TURA: The Catholic church in Garo Hills will observe ‘Day of Protest’ on Sunday against right-wing groups’ attempt to organise Hindu rituals of worship inside a Catholic institution in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.
The incident took place at St Mary’s PG College in Vidisha, Sagar Diocese of Madhya Pradesh. Members of the Bajrang Dal and ABVP allegedly tried to conduct a prayer session inside the institution despite protests by priests and brothers.
“The attempt was foiled due to the intervention of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for which the Christian community is deeply grateful, but the fact remains that the tiny minority Christian community here is living in fear and anxiety and is a cause of worry,” said the Diocese of Tura in a statement to the media.
The Catholic Church further added that the rising tide of intolerance and violence against minority communities, particularly in North India, has become a cause for concern to the Christian community in Meghalaya. The church said this was the second attack on the same college by fringe elements who scaled the walls of the institution on December 30, 2017, while a posse of policemen stood as mute spectators.
A fact finding team of lawyers deputed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) that visited the institution and met its inmates narrated the fear and apprehension surrounding the minority community.
The inquiry team stated in its report that Bajrang Dal activists shouted slogans against Christians and used abusive language. They also assaulted the brothers and forced them to raise Pro-Hindu slogans whereas no attempt was made by the police to stop the abuse.
“This incident read with many other incidents, including those of cow vigilantes and communal statements issued by an MLA in UP threatening to break the limbs of cow killers in UP is a threat to the social harmony and development of the country. It appears that the fringe elements have the support of the respective state governments,” stated the Tura diocese.
In this context the church leaders have appealed to all to pray for the abused Christians in North India as well as to observe January 7 as ‘Day of Prayer’ to denounce anti-minority attitude by holding special prayers in the entire Garo Hills.
