An evangelical community praying in a private home was beaten and arrested because Hindu extremists accused them of “forced conversions.” In Jabalpur district, an investigation into inflated book prices by a publisher has sent only the directors of the most renowned Christian schools to prison, including a Protestant bishop and a Catholic priest.
Jaipur () – Christian communities and schools continue to be the target of judicial attacks instigated by Hindu fundamentalists. On 5 July in Bharatpur, in the state of Rajasthan, more than 20 people taking part in a prayer meeting organised by an evangelical community in a private home were accused of forced conversions and arrested. Some members of the community, including some women, were also attacked by a crowd of supporters of Hindutva (the ideology of Hindu nationalists) led by Rajesh Singhal, local leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The fanatics accused the group of practising forced conversions.
After receiving information about the riots and religious conversions, a squad of Mathuragate police reached the spot and arrested 28 people, including 20 women. The local deputy commissioner of police said that an investigation was underway and the people had been “detained for questioning”.
In the Delhi federal parliament, meanwhile, Christian MP Jose K. Mani raised with the Minister for the Protection of Minorities the case of a Protestant bishop and the directors of five Christian schools, including a Catholic priest, who have been in prison in Madhya Pradesh state since May 27 on charges of charging “exorbitant fees” to pupils in their schools. This is happening in the Jabalpur area, where last year Bishop Gerald Almeida was the target of a harsh campaign launched against Christian schools by the Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (controlled by Hindu nationalists). The arrested Protestant bishop is the Reverend Ajay Umesh Kumar James, of the Church of North India (CNI), while the priest is Fr. Abraham Thazhathedathu, of the Jabalpur diocese. Among the 22 people imprisoned are also the director and other staff members of two local Catholic schools.
They are accused of colluding with a publishing house that charged exorbitant prices for books. However, the police intervention was limited to only 11 schools, seven of which were recognised and run by Christians. There are 1,037 registered private schools in the district.
“Our people have been arrested and imprisoned like hardened criminals,” lamented Fr. Davis George, Vicar General of Jabalpur, interviewed by the Catholic website MattersIndia“Even if there were differences in rates or errors in the account book, the officer in charge should have notified us through a document and asked for an explanation instead of arresting them. Such actions make a mockery of democracy. We have already applied for bail for our collaborators in the High Court, but the hearing is being delayed.” Christians make up less than 1% of the 72 million people in Madhya Pradesh, a state with an overwhelming Hindu majority.
Add Comment