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Attacks on churches: Central team wants ‘more action’ from State

Special Correspondent

Instil confidence among the victims, says Union Government official

— Photo: R. Eswarraj

Taking stock: Special Secretary (Internal Security) M.L. Kumawat (centre) during his visit to St. Sebastian Church at Permannur, near Mangalore, on Tuesday.

BANGALORE: The two-member Central team of officials, which is on a two-day visit to Karnataka to assess the situation in the wake of attacks on churches and Christian prayer halls, has called for “more action” from the State Government to restore peace and normality in the affected areas.

On arriving in Bangalore on Tuesday after visiting the affected areas in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, Special Secretary (Internal Security) M.L. Kumawat, who heads the team, told presspersons, “We advise the State Government to initiate more precautionary measures to prevent the recurrence of such incidents”.

He also stressed the need for arresting all those responsible for the attacks. “More arrests are needed,” he said and observed that such steps had to be taken to instil confidence among the victims.

Asked if the team was satisfied with the measures initiated by the Government, he said: “It is not the question of our satisfaction. More importantly, the victims have to be satisfied.”

Later, he told The Hindu that several victims had complained to them that the police had acted in a partisan manner. Some of the victims alleged that the police had assaulted them. The team had asked the district administrations of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi to ensure that those involved in the attacks and violence were brought to book, he said.

The team held discussions with deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of the two districts, besides the Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order). It also spoke to some of the victims. The team will visit the attacked churches in Bangalore on Wednesday and hold discussions with Chief Secretary Sudhakar Rao before returning to Delhi. Mr. Kumawat said the team would submit its report to the Centre as early as possible.

Joint Secretary, Union Human Resources Ministry, Arun Kumar is the other member of the team.

‘Unfortunate’

Mangalore Special Correspondent reports:

During his visit to St. Sebastian Church at Permannur near Ullal, Mr. Kumawat termed as “unfortunate” the incidents that had taken place on September 14 and later.

“We have asked the police to take stringent action against anti-social elements,” he said.

Mr. Kumawat said two women had complained that the police had entered the church premises, lobbed teargas shells when they were praying and had attacked them.

One of them said that a relative of hers had been seriously injured, he said.

At the church, spokesperson for the Bishop and director of the Canara Organisation for Development Programmes Onil D’Souza and another clergyman took the officials around the church. They showed the officials the statues that had been vandalised and complained of police “excesses.” The officials were shown an album of pictures showing police “brutality.”

Mr. Kumawat took photographs of the statue of Mary with the glass case and both the forearms broken.

He also visited the Poor Clares Adoration Monastery near Milagres Church at Hampanakatta earlier in the day.

Discussions

Udupi Staff Correspondent reports:

Speaking to presspersons after visiting the New Life Fellowship prayer hall that was vandalised allegedly by a pro-Hindutva group on September 14, Mr. Kumawat said that he had discussed the situation with district-level officials, and would also hold talks with those at the State level.

“The Union Home Ministry has directed the district officials to take stringent action in case of any instance of vandalism of churches or prayer halls. Communal incidents were not in the interests of the country,” he said.

“The pastor (of New Life Fellowship, Udupi) has told me that the district administration has taken action. We want more peace committee meetings to be held. The Union Government wants stern action against communal elements,” he said.

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