Tensions in Andhra Pradesh: church construction blocked, priest beaten
Msgr. Joji, Bishop of Hyderabad, speaks out.
Hyderabad (AsiaNews) Representatives of Hindu groups, police, government authorities and the Catholic Church met Thursday night to discuss the July 18 attack by Hindu fundamentalists against a priest in the Indian State of Andhra Pradesh.
In the meeting set up at the request of Msgr. Marampudi Joji, Archbishop of Hyderabad, the latter suggested that a Peace Committee be formed involving all religious communities. The archbishop told AsiaNews that "the Church must commit herself to the task of establishing an environment of harmony and, to do so, must engage all interested parties in a dialogue."
On July 18, about 100 Hindus used force to stop the construction of a Catholic church in Secunderabad, a town near Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh's capital. Local Hindus called upon Hindu nationalist groups like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bharatiya Janata Party to come and stop the ground-breaking ceremony saying that building the church was "illegal". They claim that building a church in an exclusively residential area Christians would create "noise pollution".
Father Joseph Vattaparambil, the local parish priest, was beaten up as he prayed in the temporary chapel that has served for the past 8 years as a place of worship to the 300 or so Malankara Catholics living in the area (Editor's Note: Originally from the Indian State of Kerala, Malankara Catholics adhere to the Syro-Malankara Church which retains the Syriac liturgy but uses the Malayalam language).
"It is shameful that these fundamentalist groups continue to disrupt people's lives and deny them the right to a legitimate place of worship," Msgr. Joji said. "Freedom of religion is enshrined in the Indian constitution," the Archbishop added, "and the Church is only exercising its legal and civic right to build a structure where Christians can meet."
Church leaders are certain of the legality of the project, but the archbishop remained cautious saying that "they would not proceed with any construction until peace returns to this city".
Given the circumstances, the Church is aware of the need for local political support. Hence, after the attack against the Secunderabad priest, Msgr. Joji met Rajashekeria Reddy, Andhra Pradesh's Protestant Chief Minister. "During my term as Chief Minister . . . I will not allow such incidents to take place, "Mr Reddy said.
Police forces have been put on the alert to enforce the law and secure public order throughout the city.
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