On February 12, unidentified individuals set fire to and desecrated a church in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district. According to police reports, people discovered burnt furniture, walls blackened with smoke from the fire, and the word ‘Ram’ painted on the wall inside the Christian prayer hall in Chauki Pura village in the tribal-dominated Sukhtawa block of the district.

The church, about 40 kilometers from the district headquarters, is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and was constructed around five years ago.

Based on the preliminary investigation, Gurukaran Singh, Superintendent of Police, Narmadapuram, provided that the vandals had entered the place of worship, which was built around five years ago and is located 40 kilometers from the district headquarters, by removing a window net and burning it from inside.

According to his inquiry, it does not appear to be part of a bigger plot, but rather an act performed out of personal grievances. The police assured that they have filed a report, obtained numerous leads, and will soon be able to apprehend individuals responsible for the incident.

Speaking to media on the night of the incident, Singh told the reporters that the church had remained shuttered following the previous Sunday’s services. Worshippers were only made aware of the occurrence this Sunday, February 12, when they came to pray.

The police have filed a FIR under Section 295 (injuring or defiling a house of worship), among other provisions, against the unknown individuals.

According to an official, some holy scriptures and other goods, including furniture, were also damaged in the fire, citing a complaint made in conjunction with the incident.

The social media post can be viewed here: 

Weeks after #Narayanpur (#Chhattisgarh) #ChurchAttack, a church was vandalised in #Sukhtava block on #MadhyaPradesh‘s #Narmadapuram.

Miscreants attacked the #Church, vandalised it & allegedly tried to set it on fire.

They also wrote #Ram on Walls, says Police.

FIR lodged. pic.twitter.com/lsqKit42fu

— Hate Detector ? (@HateDetectors) February 13, 2023

Singh said that a similar case was also reported on Jan 9 in a nearby locality, and both the cases look similar in prime facie investigation. On Jan 9, a Church ECI Mission Kheda was allegedly attacked and attempts were made to burn religious books.

The post by Hate Detectors can be viewed here: 

SP Gurkaran Singh said that a similar case was also reported on Jan 9 in a nearby locality. Both the cases look similar in prime facie investigation.

On Jan 9, a Church ECI Missionkheda was attacked & attempts were made to burn religious books.

MP is going for polls in 8-month. pic.twitter.com/sAdeR5amGZ

— Hate Detector ? (@HateDetectors) February 13, 2023

On the same day, another incident communal incident was reported from Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh wherein a idol of Hanuman was forcibly installed in a Muslim man’s house. The police used force to disperse both sides, which was met with stone pelting, injuring four police personnel. Three cases under different sections of the IPC pertaining to house-trespassing, attempt to murder, and rioting were filed. Five men have been detained so far. The main accused in the incident is a self-styled Hindu leader, Ravi Awhad, as has been provided by Persecution Relief News.

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In Mysuru, Karnataka, a church was purportedly vandalised on December 27, 2022 by several unidentified miscreants. Two days after the Christmas holiday, this incident was reported at St. Mary’s Church on Gonikoppa Road in Periyapatna. According to the news agency ANI, numerous objects, including a statue of Baby Jesus, were also damaged in the incident as also reported by the Indian Express.

The Mysuru Police has formed several teams to identify and arrest those responsible for the attack that took place just couple of days after Christmas celebrations. 

Police teams are searching through CCTV footage captured on the church’s property and in the neighborhood. Police reported that the perpetrators had broken through the church’s back entrance before entering. No one has been arrested yet.

The money as well as a contribution box outside the church were also taken by the assailants, according to Seema Latkar, superintendent of police in Mysuru, who stated that on the surface it appears to be a theft case. We are looking for clues in the CCTV footage, Latkar further informed.

The workers discovered the baby Jesus statue vandalised and the donation box’s contents stolen on Tuesday at around six in the evening. The church’s pastor reported the incident to the police.

The pictures of the vandalized church can be viewed here:

Karnataka | A church was allegedly vandalised y’day by some unknown miscreants in Piriyapatna in Mysuru. Various items kept in the church including the Baby Jesus statue were found damaged. pic.twitter.com/UAoLGPt0G5

— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2022

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In a shocking incident, a Catholic church located in Daram village of the North Garo Hills area of Meghalaya was allegedly vandalised by miscreants last week. According to NE Now, the vandals severed heads of the statues of Mother Mary, Baby Jesus and St Joseph.

Shillong Times reports that this is one of the oldest churches in a remote part of the district. It further reports that the vandals allegedly tried to damage the holy crucifix placed on the upper portion of the Church wall, above the altar, where the holy Eucharistic is celebrated. However, they ended up destroying the leg of the idol.

The incident allegedly took place on August 22. The First Information Report (FIR) was filed at Resubelpara police station on August 26, and a case has been registered. According to the publication, there was a delay in reporting the crime as members of the church were attending a convention in the town of Tura.

Shailendra Bamaniya, IPS, Superintendent of Police North Garo Hills, told News 18, “The incident happened around 24th August, however, they gave us a complaint on 26th August and the case has been registered.”

Investigations are on, but no arrests have been made so far. While it is not known yet if this was a hate crime, Shillong Times reports that a mentally challenged person was allegedly involved in a similar attack in the past, and is one of the suspects in this case as well.

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Anti-Christian activities and attacks seem to be at an all-time high in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governed Karnataka as Christmas nears. Even though  citizens have been protesting the Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill, 2021 that was tabled on December 21, and may become a Law in the state soon, attacks on the minority community continue.

Another attack on Christians was reported from Chikkaballapur,  just days after members of right-wing groups set fire to Christian religious books in Kolar. According to a report in NDTV the 160-year-old St Joseph’s church was vandalised in Chikkaballapur district in southern Karnataka. The vandals broke the statue of St Anthony, which the police has reportedly taken away “for further investigation” and a first information report, has been registered.

Father Jospeh Anthony Daniel, the priest in charge of the church, was quoted by NDTV saying that this kind of vandalism had never happened there before. The church in Susaipalya, some 65 km from state capital Bengaluru, is believed to have been damaged around 5.30 this morning, stated the news report. A member of the church reportedly saw the damage at 5.40 am and informed the priest, who then filed a complaint with the local police.

Fact finding reports put on record the rising attacks

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) recently released a report titled “Criminalizing the Practice of Faith” on Hate Crimes against Christians in Karnataka by Hindutva groups. The report says that the myth of “conversion” is a bogey “used to target the constitutional right to practice, profess and propagate religion as recognized under Article 25,” and puts on record how, in Karnataka, it is being used to curtail Christians’ constitutional right to practice and profess their religion.

In the wake of the media reported attacks against Christians in North Karnataka, a fact-finding team from the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) of Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI). They visited eight towns and cities, and met with 12 pastors and Christian leaders who have recently experienced opposition and harassment. According to the team, “It is clear and obvious that an atmosphere of fear and apprehension prevails in the Christian community and its grassroots religious clergy because of systematic targeting through a vicious and malicious hate campaign. It is equally obvious that those involved in carrying out this hate campaign and fear mongering enjoy protection and possibly support of elements in the political and law and order apparatus in the state.” The EFI fears that the community “has a good reason to apprehend an outbreak of violence against them.” The EFI’s report may be read here.

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Broken statues and furniture lay strewn across the floor after vandals broke in to Our Lady of Fatima Church in Telangana State May 13. Courtesy:Ucanews.com

New Delhi:  The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) has appealed to political leaders to protect places of worship of all communities, days after a Catholic church was damaged and statues desecrated in southern India. A mob of more than 100 people attacked the Our Lady of Fatima Church in Kundapalli village of Telengana State May 21. They broke statues of Jesus, the Blessed Mother, a crucifix and damaged furniture in the newly constructed church that was blessed by Archbishop Thumma Bala of Hyderabad on May 13.

"We are a little worried about the way things are taking a turn in the country. We are not blaming the government but somehow some of the fringe elements seem to feel empowered and this is not a good thing for the country," Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary general of the bishops conference, told ucanews.com.

"We appeal to our political leaders to ensure that religious places of all communities be protected and that the right of every citizen and community to worship God according to their belief be protected from unruly elements," the bishop said.

"Everybody needs to respect each others' religious sentiments. Why go and damage somebody’s religious place?" he asked. "These types of acts bring shame and disrepute to our beloved country and its peace-loving citizens of all communities. The incident is against the free practise of religion in our country," Bishop Mascarenhas said.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Bala called on parishes, clergy and laypeople in his archdiocese to conduct and take part in spiritual activities such as eucharistic Adoration, the recitation of the Rosary, fasting and a ritual cleansing and washing of the damaged church.

"Reparation is required as the church has been desecrated and the dignity of the chapel and holy things need to be restored," Archbishop Bala told ucanews.com.

Christian leaders have often blamed such attacks on extremists, who they alleged have become emboldened since the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014. The BJP, part of a collection of groups seeking to make India a Hindu country, has also been criticized for remaining silent about a spate of mass conversions of Christians and Muslims to Hinduism.

According to the Indian Christian Persecution 2016 report, some 12,000 Christians that year experienced persecution, including murder, detention, assault, rape and harassment.

The report states that 10 people were killed and over 500 clerics or community leaders were attacked for their faith during the year.
During the first 100 days of the BJP government, more than 600 incidents of targeted violence against religious minorities took place in different parts of India, according to the Minority Report on 100 days of Modi Governance, released in September 2014. Narendra Modi is the Indian prime minister who heads the BJP-ruled federal government.

Statistics from the 2011 census show that India has 1.2 billion people. The percentage of Hindus has slightly dipped from 80.5 percent in 2001 to 79.8 percent 2011. While Christians remained at 2.3 percent during that period, Muslims have increased by just over one percent, to 14.2.
 

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