Delhi archbishop concerned about growing attacks on Christian property in North India

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New Delhi, August 8, 2014: Archbishop Anil J.T. Couto of Delhi has expressed concern over growing number of communal flare-ups in different parts of northern India and attacks on Christians and Church properties in and around the national capital. The prelate expressed anguish in a press release after some unidentified people on August 6 night vandalized the school buses parked in front of an archdiocesan church in Rohtak, Haryana.

“Reports of other attacks on Christian pastors and prayer groups are very disturbing and we request the local authorities to take adequate measures to bring to book the miscreants who are threatening to weaken the social fabric of this great nation," the archbishop said.

According to media reports “Sangh Parivar groups are collecting details of persons who were converted to Islam and Christianity in western Uttar Pradesh and plan to carry out ‘shuddhikaran’ – an exercise to re-convert to Hinduism,” the release said. The archbishop reiterated his earlier statement that this move by fundamentalist groups is a grave assault on the fundamental rights of individuals and groups.

Hate campaigns against the Christian community and the Christian faith by fundamentalist and extremist religious organizations in the past, preceded large scale violence against the Christian community, he said.  The archbishop called for immediate action by the local police and civil authorities to stop such hate campaigns to help maintain social peace and harmony.