[sacw] India: ATTACKS ON MINORITY INSTITUTIONS - I

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South Asia Citizens Web - Dispatch #1
4 July 2000
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex

__________________________

REPORT ON ATTACKS ON MINORITY INSTITUTIONS AT KOSI-KALAN, MATHURA AND
AGRA IN MARCH- APRIL, 2000 [PART I]

BY THE JOINT STUDY TEAM

MAY, 2000. NEW DELHI.

CONTACT ADDRESS: C-2/111-C, LAWRENCE ROAD, KESHAV PURAM, DELHI- 110035.
PHONE: 7182115.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The members of the Joint Study Team, constituted to enquire into the
incidents of attacks on minority institutions located in western UP, made
their field visits to St. Theresa School, Kosi Kalan, Sacred Heart School,
Mathura, St Dominic School, Mathura and the Cathedral House at Agra on 18th
and 19th of April, 2000, collected the relevant records and materials and
interviewed the personnel of the concerned institutions, neighbours,
officials and members of the public.

The study team expresses its gratitude to all those who cooperated in the
preparation of this report, particularly the Archbishop of Agra, Rt. Rev.
Vincent Concessao, Mr. Sanjiv Mittal, 'AS, DC/DM, Mathura and all the
victims and personnel of the concerned institutions.

Tejinder Singh Ahuja (Human Rights Trust), Mary Scaria (Justice and Peace
Commission), Satyendra Ranjan (PUCL), John Chathanatt (Insaani Ekta Muhim)
Joseph Gathia (Human Rights activist and writer), Aurobindo Ghose (Insaani
Ekta Muhim/PRO)

Convenor
New Delhi, 16th May 2000.

REPORT ON ATTACKS ON MINORITY INSTITUTIONS AT KOSI-KALAN, MATHURA AND
AGRA IN MARCH- APRIL, 2000

India has been a melting pot for many communities and peoples from
different faiths. In modern times the need and value of coexistence and
tolerance is felt more than ever. The touchstone of democracy and justice
is seen from the way the minorities are treated by the majority community.
The Constitution of India provides for pluralism. During the past two years
there has been a spate of attacks on minorities.

Concerned at the recurring news of attacks on academic institutions and
their leading personnel, all belonging to a particular minority community
in a State having a BJP Government (U.P.), a Joint Study Team was
constituted consisting of the following members: Advocate Tejender Singh
Ahuja (Chairperson, Human Rights Trust), Advocate Mary Scaria (Coordinator,
Justice and Peace Commission), Mr. Satyendra Ranjan (Correspondent,
Jansatta and member executive, People's Union for Civil Liberties), Dr.
John Chathanatt (Scholar and member executive, Insaani Ekta Muhim), Mr.
Joseph Gathia (Human Rights activist and writer) and Dr. Aurobindo Ghose
(Convenor, Insaani Ekta Muhim and General Secretary, People's Rights
Organization) as the convenor of the study team. The team visited Kosi-
Kalan, Mathura and Agra on 19th and 20thApril, 2000 and interviewed the
victims as well as members of the public, and government officials.
Wherever the team could not meet the victims in their place of work they
were interviewed in New Delhi in the Hospital or in the institution where
they were convalescing.

Purpose of the study:
The purpose of the study was to compile and collect facts from 1st January
to 15th April, 2000 on the incidents at Kosi-Kalan, Mathura and Agra, try
to arrive at certain findings and conclusions and make specific
recommendations.
Kosi-Kalan - to investigate the attack on the Principal of the St
Theresa's School (Fr. K.K Thomas), the Sisters (Mary and Gloria) and staff
(Maria Baski and Ruben) of the Sacred Heart Convent on 11th April 2000.
Mathura - St Dominic School- to investigate the beating of the Principal
=46r. Dabre on 10th April 2000.
- Sacred Heart School =F1 to investigate the attempt to assault the
Principal by a group of alleged parents whose wards had been detained, in
early April 2000.

Agra - to investigate the unlawful detention of two priests belonging to
the Cathedral House on 31st March 2000.

Narration of the incidents:

Incidents at Sacred Heart School, Mathura:
The team members met Sister Pauline and other sisters of the School
in the residential quarters just opposite the school. The building, a
double storey structure looked more like a fortress and, in spite of the
terrible heat, was totally closed from all sides. The total coverage of the
balcony on the first floor with an iron grill spoke volumes about the
tremendous insecurity felt by residents. After banging and knocking on the
iron grill gate, which was locked from inside and calling out by the
chowkidar and police officials, the team members heard a female voice from
inside inquiring as to who they were and what they wanted. After the
inmates were informed by the team members about the purpose of their visit,
the team members had to wait for another ten minutes while the inmates
confirmed the references of the team members.

Once inside, the team members spoke with Sister Pauline and other sisters
who had witnessed the events in the convent and the school. The team
members were informed that the school had been functioning in Mathura for
the last about 42 years and enjoyed not only a good relationship with the
residents of Mathura but was one of the highly respected schools in which
admission was considered a matter of privilege. The team members were told
that there had been no problem of any nature before the 31st of March 2000.
The sequence of events since then is as under:
=46riday, 31st March 2000 - The results of the school had been put up and ou=
t
of about 1700 students about 50 - 80 students had been detained. Some of
the parents whose children had been detained started shouting slogans and
threatening that they would burn the school.
Monday, 3rd April 2000 - Morning - There were rumours afloat that people
would be collecting at the school and there would be a dharna. About 40 =F1
50 alleged parents in an agitated state packed the office room and wanted
to meet the principal. They were informed that the principal was not
available, as she was out of station. At this the mob started raising
slogans. The police was contacted by telephone. By the time the police
reached the school the mob had already left, but threatened that they
would come again.
Monday, 3rd April 2000 =F1 7.30 P.M - The sisters went and met the DM who
asked them to meet the SDM. The sisters met the SSP and SDM and verbally
apprised them of the situation. The SDM assured all help and gave a letter
to the Station Officer Naroli. A Special messenger who accompanied the
sisters to the police station delivered the letter. The sisters reached
back at about 8.30 P.M. The sisters heard some people shouting at the gate
at about 10.30; the police had not yet come. The sisters called the police
station at 11.00 p.m. informing them that some men were at the gate and the
police had not yet arrived. The person attending the phone enquired if the
people had come inside, the sisters replied in the negative at which the
said person responded that the sisters should contact them once the men
came inside. The sisters then telephoned the SDM who contacted the police
and at 11.30 p.m. two police men arrived.
Wednesday, 5th April 2000 =F1 Leaflets were distributed in and around the
school and convent in which a number of matters like fee hike and the
detention of students were raised. One of the issues raised was that the
school was not observing 15th August and 26th January as National Days
which, the team was informed, was totally contrary to facts. The Principal
told the team members, 'they had put in all the local papers that they
would stage a dharna in front of the school on 6th April. ' went personally
to the D.M, S.S.P and asked for police protection for the school on the
6th, but the police failed to come'.
Thursday, 6th April 2000-7.30 A.M- The Principal was in her room talking to
a teacher when two Neta type persons entered the office. When objected to
by the Principal that they had come without appointment, they stated that
they did not need an appointment. The Principal told them that she would
only meet and speak to them after she had finished her appointment with the
teacher but they were adamant. in the meanwhile the mob had already entered
the school compound, and had started entering the principal's office.
Shortly the Principal's office was full of people some of whom were
extremely agitated.
Thursday, 6th April 2000 - 8.00 A.M =F1 Someone phoned to the Principal and
informed her that he had come to know that the people intended to assault
her and that she should close the main door, but by that time the mob was
already in the room.
The mob was in an excited state and the Principal told them that
she would speak to them only after taking a round of the school. When the
Principal came out for taking a round of the school, a group of ten/
fifteen persons started following her. The Principal became panicky and
felt that these persons intended to assault her. She quickly ran into a
classroom and asked the teacher to continue teaching as if nothing had
taken place and she sat at the back and asked two students to stand in
front of her. The pursuers shouted: 'Where is the Principal?' and started
searching in each of the rooms inquiring about the Principal. The police
had been called for and two/three policemen had reached, but they did
nothing to stop these persons. Sister Pauline, the Manager of the school,
confronted the mob in the Principal's room. One of the persons who came in
introduced himself as the Tehsildar. He spoke to the SDM and Sister Pauline
also spoke to the SDM who stated that he would come to the school. Once
Sister Pauline was assured that the Principal will not be harmed in any
manner, the Principal was called for. The Principal told the team: -
'The first question they asked me was, 'Sister, why there is a
Bible in your room?' ' told them ' begin my work by reading the word of
God. Then they asked me why don't you keep Bhagwat Gita and Koran here. '
answered them, 'Sirs ' am sorry, ' respect all religions, but ' will keep
only my Book (Sacred Scripture) from which ' will read.' Then they
questioned me: 'Sister, yesterday was the first day of the school and you
had a prayer service. We heard that you only read from the Bible and the
Koran and not from the Bhagwat Gita.' Then my teacher (one of the staff)
answered them 'Sir myself read from Bhagwat Gita.' Then they accused me of
not celebrating 15th August and 26th January and for not hoisting the
National Flag. ' told them ' was doing so and my school was doing it for
the last 42 years and we also distributed sweets for the students on these
occasions. They refused to believe it. Then they insisted on full promotion
to all children'.
After a short while the SDM arrived and a discussion took place, in which
it was agreed upon that the people would give their grievances in writing
to which the School authorities would give a reply and the next meeting
would take place on the 17th of April.
Thursday, 6th April 2000 - 5.00 P.M. - A meeting of principals of various
schools was called for and held in the School. While the meeting was in
progress, the library of the school was stoned and a glass broken.
Monday, 17th April - A questionnaire had been submitted to the school
management, which did not give any names of the persons submitting the
same. Two points out of the same are particularly relevant: first that 15th
August and 26th January be celebrated in a dignified manner and, second,
that the students should not be given education of a particular religion.
The discussion took place between six representatives of parents,
SDM, C.O, S.O and representatives of school management in which school
management withdrew the increase in caution money and promised to take up
the matter regarding reducing the pass percentage with their head office.
The principal told the team ' We all sisters are scared and spend sleepless
nights'.

Kosi- Kalan incident:
Kosi - Kalan is situated about 100 km from Delhi and 15 km from Mathura As
we arrived at the school campus we sensed an atmosphere of fear and
anxiety. Fr. Vargheese Kunnath, who was the founder Principal of St.
Theresa School and the priest in-charge of the place at the moment,
provided some background and history and explained to us the sequence of
events. He arrived at the scene on 11th April 2000.
St. Theresa School, Kosi-Kalan, founded in 1994, has classes from K.G to
Class 'V. The Jindal Public School located in the adjacent Jindal
Industries campus, has classes from Class V to Class X'. On the basis of an
agreement executed in 1995 both the schools are presently run by the
Diocesan management of the Catholic Archdiocese of Agra.
According to Fr. Varghese, although there had been no serious problem so
far, Fr. K.K. Thomas had received an anonymous letter in December 1999
asking him to close the Church and the school. Besides in 1995 a local
delegation from Kosi-Kalan comprising mostly from trading and business
class people had met the management of Jindal industries and asked them not
to hand over the administration of the Jindal Public School to 'the
Christian missionaries'. Also in 1993-94 when approached to buy land for
the school, the local people were hesitant to sell the land to members of
the Christian community. But once the school was founded and the children
from various communities were admitted, life was running normally till
December 1999 when Fr. K.K.Thomas received the anonymous letter. But he
had not taken it seriously and had forgotten all about it, until the early
hours of 11th April 2000.

The team investigated the brutal attacks and beating and infliction of head
injuries to Fr. K.K. Thomas, about 45 years of age, Principal of St.
Theresa School, and Maria Baski, aged about 19 years, who was working as a
maid in the adjacent Sacred Heart Convent and also the beating of Sisters
Mary and Gloria and also Ruben the cook, in the early hours of April 11th,
2000.

The Sequence of events
On the basis of our interviews with Fr. K.K.Thomas, recuperating at Holy
=46amily Hospital at New Delhi, and Fr. Varghese in Kosi-Kalan itself the
team reports the incidents as follows.
At about 1.00 a.m. on April 11, 2000, Fr. K.K.Thomas had woken up on
hearing the unusual barking of the dogs. As was his regular practice, he
whistled three or four times for a response from the chowkidars. But
there was no response. After half an hour at 1.30 a.m he whistled again
and there was no response. So he went out of the building to look for them.
The chowkidars were missing and he found their blankets at the verandah.
As he turned back someone suddenly flashed a powerful torch at his face,
and he spotted seven to eight persons running towards him. Their faces
were covered with a cloth and only their eyes were showing. They were
wearing black and maroon banyans and shorts. They seemed to be in the age
group of 20-25. Sensing danger, Fr. Thomas started running towards his
room. But the assailants overpowered him and started beating him
mercilessly with wooden sticks (lathis). They beat him indiscriminately
specially targeting his head. Fr. Thomas repeatedly pleaded with them
'Take whatever you want, but don't harm any of us.' But they went on
beating him even after he fell, face down. One of them even said, 'isko
mar dalo' (kill him).

The assailants would have continued to beat him had not the sisters
in the other block raised an alarm. According to Sr. Mary, 'As soon as
they heard us they covered Father with a lungi and headed towards us. The
door leading to the nun's quarters were broke open with the help of a
cement flowerpot and a heavy brownish stone. Sr. Mary rushed to the
telephone on the first floor only to find that it had been disconnected.
Meanwhile, the maid, Miss Maria hearing the noise came down when the
assailants numbering about fifteen by now, battered the young maid so badly
that she was later admitted to the Holy Family Hospital, New Delhi, with
serious head injuries and body fractures. As the frightened sisters were
hiding in the bath rooms, the assailants entered their room and shouted at
them saying that if the sisters did not come out the assailants would break
open the door. As they came out of the bathroom, they too were beaten up.
Then one of the assailants said ' ye bahin log hai, inko mat maro' (they
are sisters, don't beat them). They then went around ransacking the
sister's quarters, and even went inside the prayer room and opened the
tabernacle and desecrated it. They took away the cash and other valuables.
On their way back the assailants stopped to check on the Father to make
doubly sure that he was dead. One of them lifted one of Father Thomas' legs
to let it down; another felt his pulse and declared that Father was dead,
'Ye to mar gaya'(he is dead). This utterance was overheard by Father's
helper Ruben. After this, the group went to Father's residence, on the way
they met the cook at the door and thrashed him and threatened him, 'Chup
reho varna tumhara bhi hal vahi hoga'. They broke open the cash box and
took away all the cash, his camera and wristwatch. They also destroyed the
furniture and ransacked the fridge in the dinning room and sat in the
courtyard drinking the milk, and cold drink and eating up whatever was
found in the fridge. Only once they left did Ruben take courage to call the
neighbours who informed the police who were prompt in arriving on the scene
of the ghastly incident.

The chowkidars were later found in the field outside the school premises
tied together and gagged. it seems that the dogs had been drugged after
they had eaten something given by the assailants.

Although the higher echelons of the police and the district administration
including the DM Mr. Sanjiv Mittal, '.A.S have claimed that the Kosi-Kalan
incident was an isolated incident with motive of robbery, Fr. Vargheese
disagreed totally with such an assessment. Talking to the team only a week
after the incident Fr. Vargheese raised some vital questions:

The assailants appeared to be knowledgeable about the school premises and
the incident seems to be the end result of meticulous and careful planning.
The assailants first put the dogs out of action by drugging them with some
food. Then they removed the chowkidars from the scene with minimal use of
force, simply by tying them up and gagging and with out beating them. in
fact, there was some indication of collusion between one of the chowkidars
and the assailant's gang. Fr. Vargheese said that they suspected one of the
chowkidars and had given his name to the police. it also does not seem that
the assailants were having the simple motive of robbery and loot. if their
intention was to loot then why did they ignore the teacher's quarters,
which could have provided them more money and valuables? Despite Fr.
Thomas' plea not to beat or harm him, but to take away all that they want,
the assailants concentrated on brutally beating Fr. Thomas till they were
satisfied that he was dead. Fr. Vergheese said that their intention was to
kill him.

(... Continued in SACW DISPATCH #2, 4 July 2000)
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