VHP concedes assault on priest by 'Hindu youth'

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI, AUG. 9. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad here has conceded that an ``assault'' on Father Mendonca by Hindu youth took place. But it did not identify the assailants. It said that Father Mendonca ``started arguing with Hindu youth'' who had gone to the St. Baptist Church, Thane, to ``demand a protest from the Church'' for the ``killings'' of some RSS activists some two years ago in Tripura.

According to a VHP press note, Fr. Oscar Mendonca ``refused to express his condolences'' but ``started arguing with the Hindu youth''. The RSS volunteers in Tripura - it mentioned four activists but did not name them - ``were killed by Christian terrorists''.

There has been widespread indignation at the attack on Fr. Mendonca and the Catholic community has decided to shut down its schools in the Mumbai region on August 13 as a protest. All Catholics have been asked to wear black tags.

According to Mr. Vikram Bhoir, VHP Prachar Prasiddhi Pramukh, the ``some Hindu youth'' were not arrested on the spot nor ``have been identified'' but the next day, Dr. Sudhir Ranade, VHP Thane zonal chief, was ``called for discussions by the Thane Police Commissioner and was arrested without any reason''.

Dr. Ranade, the press note said, was alleged to have made an inflammatory speech though he only put forth ``the facts'' during the memorial meeting on August 6. Therefore, he was now on a ``fast-unto-death in police custody to protest police atrocities''.

Christian Council demand

Our Staff Reporter writes from

Bhubaneswar:

The All-India Christian Council has demanded that the National Commission for Minorities be re-constituted on the lines of the National Human Rights Commission to protect the interests of the minorities in an effective manner.

Addressing presspersons here today, Mr. Sam Paul, Public Affairs Secretary of the Council, said that the Minorities Commission needs to be re-constituted as in its present form it had become an extension of the Government.

Expressing concern over the recent attacks on members of the Christian community in Thane and other places, Mr. Paul urged the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance Government to prevent such incidents and take stern action against the guilty.

On the views expressed by the Christian leaders of Orissa at a meeting held in Cuttack today, Mr. Paul said the meeting demanded immediate withdrawal of an amendment in the Orissa Freedom of Religion Act. The amendment, which states that anybody wanting to change his religion has to inform the authorities, amounted to infringement of a person's freedom of choice, he observed.

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