Christian attacks, warning signals ignored in Bhainsa

• April 3, 2008: A pastor, Hanuk Sanjeev, is beaten up by a group led by Bheemiah, the driver of TDP MLA from Asifabad in Adilabad district, A Sreedevi. Bheemiah had grievances about a piece of land being given to build a church.

• October 21, 2007: A group of pastors are beaten up on Nirmal Road near Bhainsa.

Communal clashes in Bhainsa and surrounding areas were just waiting to happen. There were enough indications that trouble was brewing. There were meticulously organised attacks on Christians and attempts at hampering the peaceful co-existence of various communities in Bhainsa and surrounding villages. Still, police failed to act.

Even after Friday’s flare-up in Bhainsa, it was evident that a group was at work fomenting communal trouble, especially activists of the Hindu Vahini, RSS and persons like Narayan Rao Patel, his brother Mohan Rao Patel and a local activist Sandesh Mahashaktivar.

In 1994, Narayan Rao Patel was accused of creating communal disturbances by the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM). “He is trying to consolidate the Hindu vote-bank by creating a communal divide. He did the same thing in 1994 when he was first elected MLA from Mudhole on a TDP ticket,” claims Jaader Ahmed, an MIM leader.

Narayan Rao quit TDP in March 2004 ahead of elections and joined TRS. However, when TRS split because of the Congress Party’s stand on Telangana, Rao chose to join the rebel TRS MLAs supporting the Congress.

“He has lost support of the people since he chose to join the rebels. Now he is trying to regain lost ground by stirring communal sentiments,” Ahmed alleges.

MIM president and Hyderabad MP Assaduddin Owaisi accused the police of not taking preventive action even when the Muslim community expressed their fears regarding communal trouble.

Meanwhile, police have arrested a dozen activists of the Hindu Vahini that is active in the district in connection with the clashes in Bhainsa. However, police did not clarify if the arrests were also in connection with Watoli incident in which six members of a family were burnt alive on Sunday.

Warangal Range IG Poornachandra Rao says that in each attack, cases were registered and the accused brought to book. “The role of Hindu Vahini is being investigated. Thirty persons have been detained so far and some of them are Hindu Vahini activists,” he said.

When asked if those arrested could be involved in the Watoli incident, IG Rao said, “They were involved in various incidents. Investigations into the Watoli incident are going on.” When asked about the role of Narayan Rao, he added, “We are looking into the matter.”

A formidable presence of police and RAF ensured that Bhainsa and other areas remained calm on Monday.

While last week’s communal clashes involving Hindus and Muslims occurred in Bhainsa after a gap of 12 years, there has been a spurt in attacks against Christians. “The attacks have suddenly increased over the four-five months. Pastors and preachers are being mercilessly beaten up. There are very few Christian families in Bhainsa and they live in absolute fear,” Dr Sam Paul, Hyderabad-based national secretary of All India Christian Council said.