MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI SRIPRAKASH JAISWAL)
(a) to (e): Complaints regarding alleged harassment and atrocities against minorities including Christians are received from time to time and the same are taken up with the concerned State Governments/UT Administrations for appropriate action.
As per available information the details of incidents involving Christians during the last three years (2002, 2003 & 2004) and current year 2005 (Jan to May) are as under:
Year No. of Incidents No. of persons killed No. of persons injured
2002 72 4 54
2003 32 4 19
2004 27 4 43
2005 [Jan to May] Tentative 21 1 20
Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, `Police` and `Public Order` are State subjects and registration of cases, investigation and prosecution are the primary concern of the State Governments. Hence, details in respect of, number of persons arrested and punished and number of cases filed in the courts etc. are not Centrally maintained by the Government of India and are not readily available.
Apart from the various Constitutional and legal provisions as well as various institutional mechanisms established for protection of the rights of the minorities in the country, the Union Government has also taken a variety of administrative measures and promotional efforts in this regard. These include constant review of the communal situation in the country, maintaining a continuous watch over the activities of organizations having a bearing on peace and communal harmony, sending alert messages, sharing of information, sending Central Para-Military forces to the States on the specific request of the concerned State Government(s), assistance in the modernization of the State Police Forces etc. The Union Government has also issued to all the States/Union Territories comprehensive guidelines to promote communal harmony. These guidelines contain steps to be taken with regard to prevention of communal riots, provision for relief/rehabilitation to the victims, effective utilization of Peace Committee mechanisms in defusing communal tension, restoration of normalcy in the affected areas etc. The promotional efforts include providing grants for organizations engaged in activities promoting communal harmony, annual Communal Harmony Awards and Kabir Puraskar and observance of Quami Ekta Week.
