ASIA/INDIA - Another Catholic school comes under attack: Salesian institute in north east India is completely sacked

Itanagar (Agenzia Fides) - Another Catholic school in India has come under attack. After the recent attack on a school run by the Loreto Sisters in Luknow, Uttar Pradesh, another episode of violence has been reported to Fides. The target of Hindu fundamentalists this time was the Salesian Institute not far from Itanagar, capital city of the north east Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
According to the Salesian bulletin ANS the attack took place in August but the news was reported only recently because the families of the pupils’ families and the rest of the community feared acts of retaliation.
The attack happened at night and fortunately no one was hurt. Headmaster Fr. K.O. Sebastian and his deputy Joby Sebastian, noticed that the gates of the school compound had been forced open. They rushed to wake the pupils sleeping in the dormitories and then evacuated the school warning the people in the nearby village of Jully.
A gang of four men armed with knives began to sack the school and no one stopped them: classrooms and community rooms, dormitories were all were destroyed. The police arrived at 3.45am and captured the gang leader.
Leading members of local Catholic community condemned the attack and called for legal action to be taken against the perpetrators. A commission of assistance was formed to help repair the damage to the Salesian centre.
Recently the Catholic Bishops of India issued an official statement in which they affirmed “Catholic schools in India have always respected the different religious traditions present in the country, offering education which promotes a spirit of peace and harmony”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 21/9/2006 righe 24 parole 234)