By Jessy Joseph
New Delhi, Dec 6, 2021: A mob of more than 500 people on December 6 attacked a Catholic school in a town of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, accusing it of indulging in religious conversion.
Brother Antony Pynumkal, principal of St Joseph’s School at Ganj Basoda in Vidisha district told Matters India that the allegation of conversion was “fake and baseless.”
Ganj Basoda town is some 105 km northwest of Bhopal, the state capital.
The Malabar Missionary Brother said they had received a memorandum on November 30 from some local Hindu groups from Ahirwar, Dangi and Rajput Communities alleging of conversion of students.
The management had informed the police but only two of them were deployed in the school premise when the mob came. They could not do anything, said Brother Pynumkal.
The local parish of St. Joseph on October 31 organized the First Holy Communion and Confirmation of eight Catholic children. A local Youtube channel called “Aayudh” carried the event as conversion.
“Those children are not our students and the parish is some two kilometers away from the school,” said Brother Pynumkal.
The management had already informed the local police about the memorandum and ongoing board exams in the school. The principal said the mob attacked the school when the 12th grade board exam was underway.
The school has some 1,500 students and less than 1 percent of them are Christians.
“This photo was misinterpreted as conversion of Hindu children in the Youtube channel Aayudh and instigated the fundamental group to act against Christians,” Father Puthenpurackal said.
Catholic Church and institutions should expect more such attacks for the simple reason that they are the most visible face of Christianity. Actual trouble makers are the evangelists of various hue and cry. These groups work out of suit cases and disappear when trouble erupts thus leaving the CC and its institution fair targets albeit under mistaken identity. The hardliners dont understand the difference between different Christian groups. For them all are one. CC should support the government to ensure that evangelist groups leave the Hindus alone.
Have you ever known the fact that the Catholics are the only people who have no love toward their own Community ? Lay Catholics are envious between them. They may betray for the sake of advantages or political gain. Actually some priests also follow the same path , with double face.You may not hear the name of Jesus from the lips . Modi, Pinarayi, Biden and others are frequently mentioned names. These are all some conversions
Those who make false accusations n try to make fake propagandha n bring disgrace upon the Catholic Church will never succeed because Jesus Christ is out true God n He died for the sins of the world.He is the head of the catholic Church which has survived for so many years he will defend the church.And be sure the liars will be punished n justice will prevail.
Have you ever heard of a people who have no love and concern for was own community ? It is the Catholic community. We can notice it even from the comments of our own people. They always love to accuse those who happen to run an institution. This does not mean absolving the guilty. When a school was attacked illegally and immorally by a crowd how that is set aside and umpteen charges are raised against them! Oh they are catering to the rich, they should not have built such big school and so on and on. The schools and hospitals and old age homes and home for differently abled persons etc may be the cause of all ills in India !
Empire building or not, there is a growing tendency among relgious congregations and dioceses to run posh shools. The poor of the locality are not affected. The rich and business community profit from our institutions and we get stone throws and beatings. We do give the impression that eduction is a business. Even many young people join relgious congregations keeping in mind plum postings later in such institutions. Most often such posh/English medium schools get started without any local socio-economic survey or without feeling the felt needs of the poor. Eve congreagations, which vow for working for and with the poor, become counter witnesses by running such shcools.
Your message has some validity. Most often we show ostrich like response. The Christian community, if it stands together, can make a strong wave against such atrocities. But, even our religious heads and bishops play safe. Most of our schools and hospital cater to the rich and non-Chrisrtian communities. What is the result?
Just to clarify – my response “In the doldrums of course”, was in response to Dr Wilma’s query “Very sad…where is our Constitution??”
Good morning to all educated persons in India basically the community of Sc, st, obc and minority humble requested to respect of indian Constitution not based on religion and teach about the constitutional knowledge just to get human rights.. I mean first of all the laws of indian Constitution not about any particular religion.. Jay Vim.
The fact is, we in the media suffer from myopic vision. The way some of our Catholic media personnel went gaga over the PM-Papal encounter and penned tomes on the kinds of gifts exchanged, going to the extent of insinuating a conversion on the part of the architect of all the mayhem we are witnessing for the last seven years, those in the non-Christian media must’ve had a hearty laugh at our naivette! That laughter in fact now resonates with greater velocity in every successive incident of harassment taking place.
This is the right time to take up the challenge posed by Veteran media practitioner Carol Andrade who openly asked at the 26th National Convention of Christian Journalists held by the Indian Catholic Press Association at ST PAUL’S, Bandra West, on 01 December 2021: “WHY IS THE CHURCH SILENT? WHY ISN’T THE CHURCH OPENING ITS MOUTH?” It’s time we in the media, which the ICPA frankly insisted had failed as a watchdog, shook the Church in India out of its somnolence and goaded her on to open her holy mouth at every level, starting from the CBCI and the CCBI, down to every regional episcopal body, until it reaches the FABC level. The reason for such a suggestion is that the school attack incident and the the proposed Karnataka bill cannot be left to be seen as isolated, local or regional issues that have no bearing on the status of the Church in India per se. And we need to do this regardless of whether the possibility of an Indian Papal ride, the ticket to which was obtained by Papa Francisco in person from our huggy-buggy dramatist-PM, stands or falls. This of course is possible only when we stop comparing Namo with any convert from the Sacred Scriptures [e.g. Paul…].
One percent of 1500 students are reported as Christian. Why run an institution so large as this for such less number of Christians. Or is it business institution out to get government grants and student fees. Just close down the institution which will put the government and local goons under pressure when 1485 children find themselves without a school. I suppose that the school belongs to Syro Malabar Catholics of Kerala and may have come up as part of their empire building initiative.
In the doldrums of course.
As a catholic I am so happy about this incident. I take pleasure on it. Why you know, we have become fools in front of the others. When one institution is facing any problem we don’t want to stand beside them. We are not able to show any solidarity by putting any common pressure through our other institutions. Rather we leave the matter to that particular Diocese or congregation or institution. The other side some of the affluent institutions never think or bother to be united with other Catholic institutions and work commonly or support the other.
If at all the Christian institutions be united and stand showing solidarity with other and put commonly pressure from our catholic institutions then you would see how changes would take place. I don’t mean to begin a violence. But at least a common pressure from our part.
Without proper knowledge of religion how one can act so foolishly? Those who do such things are away from such a great God who is the creator of every one. No one has private God. Majority good Hindu brethren are not going to behave so badly or going to hurt others. Our God is God of love and compassion. Only a few Hindu people are disturbing the people in our country. I want them to be more educative and learn to love one another. What is the meaning of conversion? Conversion is a change of heart.No one can change others. Conversion is done by God and not by human being. So why are you worried? I request all those people who are disturbing and creating violence to be careful before you act. You can not kill the soul. Allow every one to enjoy the freedom. Don’t be so stupid and foolish. And do not harm others in any way.
Thank you.
They do not know the true Creator and deliverer
Very sad…whereis our constitution??