives nor police is supporting the victims. No police cases have been filed.” ch measures were taken.
Bandaru Laxman, a caste inequality annihilation struggle committee activist asked: “Don’t the Dalits have a right to practice religion as per their choice as guaranteed under the Constitution?” U Sambasiva Rao, state coordinator, Bahujana Resistance Forum, said that a concept of a territorial nationalism is being promoted by the vigilant squads.