Members of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, a hard-line Hindu party, vandalised a Catholic School in Kolhapur, Maharashtra.

The Holy Cross High School for girls, in Nagala Park, is run by Holy Cross Sisters. The school principal reports that the pupils who, along with the teachers were witnesses to the attack, are in a state of shock.

The vandalism “is shocking in itself but is also indicative of the more strident confrontation that fundamentalist groups plan for religious minorities in the run up to the general elections,” said John Dayal, general secretary of the All India Christian Council. The attack by the “youth wing of the Shiv Sena, which is an ally of the ruling BJP, is a matter of grave concern,” he told AsiaNews.

The incident took place on January 22 around 1.30 pm (local time), during class time. School principal Sr Bharati told Indian Catholic Matters that about 20 activists forced their way into the school shouting slogans against the school management. They ransacked the office, breaking windows and damaging religious items, including the cross and the statue of Our Lady.

“They complained about the fees and started abusing me and the staff,” Sr Bharati said. “When I asked them to stay calm and offered to discuss the issue peacefully, they started breaking the office furniture and the glass windows.”

In the evening a complaint was filed with the police. Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh said that two people were arrested whilst another 18 are on the run. The police also deployed some agents to protect the school, which is closed for now.

“Ours is a school for girls,” Sr Bharati explained. “The attack was so sudden and heinous, that the students from the lower classes were trembling with fear and are still in the state of shock. It was a traumatic situation and we could do nothing except watch the act of vandalism.”

The Hindu Jagran Manch, a Hindu right-wing group, claimed that 98 Christians belonging to 23 tribal families were “reconverted” to Hinduism in Tripura.

The people, mostly tea garden workers hailing from Bihar and Jharkhand, had been converted to Christianity in 2010, Tripura unit president of the Hindu Jagran Manch Uttam Dey said.

“This is like a return of lost family members to their own home. They were Hindus, but were lured into Christianity after the Sonamukhi tea garden in Unakoti district, where they were working, was closed in 2010,” Dey told reporters. He said most of converted persons belong to Orao and Munda tribal communities.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) was also associated with the reconversion programme that took place here in Kailashahar district, around 180 km from State capital Agartala, on Jan 20.

VHP Unakoti district secretary Madan Mohan Goswami said it was ‘Ghar Vapsi’ for the people.

Birsa Munda, one of the reconverted, claimed that they were lured towards Christianity but later treated badly by those who had convinced them to convert.

Interior Minister Rajnath Singh expressed concern over mass conversions in the country and called for a national debate on the issue. Speaking at a meeting organized by Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh, a Christian group, he clarified that mass conversions must be controlled.

In the meeting, held in New Delhi on January 15, the minister said he supported the freedom to follow any religion, but to have the opinion that a debate is necessary as mass conversions are a matter of concern for any country. “If someone turns alone to a religion, there should be no objections, but mass conversions are a matter of concern for any country. If you are Hindu, be Hindu, if Muslim be Muslim, if Christian be Christian. Why – he asked – do you want to convert the whole world?”

As for the government, he said, there will be no discrimination against anyone. “In my life, I have never discriminated against caste, creed and religion. Whether we get less votes, whether we form the government or not, whether we win or lose, we will never discriminate between people. This is what our Prime Minister thinks.” Singh, he added, can not be in power and govern without love. “You can only govern with love, there is no other way.” (see Focus)

A retired judge from India’s Supreme Court says the upcoming Vatican summit on clerical abuse is “very important” and the Catholic Church has an obligation to hold a “correct moral perspective.”

Justice Kurian Joseph, who is Catholic, spoke to Crux in Mumbai on Jan. 17.

Pope Francis has called the heads of all the bishops’ conferences around the world to the Feb. 21-24 gathering, the first such global meeting on abuse.

“This summit is very important, from a legal and human rights perspective, but also from the moral perspective,” Joseph said.

“The Catholic Church must be recognized for her moral authority and integrity and this anti-abuse summit will play a fundamental role in the Catholic Church’s moral authority,” he continued.

“The Catholic Church has an obligation to instruct the world on correct moral perspective on these issues,” the retired judge said.

Joseph said the government and civil society have their own role to play in tackling abuse, but the Church has the duty to address the “moral perspective” of the issue. Mumbai’s archbishop, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, is a member of the organizing committee for the summit.