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Source: www.persecution.org Date: April 23, 2007
Then, as Usual, Turn Around and Accuse Christians of “Disturbing Religious Harmony”
(April 23, 2007) The Washington-DC based human rights group, International Christian Concern (ICC) www.persecution.org, has just learned that a minor fight between a Catholic and a Hindu boy led to a violent attack on a Catholic parish on April 16 in the troubled district of Jhabua in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. A mob of 300 Hindu fundamentalists pelted the houses of Catholics with stones and attacked them with knives and batons at around 9:30pm last Monday (April 16) in Thandla area of Jhabua district, Fr. P.A. Thomas, secretary to the bishop of the Jhabua diocese, told ICC.
At least 11 Catholics, including three women, were injured in the attack. While nine of those injured are recovering in their respective homes, two youngsters, Raju Meda, 16, and Rakesh Amaliyar, 22, are still in a hospital in neighboring Gujarat state’s Vadodara district.
They received stab wounds on their heads, necks, and other parts of their bodies, and are in critical condition, Fr. Thomas said.
The attack was so severe that that the police had to use tear gas shells to disperse the mob. The attackers, who appeared to be from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also prevented the local people from taking the injured to the hospital till the police arrived.
“The attack was triggered by a minor fight between a Catholic and a Hindu boy, and it took place where none of the two boys lives. We don’t even know that the fight was about. The two were coming from a funeral. However, the mob came and started throwing stones on the houses of Catholics in the parish and when some Catholic youths objected to it, they started attacking them,” Fr. Thomas said.
Surprisingly, following the attack, the police filed a case against four Catholics and arrested one of them, acting on a complaint lodged by the attackers for “disturbing religious harmony,” said the Rev. Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, in a statement. The victims also lodged a counter complaint against the attackers, naming at least six of them. “However, we do not know if any of the culprits have been arrested,” Fr. Thomas said.
According to Catholic news agency UCAN News, the situation is tense in the area following the attack and the church authorities have sought police protection against any further attack.
Jeremy Sewall, ICC’s Regional Analyst for South Asia, said, “The government officials of Madhya Pradesh state should do themselves a favor and start prosecuting Hindu extremists who attack Christians, preserving law and order, instead of having to call in police to quell mob violence. Unless the ruling coalition in the state shows that there are consequences for mob attacks, the state will have to keep riot police on call to protect Christians.”
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