Delhi Archbishop writes to PM

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, DEC. 1. Concerned by incidents of violence against minorities in general and Christians in particular over the past week, the Archbishop of Delhi, Vincent Concessao, today sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, urging him to take speedy action ``before the community begins to feel more threatened than it already is''.

In his first communique to the Prime Minister after taking over as Archbishop of the Delhi Diocese on November 19, Archbishop Vincent Concessao sought to draw the attention of the Prime Minister to the five incidents of violence against Christians in as many days.

Picking on the Prime Minister's observation that incidents of violence against Christians in the recent past were ``stray'', Archbishop Concessao said six incidents- including one against Muslims in Uttaranchal- in five days ``is rather alarming and something needs to be done to stop them''. The Prime Minister had apparently described the incidents of violence against Christians over the past couple of years as stray at a meeting with the Archbishop on November 20.

The incidents cited by Archbishop Concessao in his letter include the stoning of Christians in the Kolar district of Karnataka on November 26 and looting of a convent in Jwalapur near Haridwar the same day; ransacking of a chapel in Surat; and the beating up of a priest in Gwalior. Also included is an attack on a prayer hall in Bokaro that was reported in a section of the Press this morning.

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Section  : National
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