Thrissur (Ker) | The Centre and state governments should take strict action against the ‘fringe groups' who are involved in attacks against Christian minorities in several parts of the country, Thrissur Archbishop, and president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) Mar Andrews Thazhath said on Friday.
Condemning the attack on Christian nuns and priests at Jaleswar in Balasore district of Odisha on Wednesday night by a few right-wing activists alleging forced conversion, he told reporters here that there is an ‘atmosphere of fear' among those belonging to the Church due to the recurrent attacks.
Thazhath said he had talked to Balasore Bishop Varghese Thottankara, who said the vehicles of two nuns, two priests and a catechist were obstructed by a fringe group while they were returning from a prayer service at Jaleswar church.
They had gone there for prayer service and discussions on the jubilee celebration of the 50-year-old diocese, he said.
While the catechist was manhandled, there was a vicious verbal attack on the nuns and priests, he said, adding, their mobile phones were also snatched.
“Such incidents are increasing day by day. This is not an attack on Christian minority only. It is an attack on the Constitution and religious freedom in the country and reflects the discrimination towards Christian minorities,” Thazhath said.
The Centre and state governments should take stringent steps to contain the attacks against minorities and create a situation in which all people belonging to religious minorities can live without fear, the archbishop said.
The human rights of people belonging to the minorities were being curtailed by such groups in different parts of the country. A similar incident was recently reported from Jabalpur also, he said.
He said the CBCI has been involved in continued discussions with the government and opposition parties seeking help to ensure the rights of minorities.
“There are anti-conversion laws in different states and each of them are wrongly interpreted by activists who carry out the attacks,” the archbishop said.
He said some groups treat Christianity as a foreign religion, but it has roots in India with a history of 2,000 years.
On the case registered against two nuns in Chhattisgarh, he said the state government should quash the FIR registered against them as it is a fabricated one.
Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan, in a statement, also condemned the attack on Christian nuns and priests by Bajrang Dal workers in Odisha.
He said the police had not taken any case against the 70-odd persons who carried out the attack.
He said there had been 835 attacks against Christians in BJP-ruled states in the last one year alone.
“Where are the BJP leaders in Kerala who visit churches and treat the priests with cakes,” he asked, adding the latest incident had exposed the saffron party's true colours.
