India's Christian leaders claim that foreign funds emanating from Non Resident Indians (NRIs) as well as a variety of western agencies and individuals, including funds from aid money donated by the EU, are being used to fund Hindu extremism in India.

In a press statement, the All India Christian Council (AICC), which represents all major Christian agencies and organisations in India, states that there is enough evidence to prove that substantial amounts of foreign funds have been used for the training of Hindu militants believed to be behind a number atrocities committed against members of minority communities, mainly Christians, in India in the last couple of years.

The president of the AICC, Dr Joseph D'Souza, and the National Convenor of the United Christian Forum for Human Rights, John Dayal, denounced the government for its failure to curb the systematic campaign of hatred and violence against the Christian community in India which has been instigated by Hindu fundamentalist organisations such as Sangh Parivar and Bajrang Dal, an ally of the BJP. Over the past year, there were over 150 incidents of violence against Christians in India in which a number of Christian leaders and human rights activists have been brutally murdered by Hindu militants.

The press statement by the AICC reports that whilst substantial sums of money to promote the work of Hindu fundamentalist organisations such as Sangh Parivar and Bajrang Dal have been donated by Indian NRIs living in America, a number of American and western agencies (listed on the press statement), have also given funds to these organisations which promote hatred and violence against members of minority communities.

The AICC released its statement in response to claims by leaders of the ruling BJP coalition that Christians in India are the largest recipient of foreign funds in the country and that they are using these funds to 'finance conversion'. The AICC has decried repeated statements made by Home Minister Lal Krishnasn Advani to this effect, and urges the people of India not be misled by these lies.

The AICC has urged international funding agencies to stop financing organisations which promote communal hatred and have links with Hindu fundamentalists. The organisation also calls upon the European Union to look more carefully at the long term interests of the people of India, and to allocate its grants to agencies which will carry out development programmes efficiently, whilst at the same time promoting the values of democracy, secularism, religious freedom and social equality in society.

Christian agencies are responsible for a major proportion of social development and medical work but receive only 4% of more than 800 million annual aid by the EU to India. According to the EU-India Enhanced Partnership Report (1996), a total of over 15% of the EU's overseas donations, and other grants by the union members states, makes India the largest recipient of EU funds. Christian organisations, particularly those working for the empowerment of the low caste Dalit community, are often considered a threat to the religious hierarchy system of Hinduism by high caste Hindus.

Earlier this year, a wing of the Hindu Fundamentalist organisation RSS, called Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), failed to gain recognition at the UN as 'a cultural organisation' because of its controversial philosophy of Hindutava. However the VHP is a registered charity in America where it has received funds from corporations, local governments, individuals and a variety of non-profit organisations during the last 15 years. A substantial proportions of these funds are alleged to have been given to VHP umbrella organisations such as Sangh Parivar and Bajrang Dal in India.

CSW's Dr Simon Qadri adds, "India is the largest democracy in the world, and one of the developing economies with great potential for progress. But unfortunately the rise of Hindutava and its politics has become an obstacle to continuing progress. It is the responsibility of the west to ensure that funds donated by their governments and international agencies are not used for activities which erode rather than improve social welfare".

For further information and the details of western agencies alleged to be funding Hindu fundamentalism in India, contact Dr Simon Qadri or Catherine Field at the CSW office on 44 181 942 8810.