why isn't kp yohannan funding samuel reddy's christist pilgrimage?

jun 17th, 2008

the fellow's ill-gotten billions will fund pilgrimages to the Unholy Desert for every christist in india for decades. so just take the money from him. why is samuel reddy taking it from the hindu taxpayer?

and why are all the pseudo-secularists, like the communists and NDTV and CNN-IBN reporters completely silent about this? what happened to the separation of church and state? all right, if the state is paying for christist pilgrimages, when is it taking over all the christist churches and the prime real estate they hold? (that is a rhetorical question. what the christists own is theirs. what the hindus or the public own is negotiable.)

Andhra Pradesh: Rules set for Christian yatra

June 15, 2008
www.crusadewatch.org

(CrusadeWatch note: It is unfortunate that in a state where people cannot even afford square meals a day, the Government headed by a Christian fundamentalist chief minister is misusing people\'s money to pay each Christian pilgrim to visit Jerusalem. The amount paid to each Christian visitor is enough to feed a poor child for 2 years)


source: Deccan Chronicle, June 15, 2008

Hyderabad, June 14: State government is finalising the guidelines to Holy Land Yatra to Israel for Christians on the lines of Haj Pilgrimage. Only white card holders are to be made eligible under the scheme for which government earlier gave the nod for financial. The Minorities Welfare Department will be soon coming out with the guidelines after consultation with AP Federation of Churches sources said. Christians holding white cards will be given preference on first cum first serve basis and those who are above 50 years will be given financial assistance.

Church authorities and lay groups asked the government to sanction Rs 20,000 to each pilgrim on par with Haj Pilgrims. As per the schedule the pilgrimage covers Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Jordan River, places around dead sea and Sea of Galilee and several other places connected to Christian faith. A group of 50 to 100 pilgrims will be visiting the Holy Land.

\"Mainly the tour is for a week and charges would be around Rs 55,000 to Rs 65,000 depending on accommodation and facilities provided by travel agent. It is proposed to limit the period to five days in Israel excluding the travel to reduce the cost to Rs 45,000 in which government will bear Rs 20,000 and the rest will be borne by the pilgrims,\" Fr T Anthony Raj, Executive Secretary of AP Federation of Churches, said.

The state government already sanctioned Rs 2 crore and at least 1000 pilgrims will be benefited. Advisor to the Government and former South Central Railway, GM Mr T. Stanley Babu, is also part of the team finalising the guidelines.

An official of Minorities Welfare Department said \"The pilgrim shall produced SSC certificate which shows that he is a Christian. Even the MRO certificate stating that the person is a bonafide Christian will also be valid. The applicants should possess a valid passport with a minimum validity period of two years at the time of applying.\" A screening committee with five members including officials from Minority Welfare Department, AP State Minorities Commission, AP Minorities Finance Corporation and representative from the church bodies.