Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
New Delhi (Fides Service) – Threats continue, tension is latent and violence has left its mark especially on Salesian Father Stanny Ferreira, seriously wounded by Hindu fundamentalists who attacked the school two weeks ago. Despite the difficult situation the Salesians are determined to carry on with their activity of education for the spiritual, moral and cultural development of the local boys and girls who attend Don Bosco schools and oratories.
One Salesian school in Alirajpur, Jhabua district in Madhya Pradesh state, which had to close on 17 January because of attacks by fundamentalists, opened again on 27 January and although three quarters of the pupils have returned, only half the teaching staff has resumed service. The headmaster Father Leslie Pereira decided to re-open the school after receiving pressing requests from local authorities and parents. Insisting that the school should reopen, parents and offered to arrange for protection of pupils and teachers. The school will be watched by security guards until the end of the school year in 2004.
In Alirajpur, not far from Gujarat state, over the past months local Christian and Muslim minorities had received threats but in January there were a series of attacks by Hindu fundamentalists members of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajragdal and Durga Vahini, which exploit any occasion to attack Christians and spread calumnious misinformation about the followers of Christ.
“In the meantime – Bishop Chancko Thottumarichal, Bishop of Jhabua, told Fides – the anti-Christian misinformation and mobilisation campaign continues. Shameful posters on walls in the town and surrounding area blacken the image of the Catholic community. This denigrator campaign may give rise to more violence”.
(PA) (Fides Service 3/2/2004 lines 33 words 352)
