The grotto of a church at Thernamakki in Karwar desecreated (Karnataka)

Persecution Update India

Between January 22nd and 24th 2010, there were attacks on two churches in Karwar diocese. One was Thernamakki church and the other Mundalli church near Bhatkal.

The church at Thernamakki, which is situated between Honnavar and Bhatkal, was damaged by the miscreants who smashed the glass window panes after midnight on Sunday January 24th.

The Thernamakki church attack, according to Bishop Fernandes, comes in the wake of the similar attempt to vandalise and destroy the Cross in the Mundalli church on Friday, January 22.

A group of miscreants had tried to attack the church around 8.30 pm on Friday and while they were damaging the Cross, the local Catholic people tried chase them, Bishop Fernandes said.

According to Bishop Fernandes, the local chief of Sri Rama Sene had, along with a group of his supporters submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India and to the Assistant Commissioner demanding immediate steps to stop the attacks on Indians, who were mostly Hindus, in Australia and had reportedly warned that the churches and Christians would be subjected to similar treatment if the attacks against Indians in Australia did not stop.

"The local newspapers and television channels had widely reported details of the memorandum and the alleged threats to Christians and Churches,'' the Bishop said, pointing out that he had press clippings of the same. He also pointed out that the local chief of Sri Ram Sene had owned up the reports and statements in the television interview on the following day, which, however, had been disowned by the other leaders of Sri Ram Sene.

The Bishop pointed out that the local police had arrested 7 persons in connection with the submission of the memorandum because of the provocative statements and were subsequently remanded for 15 days.

"The state government appointed a judicial inquiry commission after the series of attacks against churches all over the state since September 2008. But the commission is still dragging on and there is nothing concrete to show even after one and half years. Can anybody blame the people, if they expect something to come out of the judicial inquiry/ commission?'' the Bishop asked terming the situation as ``too outrageous.''

"Justice should not only be done, but seen to be done and done quickly. Justice delayed is justice denied,'' the Bishop said pointing out that Christians and Catholics were a very small and numerically insignificant minority. ``Merely because, the Christians and Catholics are peace-loving and law-abiding citizens it does not mean that they can be attacked and targeted,'' he said.

The Bishop came down heavily against the tendency among the senior police officers and even ministers to brush off the attacks against churches as insignificant or not so serious or as burglary attempts or acts of internal conflicts. ``Merely because there have been no serious loss of lives and destruction, it does not mean that we can be ignored. Attacks against the holiest symbols of Christians like the Cross or other religious objects like statues or even the Blessed Sacrament mean a lot to the faithful. These attacks and their impact cannot be measured or assessed,'' he said, asking the government to take serious action. ``Let them book the culprits and bring them to justice. If Christians or Catholics are involved, let them be identified with concrete evidence. But these incidents must be curbed and stopped once and for all. Otherwise, the people will lose faith in the government and police machinery,'' he said appealing the Catholics to ``remain calm, united and pray.''

"It is very unfortunate that the churches have been attacked within days after the provocative speeches. But the police have not taken any action,'' he said and wondered why the police were so ineffective. ``If the police are ineffective and inefficient, it is high time that they should be sent home. Let efficient persons handle the investigation,'' the Bishop added.