Agitated with the attack on their institutions, the members of the Christian community will hold a protest here against the recent vandalisation of St. Mary’s church in Agra on Thursday. t would be for the first time that all the Christian Missionary schools of lucknow would also remain closed in protest of the attack on St Mary’s Church besides they will also take out a march in the city to mark the occasion, on Thursday.
The dharna would be held at Gandhi pratima at the GPO from 10ams to 4pm and then the protesters will march to cathedral church at Hazratganj and will hand over a memoradum to the Chief Minister. Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Masihi Association Secretary, R K Chattree, the organisation holding the protest, said here that such incidents create a sense of psychosis in the minds of Christians. “The decision to observe a one-day protest was taken during a meeting of bishops, senior pastors and key religious leaders from other minority communities,” he added.
Chattree, principal of the Christ Church College in the state capital, told media persons here on Wednesday afternoon that it would be for the first time that such protest would be organised by the community. Though the incidents of gang rape of a nun in West Bengal and then attack on the Agra church had happened, the state authorities are not concerned with it and they are yet to arrest the culprits,” he said, adding that the community only wants security and nothing else.
He said that the community leaders have met all the higher-ups in the state as well as the Centre, but till now nothing has been taken care off. “ We apprehend that some communal minded miscreants are trying to create fear to gain publicity by such attacks,” he said. Chattree said that even after the lucknow protest, the authorities keep mum , then they will hold similar protests at the state and National level.
Earlier the meeting of the christian community resolved that while attacks on Churches was a serious matter that could not be ignored, it felt the need for Christians to take care of their properties. Meanwhile, the christians in the Taj city of Agra continue to agitate over the ransacking of the church for the sixth day on Wednesday. Miscreants had vandalised four statues of Mother Mary at St Mary’s Church compound in Agra besides breaking windowpanes of the car parked in the church courtyard on Thursday last.
The community people are holding peace prayers at the church and taking out candle march every day. All the priests of churches in Agra also assembled at St. Mary’s church for a special prayer on Wednesday evening, headed by Diosese of Agra Bishop Dr. P P Habil. It may be mentioned that even after rounding up around 500 people, Agra police are yet to track the culprits and they are clueless over the incident. Now the St. Mary’s church is making an iron cage to put the new statues of Mother Mary so that in future no one can vandalise it.