By Matters India Reporter
Khandwa, Oct 26, 2022: Right wing Hindu activists have burnt firecrackers in front of a Catholic school in Madhya Pradesh state to protest the staging a street play on environmental protection and safe celebration of Diwali, the festival of lights.
The protesters burst firecrackers before St Joseph’s Convent School under the diocese of Khandwa, on the night of October 25, a day after Diwali, a popular Hindu festival. They accused the Christian missionaries of defaming Hindu festivals.
The school authorities, however, denied the allegations that their children targeted Hindu festival. “We never intended to target anybody or any religion or its festival,” Sister Neha Mathew, the school principal, told Matters India on October 26.
The member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery said their students had tried to communicate message of celebrating the Diwali festival safely and that there was nothing against Hindu religion or its traditions.”
The nun also added that the students and teachers together celebrate Diwali in her school and regretted that someone had tried to give a genuine object a communal color.
The Hindu activists were enraged at a street play the students and teachers of the Catholic school staged in the town on October 21 to create awareness about environmental protection and the need for celebrating Diwali safely.
The protesters accused the Catholic school of deliberately targeting the Hindu festival through the play claiming that cracking firecrackers would lead to environmental pollution, a charge the school authorities denied.
On Diwali people decorate their houses, offices and even government buildings with lights and burst firecrackers as part of the celebration.
Often the extensive use of firecrackers during Diwali leads to environmental pollution especially in major cities such as New Delhi, the national capital, and efforts are on to promote environmental friendly firecrackers to avoid pollution.
The protestors claiming themselves as representing the entire the Hindu community, alleged that “the objective of the play was to target Hindu community as its focus was that the burning firecrackers would lead to environmental pollution.”
They also warned the Christian missionaries of serious consequences in case the same is repeated and even threatened to beat them up.
“This is our first and last warning,” said a protester. He told media persons that the Christian missionaries were trying to denigrate the Hindu religion and its festivals and such acts would not be tolerated.
Pointing out that Christians burst firecrackers on Christmas they asked, “Would it not cause environmental pollution?”.
They also vowed to protect Hindu religion and its festivals.
Father Jaya Alex, the public relations officer of the diocese, also condemned targeting Christians for no reasons.
The priest, in a statement, said some people targeted Christian institutions, especially those managed by Catholics, to create communal divide in society.
The Christian community, Father Alex added, “Does not discriminate anyone on the basis of religion, caste, creed or other concerns.”
Madhya Pradesh has witnessed several such incidents in the past and Christians accused right wing Hindu groups of targeting them even after doing so much of selfless services for the advancement of the poor and the downtrodden.
The Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party now rules the central Indian state. Christians make up just 0.29 percent of more than 71 million population, majority of them Hindus.
they are right … Schools should stop teaching environmental studies or such things to students … In any case there are no trees left to breathe … and the students must be taught how to breathe in smoke or how to increase the volume and capacity of oxygen cylinders … also … one can add how to build firecrackers using chemistry formulas.
I am all for environmental awareness. First the Christians have to come out and explain why do they chop millions of trees all over the world for Christmas. Charity begins at home. The environmental impact of chopping millions of trees for Christmas around the world has a far bigger devastating impact. I say we pay back in the same coin. Let’s have street plays on the impact of Christmas on environment.
It was the Hindu students in a Christian school who took up a social matter. Why is it anti religious. During the time of bows and arrows were there crackers. This gun powder material is a recent invention. And it was propagated by western companies to market their products.
By now the protests of some splinter groups against any little excuse – such as talking of reducing pollution in Diwali celebrations are bordering on the ridiculous and irrational. Just about any excuse seems good enough for goons to stage a protest. God knows who finances them to waste time like this, dividing people and trying to terrorize them in stead of working for the nation and creating harmony. If “offense of sentiment” becomes the reason for fight, then naturally “reason and rationality” take a back seat!
Ban religion totally from public space. Gods should be confined to places of worship. Irrespective of whichever religion.
Diwali – as the name suggests – is a festival of lights. When did crackers entered this good and holy tradition is nobody knows. Crackers cause not only environmental but also noise pollution. If anybody highlights this thought thru plays or skits, what is wrong in it? Please take up the message and stop burning crackers. In stead light diyas and bringback the original spirit of Diwali. Drive away the spiritual darkness.
The Christian missionaries are very intelligent in their game plan They plant the seed os dissent and discontent in young minds I left a convent after 3weeks,It was enough for me a young boy of 9 to know the dirty game of conversion,.They told me that I can never learn English and do higher studies.
Christian charitable trusts in India are making brutal activities like convertion the innocent poor hindu religion people into their Christianity by distributing money to them. This is the most polluting activity done by Christian charitable trusts in not only India it’s doing entire world. There is no other great pollution in the world than this type of brutal activities of religion convertion.
That’s a misconception. Bible does not say the earth is flat. It says that the earth is spherical.
This is how you’ll payback your teachers and the school you gained your education from. After all you have taken the school drama cast to derive into conclusions and generalize matters. Remember if someone looks through blue sunglass everything he sees will have a bluish tint.
Russell who reminds us that a serious text like that of F. S. Marvin appearing in Studies in the History and in the Method of Sciences repeats that “Ptolemy’s maps … were forgotten in the West for a thousand years” and that a manual of 1988 (A. Holt-Jensen’s Geography: Its History and Concepts) states that the medieval Church taught that the earth was a flat disk with Jerusalem at its center. Even Daniel Boorstin, in his popular book The Discoverers, says that from the fourth to the fourteenth century Christianity had suppressed the notion of the earth’s being round.
If there were conversions then the percentage of catholic population would have increased. In fact it has decreased. Check about this.
But Galileo was penalised as he gave the centre to sun. I do acknowledge the good work done by missionaries and at the same time understand that everyone has a point of view.
So put the point across with love.
Can the Christians take a pledge that they will celebrate Christmas with lights and no crackers?
Set an example rather than justifying!!!
Concerted people….. teaching us ……how to celebrate our festival….. what a Joke…….
The missionaries should educate how to celebrate Christmas by not cutting down trees. This is another way of polluting the environment. In fact cutting down the trees is more polluting than the bursting of crackers.
You don’t know how talk and how to express your views mind your language first your language shows your tradition
Why do you feel threatened? They are only 0.29% of population in MP. Improve your behaviour and outlook and you will realise that there is no threat as you are made to believe.
Let us understand that we need to take care of each other human religion says be kind be safe we need to protect our environment and please check about the birds and animals they too are part of the environment
BhajPa leaders should impress Sunak to give some favorable comments
The act to reduce pollution was enacted by the school students who were mostly Hindus.
They were trying to give a message that we should try not to pollute the environment as little as possible.
Stop using cars and bikes ..they createore pollution than 3 days of Diwali..will u be able to stop?
The Catholics or for that matter Christians of any denomination wouldn’t have the galls to play skit of islamic festivals e.g.bakri idd depicting the merciless killing of animals. These are hypocrites.
Be in grace in jesus name. Amen
It was a skit only for environment protection awarness not to communalise. There is a section of people who simply communalism out of no issue at all to make some news out of no issue at all
Having studied in 2 convents I can totally understand what the protestors are pointing out. There is some attempt to ridicule the Hindu faith and the local culture and language. The first school I was in was large and famous had VIP students, hence such acts were subtle. The second was an average neighborhood Christian school. They found every way to mock Indian traditions and people. For example even in a drama for some cultural event would have the bad or the dumb guy dressed up in obvious Hindu attire, while the hero will always be in a Western look. Now this is the most subtle example I’m quoting here. Having said that I think turning violent isn’t the answer, this has to be fought back in the same way as this is being played.
It’s very clear here that it is up to the people of the same religion or caste or background to educate their own kind. It’s like in the moral story where the donkey raises an alarm by braying loudly that a thief has entered the house while the dog is sleeping soundly. As a result the thief runs away but the donkey gets beaten by the owner for disturbing his sleep.
The country is facing severe pollution issue, irrespective of any religion. The Christian school try to convince people to control fire crackers. Is it a religious issue ?
Sister Neha Mathew and Father Jaya Alex should only tell their students how to celebrate Christmas safely without harming the environment. They should explain that cutting trees and lighting candles for celebrating christmas shall the environment. They should understand that since they are christians, they not qualified to talk about Hindu festivals. They must learn to keep their shut and not comment anything about Hindu festivals, Hindu traditions and Hindu culture.
These Christian idiots cannot have their own ideology., Christian s copy Hindu culture, like useing Mangala sutra, flag post of temple then curse Hindu. They cannot fuck and make children so they want to convert. These people are antinational chamchas of convertion mission
Any educational institution irrespective of whether it is run by Christians or Hindus will always educate children to play safe with fire crackers and try to reduce pollution as much as possible. How can some one get offended by these basic teachings? Those who own pets and have a greenery surrounding them will certainly understand!
Though you are well educated in your sence you still believe in a book which says earth is flat
First of all you don’t “burn” fire crackers!…you set off the fire crackers.
It is true that it causes lots of air pollution, noise pollution and disturbance.. for babies, very young children, old and sick people.
Every person where ever in the world regardless of their faith or race should act responsibly.
We should stop helping to others now a days people have forgotten moral value if they wanna burn crackers then let them do it lets suffer together and one thing we should eliminate the words generosity from the dictionary because as we have seen how hard the missionaries are working to educate the illiterate people but we have seen how their hardwork paid of…….!
Since when did environmental issues become a religion. This is a one track mind.Making a issue where there is none. In the Gulf countries burning firecrackers is forbidden.Defaulters are sent to prison and then it takes Indian Ambassador to take gsurantee for their release.
These fanatic hindus and their supporters are jumbled mass of learned confusion. They should be awarded a degree -JMLC (Hons.)
This segment of people are out for something always. It’s not the first time
The Christian missionaries are doing conversion of Hindus under the guise of social services and running schools etc Teresa herself said that in matters of religion she is not neutral the sooner Hindus understand the dubious methods of Christian missionaries better it is for future of hindhu dharma in the land of it s birth
They should mind their own business instead of lecturing others.
Why are the CHRISTIAN’S trying to teach others about ENVIRONMENT and other ETHICS.
I want to tell the CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY to FOCUS more on the WELLBEING of their OWN. Rather than doing CHARITY to PLEASE OTHERS.
There are so many CHRISTIAN BROKEN HOMES/FAMILIES/ MARRIAGES.
HOW ABOUT ASKING OUR OWN TO STOP CONSUMING ALCOHOL
KINDLY STOP YOUR RICE BAGS DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM’S AND ALL THE OTHER GOODWILLS, WHICH ARE HURTING THE SENTIMENTS OF THE PEOPLE.
I WOULD SUGGEST KEEP THE CHRISTIAN FESTIVALS A LOW KEY RATHER THAN SHOWING OFF YOUR SHOPPING, LIQUOR,MEATS ETC.
Doesn’t matter from which religion we come saving our environment should be our priority for us and the future generations and making the world a better place to live
Christians always find a way to hurt Hindus either by denigrating their religion or finding fault with their way of celebrating their festivals,even though it is a well known fact that the greatest contribution to earth’s pollution is being caused by contries which are predominantly Christian by faith.Hights of hypocrisy!
How are Christians qualified to roll Hindus how they should celebrate their festivals? If we tell them not to kill animals in the name of Thanksgiving or Christmas will they take it in proper spirit and celebrate a vegetarian Christmas?
I could not understand why christians burn crackers during Christmas. If it has nothing to do with Christmas, then they should not emulate burning crackers like Hindus. Otherwise christians won’t have an answer to their question.
All these so called right groups consist of illiterate and uneducated people who can’t even define hinduism and as a result such meaningless allegations take place.
I don’t understand how a social issue has been highlighted as a communal issue. I myself am a Hindu while i have not burnt a single cracker since 2007. Environmental awareness is for everyone and not for a perticular section of people irrespective of their gender, caste and religion.
It is time to stop community service.
No use to teach the illeterate.
They cannot understand pollusion.be it for diwali or Christmas burning firecrakers is the worst pollutant.
And when did this firing of crackers only in late 1900 s never before that.
Enjoy festivals environment friendly.
Or our next generation suffer asthma and lung cancer
How dare they attack a Hindu festivals. Bursting firecrackers is our right!!!
These so called secularists should stop their festivals and set an example.
These nalayaks who are called activist are real threat to the whole nation. Polluting minds of people with their rogue ideology and blame everything on Missionaries, Muslims, Gandhiji and Nehruji.
First of all lack of education is behind all such cases. They did not understand the meaning or message of the play enacted on the road. They simply mistook that it was meant to denigrate the festival. The BJKP and its support organizations trying to find new reasons for attacking against the Christians, nothing more. However people in authority support them instead of understanding the matter clearly.
K J George