Bhopal: Concerned over growing attacks on churches and priests in different parts of the state ahead of Christmas, the Christian community members will meet chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Saturday. The members seeking protection especially during Christmas, will ask the chief minister to take action against the activists of right-wing Hindu group guilty of attacks on Christians.
A delegation of Christian community had called on leader of opposition Ajay Singh on Thursday and voiced concern over the alleged attacks on them by saffron forces. Incidents of attacks on members of Christian communities have been reported from Dewas, Satna, Balaghat, Morena, Sehore, Shivpuri and Jhabua, they had alleged.
Talking to Free Press, Fr. Maria Stephen, PRO, Archdiocese of Bhopal accused Bajrang Dal of defaming them over alleged religious conversions. “They want to divide people in the name of caste, creed and class which we don’t want. We are peace loving people and everyone is equal in the eyes of God. We believe in equality,” said Fr. Stephen.
“We are peacefully protesting as we don’t want to politicise the issue. We closed all our schools in Satna following the incident. We had met district collector and even wrote a letter to MLA Om Prakash seeking protection. We also met home minister Bhupendra Singh in this connection. We will now meet chief minister and ask for protection,” he added further.
The recent attacks on the Christian will have no impact on Christmas celebration, he asserted. The state government is tough and supportive but not local police and they back anti-social elements, said Stephen adding that they were waiting for government protection. However, members of the right-wing Hindu group justify violence said that they are ready “to go to any extent” if the missionaries do not stop religious conversions.
Chandra Sekhar Tiwari, founder of Sanskriti Bachao Manch said “This is action of reaction. Religious conversion is very old tactics of Missionaries. They have been doing it from the very beginning by luring people with money and other things especially the people of tribal area.”
Everyone protests in their own style. We will go to any extent if they do not stop doing so, he added.
