Indian Church denounces rise in intolerance in Orissa after latest attack on priests

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India has condemned the attack that took place on 6 August in Jaleswar, where two priests and a catechist were beaten by a crowd of about 70 people on false charges of forced conversions, while the nuns accompanying them were saved by women from the village. Archbishop Vincent Aind believes this is part of a broader strategy to intimidate minorities in areas governed by the BJP.

New Delhi (AsiaNews) - The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) has expressed its sorrow and condemned the terrible attack on two Catholic priests and a catechist in Jaleswar, in the state of Orissa. The incident, which took place on 6 August, is considered part of a series of attacks against Christian minorities that reflects a climate of ‘growing intolerance in the country’.

The attack took place while Fr. Lijo Nirappel, parish priest of St. Thomas Church in Jaleswar, accompanied by another priest, two nuns and a catechist, was returning to the parish after celebrating a funeral Mass in a nearby village.

A crowd of about 70 people, many of whom were non-residents, ambushed the group. While the nuns were rescued by women from the village, the priests and the catechist were blocked, mistreated and beaten, on charges of religious conversion, which later proved to be false. Father Lijo's mobile phone was forcibly taken and never returned.

The CBCI called these actions a ‘blatant violation of the constitutional rights and human dignity of minorities,’ stressing that the ‘growing trend of mass violence poses a serious threat to the security, protection and peaceful coexistence of all communities.’

The Bishops' Conference urged the Orissa government to act ‘swiftly and decisively to identify and prosecute those responsible and ensure the protection of all minority communities.’ The CBCI finally reiterated its commitment to defending the rights and dignity of all citizens, especially those of the Christian community.

According to Catholic Connect (CC), the attackers are right-wing extremists, presumably belonging to the militant organisation Bajrang Dal. The ambush took place less than half a kilometre from the Gangadhar mission, where priests had celebrated a requiem Mass for the second anniversary of the death of two Catholic men.

‘They first targeted our catechist who was on a motorbike. They beat him mercilessly, dismantled his motorbike, emptied the tank and threw it away,’ said Fr. Nirappel, a victim of the attack.

The attackers then stopped the priests' vehicle, ‘physically assaulted us, pushing us, pulling us and beating us violently. They punched us, snatched our mobile phones and kept shouting that we were trying to make them American by converting them by force.’

The nuns were saved by some women from the village, who begged the attackers to let the group go. Fr. Nirappel said it was a planned ambush, accusing the attackers of bringing journalists with them ‘to fabricate a narrative.’

After about 45 minutes, the police arrived, who, according to the priest, ‘were only saving us from further violence.’ However, even in the presence of the officers, the crowd continued with their invective and no one returned the stolen phones.

The priest expressed his deep distress over the incident, saying, ‘I never imagined that something like this could happen. We were attacked and humiliated on the basis of unfounded accusations.’

Fr. Nirappel complained that ‘the media are also complicit’ because "they do not verify the facts, they just amplify what the crowd says. This false narrative must be replaced by the truth.‘ As of the morning after the attack, no complaint had been filed. Father Jojo, the other priest involved, said he was “shocked” and ’never imagined such hostility for doing something so peaceful and sacred."

Archbishop Vincent Aind of Ranchi told AsiaNews that, in his view, the attack is part of ‘a broader strategy being implemented in many other states, especially those governed by the BJP,’ the ultra-nationalist Hindu party to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi also belongs.

‘It is about creating a situation of public disorder, but above all about threatening and disturbing minorities. In reality, it is an attack on constitutional rights,’ he said. The archbishop added that for Christians, "it is part of our history. We have faced persecution of various kinds and, in a sense, we are prepared to face it. This is the cross we are called to bear, as the Lord asks of us.‘ He added: ’We are pilgrims and people who are always full of hope, regardless of what is happening in the present.‘

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan called the attack an example of ’Hindutva vigilantism."

In a post on social media platform X, Vijayan said that ‘criminals’ from the Sangh Parivar had attacked ‘Catholic priests and nuns in Kerala’ with false accusations of conversion, calling the incident an ‘ongoing witch hunt against Christians in the country.’

He concluded by saying, ‘Such Hindutva vigilantism, made possible by the regime's impunity, must be countered in a united manner by secular and democratic forces.’

• India
• Orissa
• assault
• priests