23 Facts About John Dayal

John Dayal was born on 2 October 1948 and is an Indian human rights and Christian political activist.

John Dayal is a member of the National Integration Council of India, Secretary-General of the All India Christian Council and a past president of the All India Catholic Union.

John Dayal has been outspoken in opposition to communal polarisation, bigotry and the spread of hatred between religious communities.

John Dayal was born in New Delhi to Christian parents from South India.

John Dayal studied physics at St Stephen's College, Delhi before deciding to become a journalist.

John Dayal served as war correspondent or foreign correspondent in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Europe.

John Dayal became editor and CEO of the Delhi Mid Day, a small afternoon newspaper, and treasurer of the Editors' Guild of India.

In June 1998, Dayal was one of the signatories of a statement by a group of journalists calling on India to return to the global nuclear disarmament agenda.

John Dayal continues to provide commentary and analysis in print and on national TV and radio.

John Dayal has headed the governing boards of several colleges of Delhi University, and has taught as a visiting teacher at several universities in north India.

John Dayal was one of the founders of the ecumenical All India Christian Council and the United Christian Forum for Human Rights.

John Dayal was National Secretary for Public affairs of the All India Catholic Union during the presidency of Norbert D'Souza.

John Dayal held that position until 2008 when he was succeeded by Remy Denis.

In March 2005, John Dayal was a member of a delegation led by Vincent Concessao that presented a memorandum on minorities to the prime minister.

John Dayal has been appointed to many fact finding committees and tribunals.

In 2010, John Dayal was again nominated as a member of the National Integration Council.

In January 2002 the AICC issued a statement signed by Joseph D'souza and John Dayal asking State governments and the national government to prevent efforts by the Sangh Parivar to stir up communal violence in the Adivasi tribal belt in Northern India.

In 2005 John Dayal again expressed concern that Ekal Vidyalaya schools run by the RSS Hindu nationalist organisation in tribal districts were spreading hatred towards members of the Christian minority.

John Dayal has made unsubstantiated claims that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has spent millions of dollars in an attempt to convert tribal people in central India into Hindu nationalists.

John Dayal said the event was part of a well-organized and respectful ghar vapasi program, that he wholeheartedly agrees with.

John Dayal went on to compare Hindutva to neo-Nazism and Apartheid.

In February 2002, after a renewed series of attacks on Christians, John Dayal said "Physically, many of the incidents are now less obvious, but there is a 24-hour reign of terror, which occasionally bursts into violence".

John Dayal said that the "Christian situation" was radically and materially different from that of the Hindu, Muslim and Sikh religions, and existing laws were sufficient.