[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 23 (Friday, February 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INDIA EXPELS MISSIONARY AFTER HE IS SEVERELY BEATEN BY HINDU RADICALS

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, February 7, 2003

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was outraged to learn that a Christian 
missionary, Joseph Cooper, an American, was recently expelled from 
India. You see, Mr. Cooper came to the Indian government's attention 
after its radical, violent Hindu nationalist allies beat him so badly 
that he spent a week in an Indian hospital. He was expelled from the 
country on leaving the hospital.
  Mr. Cooper was expelled simply for preaching, in another 
demonstration of the religious intolerance that characterizes India's 
``secular democracy.'' India has also demonstrated its secularism and 
tolerance when states ruled by the ruling BJP, such as Gujarat and 
Tamil Nadu, enacted laws prohibiting anyone from changing his or her 
religion, unless the person is changing to Hinduism. A Cabinet minister 
said that everyone who lives in India must either be Hindu or be 
subservient to Hindus.
  The expulsion of Mr. Cooper brings to mind the disturbing case of 
Graham Staines, an Australian missionary who was burned to death along 
with his two young sons while they slept in their jeep. After this 
murder, Mr. Staines's widow was also expelled from India. A mob set 
fire to the jeep and chanted ``Victory to Hannuman,'' a Hindu god. 
Since Christmas 1998, nuns have been raped, priests have been murdered, 
churches have been burned, schools and prayer halls have been attacked, 
and other acts of violence against Christians have been committed. Over 
200,000 Christians in predominantly Christian Nagaland have been 
murdered by the Indian government.
  It would be bad enough if Christians were the only victims of this 
violent radicalism, Mr. Speaker, but they are not. Sikhs, Muslims, and 
other minorities are also being victimized and terrorized. More than 
250,000 Sikhs have been murdered by the Indian government since 1984. 
Two reports have confirmed that Indian forces killed 35 Sikhs in the 
village of Chithisinghpora in March 2000. Indian forces were caught 
red-handed trying to burn down a Gurdwara (a Sikh place of worship) and 
some Sikh homes in a village in Kashmir. 52,268 Sikhs are being held as 
political prisoners, according to a report by the Movement Against 
State Repression (MASR.) Some of them have been in this illegal 
detention since 1984! I am proud to have been a signer and sponsor of a 
letter to President Bush last year asking him to help free these 
political prisoners. In addition to over 52,000 Sikhs, tens of 
thousands of other minorities are also being held as political 
prisoners, according to Amnesty International.
  Between 2,000 and 5,000 Muslims were murdered in Gujarat last spring. 
According to Indian newspapers, the police were ordered to stand aside 
and do nothing to stop the massacre, in an eerie parallel to the 1984 
Delhi massacre of Sikhs. The Indian press also reported that the Indian 
government planned the Gujarat massacre in advance. Over 85,000 Muslims 
have been murdered in Kashmir. In addition, tens of thousands of 
Assamese, Bodos, Dalits, Manipuris, Tamils, and other minorities have 
been killed by the Indian government.
  Mr. Speaker, all of these acts have either been carried out by 
government forces or by radical Hindu nationalists who are part of the 
umbrella organization known as the RSS, which was formed in support of 
the Fascists. The ruling BJP is the political arm of the RSS. This is 
unacceptable. America must take a stand. We must work to stop these 
killings and attacks and to get all political prisoners freed. It is 
time to cut off our aid and trade with India and we should pass a 
resolution in support of self-determination for the Sikh homeland of 
Punjab, Khalistan, for Kashmir, Nagaland, and everyone else seeking 
freedom from radical Hindu repression. The essence of democracy is the 
right to self-determination. As the leader of the democratic world, we 
must hold India to these standards of true democracy. Only then will 
everyone in South Asia live in freedom, dignity, prosperity, and peace.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to place an article from The Hindu on Mr. 
Cooper into the Record at this time.

                        U.S. Missionary Attacked

       Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 14.--A 60-year-old American 
     national and Protestant missionary, Joseph Cooper, was 
     grievously injured when he was attacked by a 10-member armed 
     gang of suspected RSS activists near a gospel convention 
     venue at the Koppam Harijan colony in the Kilimanoor police 
     station limits near here late on Monday night.
       Police said that seven other persons, including a preacher 
     and his family accompanying Mr. Cooper, were also injured in 
     the attack. Mr. Cooper, hailing from New Castle in the U.S., 
     sustained a deep cut on his right palm. He is under treatment 
     at a private hospital here.
       Mr. Cooper had come to Kilimanoor to speak at the Koppam 
     Protestant Convention organised by the Puliyam Friends Bible 
     Church. He and his fellow church members were waylaid by the 
     armed gang while they were being escorted back to their 
     vehicles from the convention venue at around 9:45 p.m., 
     police said.
       The assailants first exploded a cracker to create panic. 
     They detained the missionary and other preachers for a few 
     minutes before attacking them with short sticks, swords and 
     crowbars.
       Among those injured are the preacher Benson (37), his wife, 
     Sali Benson, children Joy and Judith, Jayakumar and Mercy 
     Christudas. Police said the attackers fled when other church 
     members rushed to the rescue of Mr. Cooper. The injured were 
     rushed to the Medical College Hospital.
       In a statement to police, Mr. Benson alleged that the 
     attack was carried out by local RSS workers led by an 
     autorickshaw driver. Police have arrested Raju (34), a former 
     Kilimanoor RSS functionary.
       The Circle-Inspector (Kilimanoor), D. Rajagopal, said there 
     was no history of communal discord at the Koppam Harijan 
     colony where about 60 families lived. Some of the families 
     practised both the Christian and Hindu faith.
       When contacted, the SP (Rural), T.K. Vinod Kumar, said that 
     police raids were on to arrest the rest of the accused. RSS 
     and BJP workers, meanwhile, took out a march to the 
     Kilimanoor police station demanding the release of those 
     arrested. When contacted, the RSS Jilla saha karyavah, R. 
     Santhosh, said that his organisation had nothing to do with 
     the attack. He alleged that the speeches made by the U.S. 
     missionary and other preachers at the convention were 
     ``communally inflammatory'' and ``insulting to practitioners 
     of the Hindu faith''

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