By Mumtaz Alam, IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, 18 Jan 2015: Series of attacks on churches in India’s national capital in last two months has sent a fear wave among the Christians living here, but the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on these attacks seems to be more frightening for the community.
“The violence has come home for the Christians in Delhi now for the first time. The back-to-back attacks on churches in the past seven weeks and the silence of Prime Minister are frightening. It pains me that I have had to appeal to the country’s highest offices to seek protection and assurance for the well-being of my people,’’ said Archbishop Anil Joseph Thomas Couto to national English daily The Hindu. Archbishop Couto is the religious leader of about two lakh Catholic population in Delhi and its neighbourhood with 55 catholic parishes under him.
In last two months, at least four churches have been attacked in Delhi.
1st Dec 2014: A Catholic church was gutted in fire in east Delhi’s Dilshad Garden area.
6th Dec 2014: Some unidentified people threw stones at Our Lady of Fatima Forane Church at Jasola in south Delhi and broke window panes during the evening Mass.
4th Jan 2015: A minor fire was reported from a church in Rohini in west Delhi. The Christmas crib outside was charred.
14th Jan 2015: Our Lady of Graces Church was vandalized at Vikaspuri in west Delhi.
Dr John Dayal
Talking to IndiaTomorrow.net following the Dilshad Garden church attack last month, Dr. John Dayal, eminent Christian leader and rights activist had said: “What happened (in Dilshad Garden) is the climax of hate campaign and targeted violence that is going in several states of the country including Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Local groups and political forces are behind these incidents.”
He said such attacks are result of a constant hate campaign against minorities.
“Violence takes place at the end. It is preceded by hate campaign, politics of hate and a process to create an atmosphere for targeted violence against the minority community,” said Dr. Dayal.
