VHP makes demands of Bastar Catholic schools

In May, this same VHP group motivated some gram sabha or village councils to adopt resolutions banning non-Hindu religious preachers in the villages in Bastar.

Raipur:  After village panchayats passed resolutions and recent incidents of attack on Christians, right wing groups in tribal Bastar region of Chhattisgarh have put up some demands before missionary schools.

VHP activists said they are against Santa Claus distributing chocolates during Christmas, use of school buses for religious functions and pressed for installation of Goddess Saraswati idols in these schools, the Times of India reported.

Incidentally, the trigger for a fresh row in tribal Bastar came from an innocuous speech by Jagdalpur diocese Bishop Mar Joseph Kollamparambil at a school annual function recalling how Father Kuriakose Elias Chavara, a visionary and social reformer - who was canonized and conferred sainthood by Pope Francis at Vatican on Sunday- contributed in making free education available for everyone, including girls, in Kerala in the %19th century.

On November 17, Bishop elaborated that Kerala reformer had introduced the concept for "school along with church" thus making education available for all. Catholic Church also wants to set up more schools %in Bastar.

Local VHP lapped it up, alleging "The address is aimed to promote communalism and narrow-mindedness".

They also shot a letter to chief minister Raman Singh and senior officials alleging that "Christian missionaries put pressure on Hindu society and administration on the pretext %of education".

"The issues were not portrayed in its right perspective. So we decided to have a dialogue with local VHP representatives to clear the air", said Jagdalpur diocese spokesman and vicar-general Abraham Kannampala.

"On November 21 and 22, seven representatives of the Church and 12 from VHP had a joint meeting during which various issues were discussed," he said adding "we have accepted some suggestions but did not agree to %some others.

"We did not have any objection to non-Christian students addressing school principal as "pracharya", or "up-pracharya", or "sir", instead of "father", as demanded by VHP representatives.

Similarly, we agreed to put up photographs of "Maa Saraswati" and "great personalities" who have worked for national interest" in our educational institutions", Kannampala said.

VHP Bastar district president Suresh Yadav and Kannampala later issued a joint statement about the consensus arrived at the meeting. Insiders told TOI that VHP objected to Santa Claus distributing chocolates during Christmas functions.

However, Church leaders did not agree to stop this practice. "This is not an isolated case of intimidation of minorities in Bastar.

In May, this same VHP group motivated some gram sabha or village councils to adopt resolutions banning non-Hindu religious preachers in the villages in Bastar.

Later, when the matter reached the high court, local Christians were invited for a mediation by the district administration but were beaten up by a group of Hindu groups, leaving 12 people injured", Chhattisgarh Christian Association president Arun Pannalal said.

Source: Times of India