Kochi: In a strongly worded statement, the Media Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church has issued a searing condemnation of the brutal attack on Keralite Catholic priests and nuns by members of the Sangh Parivar-affiliated Bajrang Dal in Odisha’s Jaleswar district. The Church has not only demanded immediate justice for the victims but also called on the Central Government to end the ongoing persecution of Christians across BJP-ruled states.
The incident occurred around 5 PM on August 6 in Gangadhar village, where two priests, Fr. Lijo Nirappel and Fr. V. Jojo of the Balasore Diocese, along with two nuns and several mission workers, had arrived to offer an evening mass for a deceased member at the local mission church. As they were returning, around 70 Bajrang Dal members allegedly ambushed them, accusing them of religious conversion.
The attackers brutally assaulted the priests, damaged their vehicles, and confiscated their mobile phones. Eyewitnesses say the assailants shouted communal slogans, including: “Remember, Odisha is ruled by the BJP. Christians are not allowed here. You will not be allowed to work here.”
In a public response, Fr. Tom Olikarot, PRO of the Syro-Malabar Church, decried the inaction of the police, stating that although authorities arrived on the scene, they refused to register a First Information Report (FIR) a move that he claims is a clear sign of communal control over the legal machinery in the region.
“The fact that the police refused to register a case, despite the severity of the crime, reveals how the legal system is being held hostage by extremist forces,” Fr. Olikarot said.
He added that this is not an isolated incident, referencing similar attacks on Christian communities in Chhattisgarh and other BJP-ruled states, where Parivar organizations have been emboldened by governmental apathy.
“The silence and inaction of the government are giving these groups the courage to trample on the Constitution, violate basic human rights, and target minorities with impunity,” the Church’s statement said.
The Syro-Malabar Church warned that the current climate of religious intolerance is eroding the secular fabric of India. It called upon the Central Government to immediately intervene, uphold constitutional values, and ensure that Christians across the country can live, work, and worship without fear.
This forceful stand by the Syro-Malabar Church adds to the growing chorus of national and international concern over rising hate crimes against Christians in India. The Church’s demand is not only for justice in one case but for a broader reckoning with the systematic targeting of minorities in the name of nationalism.
“If India is to remain a democratic and secular nation, then these assaults on freedom of religion and human dignity must be stopped now,” Fr. Olikarot concluded.