Commission’s final report is not fair and impartial - Mahendra Kumar

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Jan 31, 2011: Mahendra Kumar, the previous convener of the Bajrang Dal, said that the Justice B. K. Somashekara Commission’s final report on the church attacks of 2008 has resulted in utter confusion. He was voicing his opinion at an interactive session organized by the Journalists’ Study Centre at Sahodaya on Jan 31, Monday. 

Stating that the final report is based on statements he had made when he was the convener of the Bajrang Dal, he said that he had given witness for 5 continuous days and had spent 42 days in the Mangalore jail. He said that the state government has slapped seven false cases against him in various places such as Kundapur, Bangalore, Mangalore, Jaipur (near Sringeri), Aldoor, and Singattakere. 

 

Since Rs. 2 crore has been spent by the commission for conducting an investigation, it is the commission’s duty to provide a fair report to the public, he said, adding that the commission’s final report is not fair and impartial. He said that the report ought to have given a good message and created mutual harmony among various religious groups. On the other hand, the report does not even name the culprits who attacked the churches, he said. 

Stating that Christian communities are doing excellent work for the uplift of the poor and the needy, he said that the allegations made on them will definitely alter their image. While stating that he has no doubts about the sincerity of the RSS, he said that Hindutva groups are not following the rules. Regarding the controversial book “Satya Darshini,” he said that it is very provocative and will surely make people take action against the religious community that published it.

 

The Justice B. K. Somashekara Commission’s final report, which was submitted to the chief minister and the home minister on Jan 28, does not directly name the BJP government or any major Sangh Parivar outfit as being involved in the church attacks of 2008. Only parts of it have been released to the media. 

The report states: “There is no basis to the apprehension of Christian petitioners that the politicians, BJP, mainstream Sangh Parivar and state government directly or indirectly, are involved in the attacks.”

The report states that the attacks are indulged in by misguided fundamentalist miscreants of defined or undefined groups or organizations against Christians and Christianity who have mistakenly presumed that they would be protected by the party in power with their policies at the relevant time.

Giving the example of a Hindu woman who converted to Christianity, he said that this woman had decided to commit suicide with her three children, but was saved by Christian missionaries. This made him realize that life is more important than “dharma”, he said, adding that a lot needs to be done for the betterment of life and that his dream is to build a society that values life more than religion.

Advocate Noronha said that the final report clearly states that the Adoration Monastery was destroyed by Bajrang Dal activists led by Mahendra Kumar and that around 12 churches in Karnataka were destroyed by Hindu Jagaran Vedike and Bajrang Dal. He also said that the commission has not taken into consideration the excess behavior of the attackers in the Kulshekar Church attack. 

VHP leader and advocate Jagadish Shenava said that police officials took only the opinion of Christians, who blamed Bajrang Dal activists without even identifying them. He said that the VHP accepts the final report of the commission as a fair report. 

Sharan Pumpwell, Shri Rama Sene activist; Dr. H. N. Watson; Dr. Anil Kumar; and others also participated in the interactive session.