Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Mangalore (Agenzia Fides) - The anti-Christian violence has increased in the last year and has registered over 1,000 cases. To stop this situation, the approval of the new "Law for the Prevention of inter-communal violence", is urgent, which is being discussed in Parliament: So says the ecumenical organization "All India Christian Council", which yesterday held a public meeting in Mangalore (Karnataka state), together with its network of Christian inspiration "Karnataka Missions Network" (KMN). The two organizations, as reported in a note sent to Agenzia Fides, denounced the incitement to religious hatred carried out by the Hindu leader Subramanuam Swamy (see Fides 03/11/2011) and his efforts to target minorities, sabotaging the plan of law that will stop the violence.
The note condemns the repeated acts of vandalism against Christians places in Karnataka (from the Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua; the Secondary School Santa Teresa; to the Church of St. Alphonsus, all occurred recently near Mangalore), but also in the states of Orissa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. In such states, it is said "the forces of evil, such as the Hindus extremist network 'Sangh Parivar' and its political allies, attempt to enter the virus of intercommunity violence in society". Christians call for "an effective legal action towards the perpetrators and a political response on behalf of the government": it is necessary to approve as soon as possible the draft "Law for the Prevention of intercommunity violence," sustained by religious minorities and the Catholic Church (see Fides 23/9/2011), to restore social harmony in India.
A source of Fides in India said: "The root of the problem is known: they are Hindu extremist organizations, supported by the Barathiya Janata Party, that want to polarize society. These associations act according to a clichet: they accuse Christians of conducting fraudulent conversions, they deceive poor, innocent and naive Hindus citizens, and pay them to commit acts of vandalism in the Christian religious places". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 08/11/2011)
