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Foreign and Commonwealth Office;Dept of Trade and Industry

Answer

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made to (a) the Indian Government and (b) the Chief Minister of Orissa concerning the arrest of Pastor Suresh Samal and five other Christians from the village of Kilipal; [184988] (2) what representations he has made to (a) the Indian Government and (b) the Chief Minister of Gujarat concerning (i) the kidnap and suspected rape of a Christian woman, Manulaben Dinana, by a gang connected with Hindu militant groups and (ii) the recent destruction of a Christian graveyard by officials in Ahmedabad; [184990] (3) what representations he has made to (a) the Indian Government and (b) the Chief Minister of Tripura concerning the attack on Pastor Letthang Gangte, of the Evangelical Congregational Church of India and his family on 19 April in the village of Rajghat, West Tripura. [184991] Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have not raised these specific incidents with the Government of India. We do however monitor reports of attacks against minorities and raise these issues with the Government of India. We continue to urge the Indian authorities to ensure the right to freedom of religion is upheld, and to raise our concerns about incidents of religious intolerance in India, including attacks against Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians; and to urge that those responsible should be brought to justice. In this context, we welcome the commitment by Dr. Manmohan Singh to maintaining communal harmony at all costs in India.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

424 c340-1W; 184988;184990;184991

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Arrests India Rape Violence Religious persons Christianity

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk