In a press release of Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), the Indian Bishops expressed that they are saddened by disturbing reports of an uncalled for attack on Dalits in Pune, Maharashtra. The official statement by the CBCI also highlighted another sad news in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, where a Catholic Institution, St. Mary’s Post Graduate College is being threatened by ABVP activists that trouble will be created on 4th January 2018 in the college. The College has already been attacked once by these lumpen elements on 30th December 2017, who entered the college by scaling walls and demanding that a certain type of worship be enforced in the College. The Bishops specified these kind of terrorism as unacceptable.
The Bishops in India also silver lined that “The Catholic Bishops’ Conference appreciates our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan “sab ka sath, sab ka vikas” and his desire to work for all Indians. We wish to thank Shri Rajnath Singh our Home Minister for not only assuring us of safety during the Christmas Celebrations but even issuing an advisory to all states “to ensure law and order during Christmas in the wake of fringe elements threatening some Christian community members against celebrating the festival.”” Further, it said, “This built confidence in the Community during the celebrations. Leaders like Sushma Swaraj with compassion and kindness are helping people in trouble and distress without distinctions of religion, creed, language or region.”
The statement also reminded that: “During Christmas time three priests and some seminarians were attacked in a village in Satna. The attacking Bajrang Dal members were “so ruthless” that many were injured, spectacles of three seminarians were broken. They also forced the seminarians to say, Jai Sriram, Jai Bajrang Bali.” The statement was concluded by emphasizing that the history will not forgive this present generation if we lose that legacy earned through the sacrifices and blood of our freedom fighters, protected by the lives of our soldiers and served selflessly by every Indian working to create an India-“Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls”. Catholic Bishops in India also appealed to leaders across the political spectrum to recognize that groups and individuals spreading poison and sowing hatred are increasing and are being emboldened.
