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WORLD October 18, 1999 VNN4961 Comment on this story India VHP Wants Pope To Uphold Vatican Declaration FROM REUTERS INDIA, Oct 18 (VNN) — NEW DELHI, Oct 17 (Reuters) - A hardline Hindu group said Pope John Paul II was welcome in India but he should reaffirm the Vatican declaration regarding the validity of other gods during his visit next month. "The Pope shall do good to proclaim clearly that the Vatican declaration regarding the validity of Gods other than the Christian Lord of the Bible still holds," the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), or World Hindu Council, said in a statement on Saturday. "This will be in consonance with the age-old Indian tradition of unity in diversity. Such (a) proclamation by (the) Pope will ensure a better goodwill between the Hindu and Christian communities," the statement added. The VHP is planning to organise rallies during the Roman Catholic Pontiff's November 5 to 8 visit to "appraise the Pope of the futility, cruelty and campaign of disinformation conducted by his followers in India." "It is hoped that his visit will help to remove many apprehensions of the activities of the Church here," it said. Right-wing Hindu groups have accused Christian missionaries of forcibly converting tribal people and the poor. Christian groups deny charges that they use money and other unfair incentives to get religious conversions, saying the missionaries only work for charity. Attacks against Christians across India have grown since the beginning of this year when priests were attacked and prayer halls burnt in the western state of Gujarat. Christian missionaries and activists blamed right-wing Hindu organisations for the attacks. The VHP is closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), considered the ideological parent of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party. 21:00 10-16-99 Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited. Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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