Alarmed at the very large number of incidents of violence against the Christian community in India in 2017, and especially in Madhya Pradesh, religious leaders of the Hindu, Muslim and other religions have come out strongly in support of the minority community, demanding that the Government take strict and urgent action against the groups responsible for such mayhem.
Under the banner of All India Catholic Union (AICU) Acharya Sushil Goswami and Indore Shahar Quazi Mohammad Ishrat Ali led a galaxy of religious leaders of Madhya Pradesh who spoke out against communal and extremist forces targeting the Christian and other minority groups.
The occasion was a seminar organised by the 99-year-old AICU in Indore as part of its working committee meeting. Indore Archbishop Chacko Thottumarickal and Acharya Sushil later ratified a memorandum to be submitted to the State governor, chief minister and home minister, expressing concern that the state had seen 25 serious incidents of violence last year, Goswami said.
The memorandum listed the incidents which include detaining of young children in the pretext of curbing conversions, assault on individual and mall prayer meetings, the attack on a Carol singing group during the Christmas season, and the growing involvement of the police and officials at various levels in such actions.