Mob attack on Nashik Christian gathering

Mob attack on Nashik Christian gathering
RAKSHIT SONAWANE

ABHONA (NASHIK) MAY 10: A mob of about 100 people attacked a gathering of tribal Christians watching a film on Jesus Christ at Abhona (about 60 km from Nashik) on Tuesday night, injuring two persons, setting fire to four vehicles and trashing away Christian literature. The police have picked up 33 persons, mainly local students in connection with the incident.

Ashok Abraham Budha, who reported the matter to the police told The Indian Express that the three-day, 45th annual convention of the Evangelical Alliance Christian Church and Nashik District Church Council (NDCC) was in progress in the under-construction premises of the NDCC's new hostel for girls. The conference had started off on Monday in a shamiana on the premises. Tuesday night, after a religious discourse by Dr Mohan Ram and dinner, a full-length film in Marathi entitled ``Jesus'' was being screened for the 60 to 65 delegates to the convention. The film started around 9.00 pm and at 10.30, the mob entered the spot shouting slogans such as ``Jai Hanuman" , ``Jai Shivaji'' and ``Jai Bhavani''.

They pelted stones, broke tubelights and attacked the members of the audience with sticks and pipes. Two persons, Ambadas Chaudhari and Rajani Ashok Budha, were injured in the attack. They were treated at a private hospital and discharged today.

Ambadas Chaudhari, who was injured in the attack said that the mob set fire to three motorcycles. The agitators then shattered the glasses and attempted to set fire to the ``Bookmobile'' (an Eicher mini bus - MH 12 AQ 1128) of the Rural Literature District Division, Pune. The unit chief of the bookmobile, Rev K P Ranashing, said that the mob threw away the books and cassettes and set fire to the screen on which the film was being shown. He said that his unit had arrived in Abhona on Monday from Nashik for exhibiting the religious literature. According to the driver of the Bookmobile William Pawar and projector operator George Massey, the mob comprised youngsters most of who were in an inebriated state.

No organisation has yet claimed responsibility for the attack but police suspect the hand of the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad which have been targeting Christian missionaries in the last two years.

Abhona, however, spent a tense day today by observing a spontaneous bandh against the arrest ``wrongful'' arrest of college students in connection with the incident. Local leaders said no oranisation or party had given the bandh call. The bandh was being observed in protest against the arrest of college and school-going boys for the riot, they said.

The NDCC has been running a hostel for primary school girls. It is now housed in rented premises. About 60 girls (mostly non-Christians, according to Ashok Abraham) are lodged there. The institution has started constructing a new hostel on the outskirts of Abhona for shifting the hostel.