September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore
Encyclopedia
The 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka refer to the wave of attacks directed against Christian churches and prayer halls in the India
n city of Mangalore
and the surrounding area of southern Karnataka
in September 2008 by the Hindu nationalist organization Bajrang Dal
and the Sri Ram Sena
. The attacks were widely perceived by Christians in southern Karnataka to be punishment from right-wing Hindu nationalist organisations because they had been outspoken about Christian persecution in Orissa, and also because the New Life Fellowship Trust
(NLFT), a non-denominational Christian Church, was alleged by Bajrang Dal to be indulging in forced conversions of Hindus to Christianity.
The attacks began on 14 September 2008 when a group of youths from the Bajrang Dal, went inside the chapel of Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare
near the Milagres Church
in Hampankatta
and desecrated it. Some 20 churches or prayer halls, including Catholic and Protestant churches and temples belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelical sects and colleges were damaged in towns and villages in the Mangalore area and other parts of Dakshina Kannada district, Udupi district
and Chikkamagaluru district. After the outbreak in Karnataka, a new wave of anti-Christian attacks began in the Indian states of Orissa
, Madhya Pradesh
and Chhattisgarh
. Out of frustration and anger, the Christian community responded to the attacks and began protesting, leading to strong police suppression. The incident marked the first time that Catholics had ever resorted to violence in Mangalore when provoked.
The September 2008 attacks had political significance, given that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) government under B. S. Yeddyurappa was also accused of involvement and backing the anti-Christian campaigns and that the police were reported to have had knowledge of the imminent attacks but failed to prevent them. The police were criticized for their reaction to the protests and a report by a committee of human rights activists set up in the aftermath to examine the causes of the attacks claimed that they had used the event as a pretext to assault the community, rather than defend it. Justice B. K. Somasekhara of Karnataka, however, concluded that the police and government helped maintain order and were not responsible for the attacks. In response to the alleged forcible conversions of involvement, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) gave a 3-month deadline for New Life Fellowship Trust (NLFT) to stop all conversion activities in Mangalore. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore declared that it would distance itself from the New Life Fellowship Trust.
In February 2011, retired Justice M. F. Saldanha, formerly of the Bombay High Court
, was outspoken against the protests and published a report in which he described the attacks as "state-sponsored terrorism" and that the attacks were part of "communal forces" at work attacking Christian institutions on the coastal belt of India. The report and continued denial by the state government of being implicated in the attacks led to more than 100,000 Christians representing some 45 Christian denominations and secular organizations leading a silent march in Mangalore on 21 February.
. In 1722, 24,000 Catholics were reported to be living in the area. The Roman Catholic community of Mangalore was persecuted by Tipu Sultan
during his reign between 1782 to 1799 and many were forcibly converted to Islam. On 24 February 1784, Tipu rounded up 60,000–80,000 Catholics and transported them to Seringapatam
. They were held there in captivity
for 15 years, until Tipu was killed by the British
at the Battle of Seringapatam
on 4 May 1799. Only 15,000–20,000 of those Catholics taken captive in 1784 survived. In the latter half of the 19th century, Protestant missionaries worked in Mangalore and surrounding communities and the Vicariate of Mangalore was established in 1853. Mangalore, noted for its number of churches and the strong representation of Catholics, was at one time known as the "Rome of the East". However it is also noted as a pilgrimage centre for Hindus, given its many Hindu temples and shrines. Between 1991 and 2011, the percentage of Christians living in India reportedly dropped from 2.7 percent to 2.2 percent, a declining figure which has been linked to ongoing difficulties facing Christians in a predominantly Hindu nation. In 2008, there were reported to be a population of 320,300 Christians living in the Dakshina Kannada district area.
Several explanations of the cause of the September 2008 attacks have been postulated. Many Christians believed that the attacks were a direct response from right-wing Hindu organizations who were targeting the people of Mangalore and the surrounding area, because they had been outspoken about Christian persecution in Orissa
. St. Aloysius College
, a Jesuit institution in Mangalore, and other Christian schools went on strike for varying periods between 29 August and the 5 September prior to the attacks, protesting against the events in Orissa, contrary to the orders of the government who stated that it was to be a regular work day. Primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwara Hegde, responding to the shutting down of the Christian educational institutions in Karnataka, had directed the public education department to issue showcause notices to schools that had objected to the violence against Christians in Orissa. A Christian institution in Shimoga, Karnataka had reportedly received a notice from the education ministry of Karnataka during the strike saying, "The VHP and Bajrang Dal have conducted a protest against the closure of schools and criticised your action. They have submitted letters requesting action against you for this. In this context, you are asked to show cause as to why action should not be initiated against you for using religion as an excuse to announce a holiday and as to why permission to run your institution should not be withdrawn." State Home Minister V.S. Acharya explained the reason for the notices, "All Christian institutions are grant-in-aid institutions of the government and they should have had the courtesy to inform us before declaring a holiday. Their decision to act unilaterally cannot be tolerated." Bajrang Dal proponents protested with banners outside the St. Aloysius College gates and across Mangalore on Saturday 31 August, the day after the college had closed for a holiday, chanting slogans such as, "Jai Mata Di" (Hail Mother) and "Bharat Mata ki jai" (Hail Mother India). It should be noted, however, that the closing of the schools in Mangalore were not alone; some 45,000 institutions across India had participated on 29 August in a "prayer for peace and communal harmony" in response to the events in Orissa.
Another explanation is that the attacks were an angry response by Bajrang Dal over the allegations that the New Life Fellowship Trust
were indulging in forceful religious conversion of Hindus and distribution of vulgar literature about Hindu gods and goddesses. In the book Satyadarshini, it was also reported that the New Life Fellowship Trust had denigrated and defamed Hindu gods.
, a Hindu nationalist organization which aims to achieve the "reversing of the invasions by Muslim conquerors and British imperialism", arrived at the chapel of Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare
in Hampankatta
around 10.15 am, IST, shouting a pro-Bajrang Dal slogan. They entered the monastery and attacked it with lathi
s, desecrating the tabernacle and the Eucharist, the monstrance, a crucifix, the oil lamps, the vases on the altar and a few statues of saints. A couple praying in the chapel at the time were also reportedly beaten by the intruders. Two nuns were also reportedly injured. Around the same time, a group of 30 to 35 persons on motorbikes wearing masks attacked the empty CSI Church at Kodaikal
, armed with iron pipes, cricket stumps and sticks, shouting pro-Bajrang Dal slogans. Aside from damage to the buildings, windows and religious iconography, furniture, Bible
s, and other Christian literature
were damaged in various churches.
Around 8.30 pm, miscreants pelted stones at the chapel of Padua Pre-university College, a Christian college located at Nantoor
, badly damaging its windows. Around 9.30 pm, miscreants badly damaged a statue located in front of Carmelites' house in Katkere
, near Koteshwar
. The Church of St. Sebastian in Permannur
was badly damaged, including its windows and furniture. The Holy Cross Church
at Kulsekhar
and St. Joseph, The Worker Church at Vamanjoor
were also damaged. Other areas affected by the attacks include Kalkanady, Falnir
, Madyanthar
, Makodu
, Singatagere
, Jayapura
, Shaktinagar, Tokkotu
, Bantwal
, Belthangady
, Chikmagalur, Udupi, Kulur
, Kundapura
, Karkala
, Koppa
, Balehanoor
and Moodbidri. Police reports confirmed that Our Lady's grotto at Vijayamarie Technical Institute
and properties at the Infant Jesus Higher Primary School and Mary Hill Convent
were also damaged by the miscreants on the night of 14 September. Individuals were also targeted during the event; in Kulur, 2 men and 2 children were attacked by a Hindu mob near Gurupur Bridge while on their way to their hometown in a private car, and in Kalladka
, a Souza Textile owner and his wife were attacked by unidentified people.
, Bejai
, Derebail
and Tokkottu and rang bells in almost all the churches of the city, calling parishioners to their churches. In Hampankatta, hundreds of Christians united to defend the Milagres Church
. Violence broke out at the Adoration monastery as police began caning the protestors with sticks and bursting teargas shells to disperse them as they pelted stones at police vans and police. The police were reported to have caused further damage to the Adoration monastery by throwing back stones and glass bottles to restrain the protestors. Union Minister of Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes
and MLA Ramanat Rai arrived at the Hampankatta scene at 6 pm. Over 25 Christians were arrested by the police during the event, in comparison to just 5 young members of the Hindu fundamentalist group Bajrang Dal who had initiated the attacks. Four policemen and journalist Anil Jogi were reportedly injured in the Adoration incident, and three police vehicles damaged. Several of the injured were taken to Father Muller Medical College
and Wenlock District Hospital. Although three churches were attacked in neighbouring Udupi district
, it remained peaceful during the aftermath.
Many congregations gathered in their churches upon hearing news of the attacks, volunteering to spent the night there to protect them from further attacks. A new wave of attacks began in the Indian state of Orissa
after the outbreak, leading to the murder of Swami Lakshmanananda
—a radical Hindu leader, by Maoist rebels. Violence later spread to Madhya Pradesh
and Chhattisgarh
. The local Catholic leaders demanded a peaceful bandh
on 15 September in and around the city of Mangalore, and as a response Catholic traders and transport owners closed their shops and stopped their vehicles. A memorandum was submitted to the district council at 10.30 am, seeking protection for the lives and property of Christians. Prayers were to be held in all the 48 churches of the district on Wednesday, 17 September.
(BJP) government under B. S. Yeddyurappa of involvement in the attacks and backing the anti-Christian campaigns. In response to the report that the police had information, Fr. Henry Sequeira, chancellor of the diocese of Mangalore said, "If the police knew about this in advance and still could not prevent the attacks, then we have no hope." However, it was reported that Superintendent of Police N. Sateesh Kumar had made security arrangements near the New Life Prayer Centre in Kankanady and had successfully barred the miscreants from entering and vandalizing the centre at that particular location, leading to a violent conflict with the police. The police were also criticized by Christians for using excessive force in suppressing the protests and aggressively subduing Christian protesters whilst failing to punish the offending Hindu nationalist perpetrators; photographs and video footage has emerged of the beating of some of the protestors with canes.
In response to the alleged forcible conversions, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) gave a 3-month deadline for New Life Fellowship Trust (NLFT) to stop all conversion activities in Mangalore. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore declared that it would distance itself from the New Life Fellowship Trust. But this was opposed by Margaret Alva
, General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee
, presided over by Sonia Gandhi
, an Italian Catholic. She said, "Christians were a microscopic minority in India. We must put aside the differences between our various sects and come together to fight fascist forces."
spoke to Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur
and Chief Minister of Karnataka B. S. Yeddyurappa by the phone from his Delhi residence in the aftermath of the attacks on churches and Christians earlier in the day and expressed shock at the attacks. He directed the chief minister to take immediate steps to provide ample protection to religious institutions and maintain communal harmony. Some politicians such as Deve Gowda and M. P. Prakash
visited Christian institutions in the aftermath, although some have questioned their motives given that it was during the run up to the elections.
Yeddyurappa strongly denied involvement in the attacks, which he believed was a response from "some vested interest trying to tarnish the secular image of his government". He issued a statement in which he said "My government is committed to maintaining peace and harmony in the state; law and order has been top priority by my government." Former defence minister George Fernandes
wrote to Yeddyurappa urging him to restore peace and challenging radicals to prove alleged conversions.
, Tamil Nadu
, Pondicherry, Karnataka and Maharashtra
, which formed to look into the violence in Mangalore, stated that the attacks were carried out by the Bajrang Dal and the Sri Ram Sena
, a local Hindu group. They claimed in the report that the event was a "pretext by the police to let loose a savage assault on the community and its sacred institutions", and that the police "conducted themselves as activists of the Bajrang Dal and not as officers of the law, under the benign gaze of the friendly state government." The police were reported to be "more interested in interrogating the nuns than in investigating the assaults."
Retired Justice M. F. Saldanha, formerly of the Bombay High Court
, was outspoken against the protests and published a report in 2011 investigating the attacks on Christian institutions and people, written up after he visited 413 locations, examined 673 witnesses and 2,114 victims of the attacks. He described the attacks as "state-sponsored terrorism" and concluded that "the attacks and incidents which took place were instigated and pre-planned. They were not only supported by the state but were also covered up for by the state." Saldanha believes that the "communal forces" at work attacking Christian institutions are also part of an anti-Islam movement on the coastal belt of India. However, an official report of Justice B. K. Somasekhara, initiated by Yeddyurappa's BJP-led state government in Karnataka, denied any involvement of the state government and the police or cover-up in the attacks. He concluded in most cases that the district authorities and the police had taken the "appropriate steps regarding the Church and the persons including the required protection." In the case of Chikkamagaluru district, he noted that "the Government may enquire and withdraw the privileges to every persons who is indulging or getting converted in such illegal activities of conversions commercially."
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n city of Mangalore
Mangalore
Mangalore is the chief port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located about west of the state capital, Bangalore. Mangalore lies between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghat mountain ranges, and is the administrative headquarters of the Dakshina Kannada district in south western...
and the surrounding area of southern Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
in September 2008 by the Hindu nationalist organization Bajrang Dal
Bajrang Dal
The Bajrang Dal , a hardline and militant Hindu organization in India, is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and is based on the ideology of Hindutva. Founded on 1 October 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, India, it has since spread throughout India...
and the Sri Ram Sena
Sri Ram Sena
The Sri Ram Sena is a right-wing Hindu extremist group founded in the late 1960s by Kalki Ji Maharaj right hand Bal Thackeray, a former leader of the Shiv Sena, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad. Kalki Ji Maharaj is a devotee of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna was born in Vrindavan U.P....
. The attacks were widely perceived by Christians in southern Karnataka to be punishment from right-wing Hindu nationalist organisations because they had been outspoken about Christian persecution in Orissa, and also because the New Life Fellowship Trust
New Life Fellowship Association
New Life Fellowship Association, commonly known as New Life Fellowship , is a group of neocharismatic, Evangelical, Christian Churches primarily located in India....
(NLFT), a non-denominational Christian Church, was alleged by Bajrang Dal to be indulging in forced conversions of Hindus to Christianity.
The attacks began on 14 September 2008 when a group of youths from the Bajrang Dal, went inside the chapel of Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare
Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare
Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare is a Christian monastery in Hampankatta, Mangalore, Karnataka, India, near Milagres Church. On 14 September 2008 the 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka broke out here, quickly followed by some 13 others within one hour...
near the Milagres Church
Milagres Church
The Milagres Church is a historic Roman Catholic Church situated in the Hampankatta locality of Mangalore. The church was built in 1680 by Bishop Thomas de Castro, a Theatine from Divar, Goa. The original structure was constructed at the site of the present-day cemetery...
in Hampankatta
Hampankatta
Hampankatta is the heart of Mangalore city in Karnataka. Most of the public utilities are located here. This used be the most buzzing commercial area in the city. However nowadays, M G Road, Lalbagh have become the favorurite place for people to spend time....
and desecrated it. Some 20 churches or prayer halls, including Catholic and Protestant churches and temples belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses and evangelical sects and colleges were damaged in towns and villages in the Mangalore area and other parts of Dakshina Kannada district, Udupi district
Udupi district
Udupi district , ಉಡುಪಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ) in the Karnataka state of India was created in August 1997. The three northern taluks, Udupi, Kundapur and Karkal, were separated from Dakshina Kannada District to form Udupi district. Udupi district is surrounded by Uttara Kannada district in north, Dakshina Kannada...
and Chikkamagaluru district. After the outbreak in Karnataka, a new wave of anti-Christian attacks began in the Indian states of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
. Out of frustration and anger, the Christian community responded to the attacks and began protesting, leading to strong police suppression. The incident marked the first time that Catholics had ever resorted to violence in Mangalore when provoked.
The September 2008 attacks had political significance, given that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP) government under B. S. Yeddyurappa was also accused of involvement and backing the anti-Christian campaigns and that the police were reported to have had knowledge of the imminent attacks but failed to prevent them. The police were criticized for their reaction to the protests and a report by a committee of human rights activists set up in the aftermath to examine the causes of the attacks claimed that they had used the event as a pretext to assault the community, rather than defend it. Justice B. K. Somasekhara of Karnataka, however, concluded that the police and government helped maintain order and were not responsible for the attacks. In response to the alleged forcible conversions of involvement, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) gave a 3-month deadline for New Life Fellowship Trust (NLFT) to stop all conversion activities in Mangalore. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore declared that it would distance itself from the New Life Fellowship Trust.
In February 2011, retired Justice M. F. Saldanha, formerly of the Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court at Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the High Court of India with jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra & Goa, and, the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli...
, was outspoken against the protests and published a report in which he described the attacks as "state-sponsored terrorism" and that the attacks were part of "communal forces" at work attacking Christian institutions on the coastal belt of India. The report and continued denial by the state government of being implicated in the attacks led to more than 100,000 Christians representing some 45 Christian denominations and secular organizations leading a silent march in Mangalore on 21 February.
Background and cause
Mangalore has long been a major Christian centre in India. Portuguese Viceroy António de Noronha captured Mangalore and built a fort there between 1564 and 1568 and Christianity spread. Many Christians also came to Mangalore from GoaGoa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
. In 1722, 24,000 Catholics were reported to be living in the area. The Roman Catholic community of Mangalore was persecuted by Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan
Tipu Sultan , also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the son of Hyder Ali, at that time an officer in the Mysorean army, and his second wife, Fatima or Fakhr-un-Nissa...
during his reign between 1782 to 1799 and many were forcibly converted to Islam. On 24 February 1784, Tipu rounded up 60,000–80,000 Catholics and transported them to Seringapatam
Srirangapatna
Srirangapatna is a town in Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka...
. They were held there in captivity
Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam
The Captivity of Mangalorean Catholics at Seringapatam was a 15-year imprisonment of Mangalorean Catholics and other Christians at Seringapatam in the Indian region of Canara by Tipu Sultan, the de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore...
for 15 years, until Tipu was killed by the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
at the Battle of Seringapatam
Battle of Seringapatam
The Siege of Seringapatam was the final confrontation of the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Mysore. The British achieved a decisive victory after breaching the walls of the fortress at Seringapatam and storming the citadel. Tippu Sultan, Mysore's...
on 4 May 1799. Only 15,000–20,000 of those Catholics taken captive in 1784 survived. In the latter half of the 19th century, Protestant missionaries worked in Mangalore and surrounding communities and the Vicariate of Mangalore was established in 1853. Mangalore, noted for its number of churches and the strong representation of Catholics, was at one time known as the "Rome of the East". However it is also noted as a pilgrimage centre for Hindus, given its many Hindu temples and shrines. Between 1991 and 2011, the percentage of Christians living in India reportedly dropped from 2.7 percent to 2.2 percent, a declining figure which has been linked to ongoing difficulties facing Christians in a predominantly Hindu nation. In 2008, there were reported to be a population of 320,300 Christians living in the Dakshina Kannada district area.
Several explanations of the cause of the September 2008 attacks have been postulated. Many Christians believed that the attacks were a direct response from right-wing Hindu organizations who were targeting the people of Mangalore and the surrounding area, because they had been outspoken about Christian persecution in Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. St. Aloysius College
St. Aloysius College (Mangalore)
St. Aloysius College is a Jesuit college in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. It is situated on a campus atop Light House Hill, overlooking the Arabian Sea....
, a Jesuit institution in Mangalore, and other Christian schools went on strike for varying periods between 29 August and the 5 September prior to the attacks, protesting against the events in Orissa, contrary to the orders of the government who stated that it was to be a regular work day. Primary and secondary education minister Vishweshwara Hegde, responding to the shutting down of the Christian educational institutions in Karnataka, had directed the public education department to issue showcause notices to schools that had objected to the violence against Christians in Orissa. A Christian institution in Shimoga, Karnataka had reportedly received a notice from the education ministry of Karnataka during the strike saying, "The VHP and Bajrang Dal have conducted a protest against the closure of schools and criticised your action. They have submitted letters requesting action against you for this. In this context, you are asked to show cause as to why action should not be initiated against you for using religion as an excuse to announce a holiday and as to why permission to run your institution should not be withdrawn." State Home Minister V.S. Acharya explained the reason for the notices, "All Christian institutions are grant-in-aid institutions of the government and they should have had the courtesy to inform us before declaring a holiday. Their decision to act unilaterally cannot be tolerated." Bajrang Dal proponents protested with banners outside the St. Aloysius College gates and across Mangalore on Saturday 31 August, the day after the college had closed for a holiday, chanting slogans such as, "Jai Mata Di" (Hail Mother) and "Bharat Mata ki jai" (Hail Mother India). It should be noted, however, that the closing of the schools in Mangalore were not alone; some 45,000 institutions across India had participated on 29 August in a "prayer for peace and communal harmony" in response to the events in Orissa.
Another explanation is that the attacks were an angry response by Bajrang Dal over the allegations that the New Life Fellowship Trust
New Life Fellowship Association
New Life Fellowship Association, commonly known as New Life Fellowship , is a group of neocharismatic, Evangelical, Christian Churches primarily located in India....
were indulging in forceful religious conversion of Hindus and distribution of vulgar literature about Hindu gods and goddesses. In the book Satyadarshini, it was also reported that the New Life Fellowship Trust had denigrated and defamed Hindu gods.
Attacks
The premeditated attacks started on 14 September 2008, with some 20 churches attacked in Karnataka. According to CNN-IBN, 14 churches were attacked within one hour. These included Catholic and Protestant churches as well as temples belonging to the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the New Life Fellowship Trust. The attacks began when a group of some 15 youths on motorbikes from the Bajrang DalBajrang Dal
The Bajrang Dal , a hardline and militant Hindu organization in India, is the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and is based on the ideology of Hindutva. Founded on 1 October 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, India, it has since spread throughout India...
, a Hindu nationalist organization which aims to achieve the "reversing of the invasions by Muslim conquerors and British imperialism", arrived at the chapel of Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare
Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare
Adoration Monastery of the Sisters of St-Clare is a Christian monastery in Hampankatta, Mangalore, Karnataka, India, near Milagres Church. On 14 September 2008 the 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka broke out here, quickly followed by some 13 others within one hour...
in Hampankatta
Hampankatta
Hampankatta is the heart of Mangalore city in Karnataka. Most of the public utilities are located here. This used be the most buzzing commercial area in the city. However nowadays, M G Road, Lalbagh have become the favorurite place for people to spend time....
around 10.15 am, IST, shouting a pro-Bajrang Dal slogan. They entered the monastery and attacked it with lathi
Lathi
Lathi means stick and also refers to an Indian martial art based on cane-fighting. The word is used in Hindi, Bengali and various other Indian languages. The lathi typically measures 6 to and may be tipped with metal. It commonly used as a crowd control device by the Indian Police and other South...
s, desecrating the tabernacle and the Eucharist, the monstrance, a crucifix, the oil lamps, the vases on the altar and a few statues of saints. A couple praying in the chapel at the time were also reportedly beaten by the intruders. Two nuns were also reportedly injured. Around the same time, a group of 30 to 35 persons on motorbikes wearing masks attacked the empty CSI Church at Kodaikal
Kodaikal
Kodaikal is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
, armed with iron pipes, cricket stumps and sticks, shouting pro-Bajrang Dal slogans. Aside from damage to the buildings, windows and religious iconography, furniture, Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
s, and other Christian literature
Christian literature
Christian Literature is writing that deals with Christian themes and incorporates the Christian world view. This constitutes a huge body of extremely varied writing.-Scripture:...
were damaged in various churches.
Around 8.30 pm, miscreants pelted stones at the chapel of Padua Pre-university College, a Christian college located at Nantoor
Nantoor
Nantoor is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
, badly damaging its windows. Around 9.30 pm, miscreants badly damaged a statue located in front of Carmelites' house in Katkere
Katkere
Katkere is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
, near Koteshwar
Koteshwara
Koteshwara, sometimes transcribed Koteshwar, is a village in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located in Kundapura taluk of Udupi district. As of 2007 21,100 people lived in the village....
. The Church of St. Sebastian in Permannur
Permannur
Permannur is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
was badly damaged, including its windows and furniture. The Holy Cross Church
Holy Cross Church, Cordel
The Holy Cross Church is a Roman Catholic church situated at Cordel in the Kulshekar locality of Mangalore. It caters to nearly 6,500 people distributed in 32 Varados . Although the church was not yet built then, the French missionary, Fr. Jean-Antoine Dubois served as the first parish priest of...
at Kulsekhar
Kulsekhar
Kulsekhar is a village in Karnataka, India. Its Holy Cross Church was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
and St. Joseph, The Worker Church at Vamanjoor
Vamanjoor
Vamanjoor is a small town which falls within the city corporation of Mangalore in Karnataka, India, it is located 15 km away from Mangalore city. It is en route to Moodabidri and Karkala by National Highway # 13.-Vamanjoor in Detail:...
were also damaged. Other areas affected by the attacks include Kalkanady, Falnir
Falnir
Falnir is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka....
, Madyanthar
Madyanthar
Madyanthar is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka....
, Makodu
Makodu
Makodu is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka....
, Singatagere
Singatagere
Singatagere is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka....
, Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
, Shaktinagar, Tokkotu
Tokkotu
Tokkotu or Tokkotu is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
, Bantwal
Bantwal
Bantwal is a taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka, India. It is also a town by the same name. The adjacent township of B.C.Road serves as the commercial center.- History :...
, Belthangady
Belthangady
Belthangady is the headquarters of Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state in India. Belthangady taluk is mostly covered by forests. Western ghats provide scenic beauty, especially during the monsoon season that usually lasts from the month of June to September...
, Chikmagalur, Udupi, Kulur
Kulur
Kulur or Koloor is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
, Kundapura
Kundapura
-Languages and culture :The town mainly consists of Kannadigas who speak Kundagannada, Konkanis and Tuluvas. The Goud Saraswat Brahmins who fled Goa during the Portuguese arrival in the 16th century arrived by Boat in Basrur and some settled in Kundapura and surrounding villages. These people and...
, Karkala
Karkala
Karkala is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 380 km from Bangalore, it lies near the Western Ghats....
, Koppa
Koppa, India
Koppa is a panchayat town in Chikmagalur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The town is famous for coffee and Tea estates. Arabica and Robusta varieties of coffee are grown here.. Koppa encovers 22 Gram Panchayats, one Town Panchayat and 3 Hobilis. Megunda Hobili is famous for Coffee. A no...
, Balehanoor
Balehanoor
Balehanoor is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
and Moodbidri. Police reports confirmed that Our Lady's grotto at Vijayamarie Technical Institute
Vijayamarie Technical Institute
Vijayamarie Technical Institute is a school in Karnataka. It affected by the 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka in September 2008....
and properties at the Infant Jesus Higher Primary School and Mary Hill Convent
Mary Hill Convent
Mary Hill Convent is a convent in Karnataka. It affected by the 2008 attacks on Christians in southern Karnataka in September 2008....
were also damaged by the miscreants on the night of 14 September. Individuals were also targeted during the event; in Kulur, 2 men and 2 children were attacked by a Hindu mob near Gurupur Bridge while on their way to their hometown in a private car, and in Kalladka
Kalladka
Kalladka is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
, a Souza Textile owner and his wife were attacked by unidentified people.
Christian protests
In response to the attacks in areas such as Hampankatta, Shaktinagar, Vamanjoor, Tokkotu and Bantwal, the Christian community began protesting. The protestors blocked arterial city roads in their masses, especially in places such as Hampankatta, KulshekarKulshekar
Kulshekar is a locality in Mangalore, Karnataka, India. The famous Holy Cross Church is located in the Cordel suburb of Kulshekar.-External links:*...
, Bejai
Bejai
Bejai is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
, Derebail
Derebail
Derebail is a village in Karnataka, India. It was affected by the September 2008 attacks on Christians in Mangalore....
and Tokkottu and rang bells in almost all the churches of the city, calling parishioners to their churches. In Hampankatta, hundreds of Christians united to defend the Milagres Church
Milagres Church
The Milagres Church is a historic Roman Catholic Church situated in the Hampankatta locality of Mangalore. The church was built in 1680 by Bishop Thomas de Castro, a Theatine from Divar, Goa. The original structure was constructed at the site of the present-day cemetery...
. Violence broke out at the Adoration monastery as police began caning the protestors with sticks and bursting teargas shells to disperse them as they pelted stones at police vans and police. The police were reported to have caused further damage to the Adoration monastery by throwing back stones and glass bottles to restrain the protestors. Union Minister of Labour and Employment Oscar Fernandes
Oscar Fernandes
Oscar Fernandes is an India politician, a senior Indian National Congress leader and AICC General Secretary. He was the Minister of State of the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Dr. Manmohan Singh's first UPA government in India. He was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha in 1980 from Udupi...
and MLA Ramanat Rai arrived at the Hampankatta scene at 6 pm. Over 25 Christians were arrested by the police during the event, in comparison to just 5 young members of the Hindu fundamentalist group Bajrang Dal who had initiated the attacks. Four policemen and journalist Anil Jogi were reportedly injured in the Adoration incident, and three police vehicles damaged. Several of the injured were taken to Father Muller Medical College
Father Muller Medical College
Father Muller Medical College, located about a kilometre from the National Highway-17 at Kankanady in Mangalore, is a religious minority educational institution forming a part of Fr. Muller's Charitable Institutions...
and Wenlock District Hospital. Although three churches were attacked in neighbouring Udupi district
Udupi district
Udupi district , ಉಡುಪಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆ) in the Karnataka state of India was created in August 1997. The three northern taluks, Udupi, Kundapur and Karkal, were separated from Dakshina Kannada District to form Udupi district. Udupi district is surrounded by Uttara Kannada district in north, Dakshina Kannada...
, it remained peaceful during the aftermath.
Many congregations gathered in their churches upon hearing news of the attacks, volunteering to spent the night there to protect them from further attacks. A new wave of attacks began in the Indian state of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
after the outbreak, leading to the murder of Swami Lakshmanananda
Murder of Swami Lakshmanananda
Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and four others were murdered in August 2008 in the Orissa state of India. Swami Lakshmanananda was a Hindu monk and a highly revered spiritual leader who lived a life dedicated to tribal welfare...
—a radical Hindu leader, by Maoist rebels. Violence later spread to Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
. The local Catholic leaders demanded a peaceful bandh
Bandh
Bandh , originally a Hindi word meaning 'closed', is a form of protest used by political activists in some countries like India and Nepal. During a Bandh, a political party or a community declares a general strike....
on 15 September in and around the city of Mangalore, and as a response Catholic traders and transport owners closed their shops and stopped their vehicles. A memorandum was submitted to the district council at 10.30 am, seeking protection for the lives and property of Christians. Prayers were to be held in all the 48 churches of the district on Wednesday, 17 September.
Criticism of the government and police
The Christian community of Mangalore accused the police of doing nothing to prevent attacks by Hindu radicals. Mangalore Police Superintendent N. Sateesh Kumar himself reportedly admitted that the police did have information that pro-Hindu organisations were planning to attack Christian places of worship in the district but failed to do anything about it. The Christian community accused the Bharatiya Janata PartyBharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP) government under B. S. Yeddyurappa of involvement in the attacks and backing the anti-Christian campaigns. In response to the report that the police had information, Fr. Henry Sequeira, chancellor of the diocese of Mangalore said, "If the police knew about this in advance and still could not prevent the attacks, then we have no hope." However, it was reported that Superintendent of Police N. Sateesh Kumar had made security arrangements near the New Life Prayer Centre in Kankanady and had successfully barred the miscreants from entering and vandalizing the centre at that particular location, leading to a violent conflict with the police. The police were also criticized by Christians for using excessive force in suppressing the protests and aggressively subduing Christian protesters whilst failing to punish the offending Hindu nationalist perpetrators; photographs and video footage has emerged of the beating of some of the protestors with canes.
The religious establishment
Bishop of Mangalore Diocese Aloysius Paul D’Souza stated that Christians were “deeply hurt” over the desecration of the Holy Cross and Sacred Sacrament in the Adoration monastery and said that the "Catholic Church does not believe in forceful religious conversion." Fr. William Menezes, the public relations officer of the diocese, said: "After consulting various leaders and based on the assurance given by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, district in-charge Minister Krishna Palemar, the police and district administration, we hereby appeal to our community to stop agitation immediately to maintain peace." Fr. Prashant Madtha, former principal of St Aloysius College said in response to the attacks and resultant protests, "The retaliation from the Christian community you saw was happening for the very first time in the history of the state. It was not the correct response, I condemn it, but then our youth have started imitating the enemy. There is a lot of fear. We don't know when the stones will rain on our roofs. We are even scared to talk." Mahendra Kumar, one of the leaders of the Hindu militant youth organisation, denied that any Catholic churches were attacked by his group but accepted responsibility for the attacks on prayer halls belonging to the New Life Fellowship Trust.In response to the alleged forcible conversions, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) gave a 3-month deadline for New Life Fellowship Trust (NLFT) to stop all conversion activities in Mangalore. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore declared that it would distance itself from the New Life Fellowship Trust. But this was opposed by Margaret Alva
Margaret Alva
Margaret Alva is the Governor of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Alva became Uttarakhand's first woman governor in July 2009...
, General Secretary of the All India Congress Committee
All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee is the Presidium or central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress Party. It is composed of members elected from State-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousand members...
, presided over by Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi
Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician and the President of the Indian National Congress, one of the major political parties of India. She is the widow of former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi...
, an Italian Catholic. She said, "Christians were a microscopic minority in India. We must put aside the differences between our various sects and come together to fight fascist forces."
Political response and investigation
Government action
Prime Minister Manmohan SinghManmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
spoke to Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur
Rameshwar Thakur
Shri Rameshwar Thakur , a senior Indian National Congress politician and former union minister of India, is the former Governor of Madhya Pradesh from 2009 to 2011 and a former Governor of Orissa from 2004 to 2006, Andhra Pradesh from 2006 to 2007 and Karnataka from 2007 to 2009. He is a chartered...
and Chief Minister of Karnataka B. S. Yeddyurappa by the phone from his Delhi residence in the aftermath of the attacks on churches and Christians earlier in the day and expressed shock at the attacks. He directed the chief minister to take immediate steps to provide ample protection to religious institutions and maintain communal harmony. Some politicians such as Deve Gowda and M. P. Prakash
M.P. Prakash
Matada Patil Prakash, born on July 11, 1940 at Vallabhapura, Hagari Bommanahalli Taluk, Bellary District was an Indian politician. He served the Government of Karnataka as its Deputy Chief Minister. A highly respected leader known for his simplicity and integrity, Prakash was also a theatre...
visited Christian institutions in the aftermath, although some have questioned their motives given that it was during the run up to the elections.
Yeddyurappa strongly denied involvement in the attacks, which he believed was a response from "some vested interest trying to tarnish the secular image of his government". He issued a statement in which he said "My government is committed to maintaining peace and harmony in the state; law and order has been top priority by my government." Former defence minister George Fernandes
George Fernandes
George Mathew Fernandes is an Indian trade unionist, politician, journalist, agriculturist, and member of Rajya Sabha from Bihar. He is a key member of the Janata Dal , and was the founder of the Samata Party...
wrote to Yeddyurappa urging him to restore peace and challenging radicals to prove alleged conversions.
Reports of state and police misconduct and denial
A report by a committee, composed of some 17 human rights activists from Orissa, Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, Pondicherry, Karnataka and Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, which formed to look into the violence in Mangalore, stated that the attacks were carried out by the Bajrang Dal and the Sri Ram Sena
Sri Ram Sena
The Sri Ram Sena is a right-wing Hindu extremist group founded in the late 1960s by Kalki Ji Maharaj right hand Bal Thackeray, a former leader of the Shiv Sena, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishva Hindu Parishad. Kalki Ji Maharaj is a devotee of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna was born in Vrindavan U.P....
, a local Hindu group. They claimed in the report that the event was a "pretext by the police to let loose a savage assault on the community and its sacred institutions", and that the police "conducted themselves as activists of the Bajrang Dal and not as officers of the law, under the benign gaze of the friendly state government." The police were reported to be "more interested in interrogating the nuns than in investigating the assaults."
Retired Justice M. F. Saldanha, formerly of the Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court
Bombay High Court at Mumbai, Maharashtra, is the High Court of India with jurisdiction over the states of Maharashtra & Goa, and, the Union Territories of Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli...
, was outspoken against the protests and published a report in 2011 investigating the attacks on Christian institutions and people, written up after he visited 413 locations, examined 673 witnesses and 2,114 victims of the attacks. He described the attacks as "state-sponsored terrorism" and concluded that "the attacks and incidents which took place were instigated and pre-planned. They were not only supported by the state but were also covered up for by the state." Saldanha believes that the "communal forces" at work attacking Christian institutions are also part of an anti-Islam movement on the coastal belt of India. However, an official report of Justice B. K. Somasekhara, initiated by Yeddyurappa's BJP-led state government in Karnataka, denied any involvement of the state government and the police or cover-up in the attacks. He concluded in most cases that the district authorities and the police had taken the "appropriate steps regarding the Church and the persons including the required protection." In the case of Chikkamagaluru district, he noted that "the Government may enquire and withdraw the privileges to every persons who is indulging or getting converted in such illegal activities of conversions commercially."
2011 protest
On 20 February 2011, following the publication of Saldanha's and Somasekhara's contradictory reports on the attacks on churches, more than 100,000 Christians representing some 45 Christian denominations and secular organizations gathered in Mangalore to protest. The protest rally was "organized against a backdrop of an apparent whitewash by the B. K. Somasekhara Commission concerning Hindu radicals and government agencies." The protesters tied black cloths over their mouths and carried black flags as they walked silently for about a kilometre in one of the strongest Christian areas of the city. George Castelino, a Catholic lay leader who guided the march, stated that the black "symbolized that the action of the government and its commission have silenced Christians." Reverend Alwyn Culaso of the Full Gospel Church said that "This is a sea of Christianity that is wounded by the attacks on the churches by the fundamental groups. The government should look at the faith and patience of these people and give justice."See also
- Anti-Christian violence in IndiaAnti-Christian violence in IndiaAnti-Christian violence in India refers to religiously-motivated violence against Christians in India, usually perpetrated by Hindu nationalists.The acts of violence include arson of churches, re-conversion of Christians to Hinduism by force and threats of physical violence, distribution of...
- Anti-Christian violence in KarnatakaAnti-Christian violence in KarnatakaThe Anti-Christian violence in Karnataka in 2008 was a wave of attacks directed against Christian churches and prayer halls in Karnataka by the Bajrang Dal.- Background:...
- Religious violence in Orissa
External links
- Justice Michael Saldanha's Report on Church Attacks
- CNN report on youtube.com
- Eyewitness video on youtube.com
- Fractures between India's Hindus and Christians (04 October 2008), Al Jazeera English on youtube.com
- Indian Christians accuse police of 'taking sides' (05 October 2008), Al Jazeera English on youtube.com