New Delhi, India - The Supreme Court Friday sought responses from the central government and two states on the circulation of video compact discs which suggested that Christians should be attacked and beheaded.
A three-member bench comprising judges Ruma Pal, A.R. Lakshmanan and Dalveer Bhandari issued notices after viewing the discs.
The court sought responses from the central government, the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat and the organising committee for the Shabri-Kumbh Mela.
A petition filed by the NGO Anhad, which enclosed copies of the disc, came up for admission at the apex court Jan 30. The judges had then posted the case for hearing Friday, saying they would watch the discs.
Anhad said Shabri Kumbh Samorah Aayojan Samiti, the organisers of a Hindu gathering, had made a disc titled "Shri Shabri Kumbh 2006: Spirituality along with the wave of patriotism" that incited Hindus against the Christian community in India.
The disc, which suggested that Christians should be attacked and beheaded, was widely circulated, distributed and openly sold in Gujarat, Maharashtra and in northeastern states, Anhad said.
It said: "In this CD, the narrator while talking about Hindu tradition (and) culture, makes constant references to the evil forces and foreign powers that are out to destroy the Hindu religion while simultaneously flashing pictures of churches and the cross on the screen as if to insinuate that the Christian community is the evil force and the foreign power that the Hindu community has to reckon with.
"Further certain visual clips/imagery contained in this CD suggest the viewer to adopt aggressive and militant methods in order to combat these forces for the defence of the Hindu religion. The tenor of this CD changes its complexion into one of religious instigation.
"The narrator recounts how Swami Aseemanand, who frequently toured these tribal areas, came across an anti-Hindu mentality and conspiracy and therefore went from house to house, teaching the tribals about the essence of Hindu faith and religion, thereby bringing about a religious reawakening and social awareness."
Anhad's petition brought to the court's notice that the disc contained "a caricature of a headless Christian priest wearing a cassock and holding a cross. In place of the head is a question mark symbol. The caption on the top of this picture literally translates into church: in the name of service."
The disc goes on to say that, "history is witness to the fact that all states where the Hindu population has decreased have become the bedrock of terrorism and anti-national activities".
Expressing concern at the circulation of the disc, Anhad said the central government had the responsibility to ensure secularism in India. The Gujarat government had not initiated any action on those who produced the disc or its distributors, and was playing an active role in distributing the disc through official channels.
Anhad sought a direction for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the production and distribution of the disc, as well as the seizure of all the CDs in circulation and the prosecution of those responsible for making the disc.