[sacw] Orwellian "census" raises eyebrows (in Gujarat)

[Harsh Kapoor]

FYI
South Asia Citizens Web
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[From Indian Express, Tuesday, February 16, 1999 ]

Orwellian "census" raises eyebrows

By Virender Kumar 
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AHMEDABAD, Feb 14: ``It's a routine exercise'', says Gujarat Chief
Minister Keshubhai Patel, undertaken to ensure the security of
Christians. His nonchalance is at odds, however, with the growing
feeling -- both within the community and outside -- that the survey of
Christians in the state currently being conducted by the intelligence
wing of the police has a sinister, Orwellian tone to it. Especially in
light of all that's happened in Gujarat over the past couple of months.

Issued on February 2, the government circular to senior police officials
in the state seeks information regarding the number of Christians, where
they live, the addresses and telephone numbers of their ``leaders and
missionaries'', the vehicles they own and the licenced weapons they
possess -- all of which look relevant from the security point of view.

However, among the 13 points listed in the circular are questions less
innocent: Which missionaries are getting ``inspiration and funds'' from
foreign countries, how they are usingthese funds, and ``what type of
trickery'' they are employing in conversions. It also seeks information
about Christians who are involved in criminal activities and have ``a
criminal attitude''.

However, the government seems to have miscalculated the fallout of such
a circular. Minister of State for Home Haren Pandya, while defending the
survey, was forced to deny any government hand in it. ``There were no
government instructions for it. The intelligence people collect all kind
of information as and when necessary. They issued the circular to make
arrangements for the security of Christians'', he said.

R.N. Bhattacharya, Additional DG (intelligence), refused to discuss the
matter as it is in Gujarat High Court.

The police have already swung into action, targeting both individuals
and institutions. Most reports have come in from Vadodara, where
community leaders have advised their parish members not to divulge
information. Father Wilson of the city's Don Bosco Church said a police
team had visitedrecently and, armed with an `official order', made
inquiries about Christians. The subjects, Fr Wilson said, ranged from
the number of people who visited the church, the number of Christians
staying in the area, whether there were Christian colonies, how many
Christians held gun licences and whether they received funding support.
On Saturday, a senior M S University professor received a call from
someone who identified himself as someone from the local police station.

Then followed a rapid-fire series of questions -- how many years he had
been teaching, whether his wife was employed, how many children they
had, where they were studying, income details for self and wife, whether
they were supporting anyone else. When the professor asked him the
reason behind such questions, the caller said he had been instructed to
do so.

The warden at university's Hansa Mehta girls' hostel said he received
three phone calls from local guardians of inmates saying they had
received calls seeking such information but hadredirected these calls to
the warden.

Such incidents have created a fear psychosis among members of the
community.

And led to at least one embarrassing situation. Cherian Thomas, this
paper's staff photographer in Vadodara had a plainclothesman visit his
house on Saturday morning and tell his wife that Cherian should report
to the local police station.

Thomas, unsure of why he had been called but certain it was in
connection with the `census', went at the appointed time and was told he
must answer questions for a no-objection certificate.

During a two-hour scene at the police station that resembled something
out of Marx Brothers, Thomas said he hadn't applied for anything that
needed an NOC and the police insisted that, though they didn't know what
it was for, he must answer the questions. He refused, suspicions of the
police's intentions mounted and doubts were cleared only the next
morning when he learnt the affair was in connection with an
accreditation card!

A number of former top policeofficials have slammed the decision and the
way it was being implemented.

The circular, they say, has been ``crudely worded'', and the manner in
which Christians were being questioned is ``highly objectionable''. The
bit about `criminal attitude' caused most distress. ``It is highly
objectionable. it shows a biased mind. A criminal is a criminal, whether
Hindu, Muslim or Christian'', remarked former DGP Shiv Lal. Another
former DGP, PGJ Namboodiri, said, ``I haven't seen such a circular in my
career''.

And a third ex-DGP M.M. Singh said, ``I wouldn't have allowed such a
circular to go out.''

(With inputs from IE reporters, Vadodara)

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