Christian leaders in India have expressed disappointment in the findings of the Justice Wadhwa Report, commissioned to investigate the murders of the Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in January of this year.

The report does little to indicate that the teaching of Hindu fundamentalist groups led to the murders in which the three were brutally burnt alive.

The man known to be responsible for the murders, Dara Singh, remains at large, whilst attacks on Christians continue across the country.

In a press statement dated August 10th the president of the CSW affiliated, All India Christian Council, Dr Joseph D'Souza, and the National Convenor of the United Christian Forum for Human Rights, John Dayal, deplored the state authorities and central government for their failure to provide the commission with all the facts pertaining to 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, an ally of the BJP and RSS.

In 1998 there were over 130 such incidents of violence against Christians in India.

The press statement points out that the commission was appointed in the wake of international pressure, but it was very clear from the start that it was not given a free hand to investigate.

The presiding judge was not provided with basic facilities until a protest was organised, and when the report was finally released it was done so "in a clandestine manner, giving selected excerpts to selected media so as to gain maximum political mileage".

Crucially the government consistently "rejected the community's demands that the terms of reference of the commission be expanded to examine the totality of the anti- Christian violence which peaked finally in the grisly crime in Manouharpur."

The joint press statement points out that the role of Hindu fundamentalist organisations, such as Sangh Parivar, in spreading anti-minority sentiment and inciting people to violence against Christians and Muslims, has been proven beyond doubt.

More than half a dozen independent commissions which investigated incidents of violence in Gujarat, Maharasthra and elsewhere have established these facts.

Justice Wadhwa's report states that " the spreading of the Gospel and the preaching of Christian idea is a democratic and constitutionally guaranteed right".

However it is often in this context or on this pretext that Christians have been attacked.

The Christian community has consistently denied the charges levelled against them by Hindu fundamentalists that they are involved in the conversion of low caste Hindus and tribal people by force or allurement.

The leader's statement goes on to urge the central government, all political parties and civil authorities, to "fully imbibe the spirit of secularism and religious tolerance in all their actions and their words".

They warn that "unless this is done, people like Dara Singh 'will be able to mislead the people and will commit murder at will".

CSW's Simon Qadri added, "Unless action is taken to bring Dara Singh and those others responsible for this violence to justice, the Christian community in India will continue to live in a state of fear.

It is imperative that the new Government outlaw the hate speech that incites this violence".

For further information and a copy of the press statement please contact Tina Lambert or Simon Qadri at the CSW office on 44 181 942 8810.