New Delhi, March 26, 2010: On March 25, a Roman Catholic school in Faridabad was attacked and, separately, a pastor and his companion were beaten by Sangh Parivar activists in Ekta Vihar, Ghaziabad. Police are investigating both incidents.

About 20 to 25 people attacked a Christian school at Faridabad – an industrial city in the National Capital Region – on March 25th morning. They threatened to burn the school building and “make it like Kandhamal in Orissa”. A fact finding team including All India Christian Council (AICC) leaders from Delhi rushed to the spot and met the Commissioner of Police of Faridabad. No action has been taken against the culprits.

The incident happened between 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Sister Pushpa, the Principal of Carmel Convent School, Sector 7D, Faridabad, said, “Today was the day we announce exam results. Parents, numbering 20 – 25, illegally and forcefully intruded into my office and assaulted Shri I.S. Wadhwa, member of the managing committee of the school. He suffered serious injuries on his head and was admitted in Vadaman Nursing Home, Sector 7, Faridabad.”

Sr. Pushpa said, “These were the same parents who did not pay fees for their children, yet we allowed them to sit for the examination. While fleeing the school premises, they verbally abused the nuns and threatened to burn the school building and turn it into a Kandhamal.”

The fact finding team was led by Archbishop Vincent Consessao, from Delhi Arch-diocese, and Rev. Victor Das, NCR Secretary of aicc, led a Christian delegation from Faridabad and met Mr. P.K. Aggrawal, the Commissioner of Police, Faridabad, and demanded action against the culprits. The Commissioner instructed the Deputy Commissioner of Police and Police Station In-charge to book and arrest the culprits immediately.

In the written complaint submitted to the Commissioner, the names of some of the attackers are listed including Advocate Rajkumar Bhati, Mrs. Seema Jain, Advocate Rabinder Kumar Bharati, Mukesh Verma, Yufuf Khan, Adal Singh Rawant and Advocate Satra. Pastor Attacked In separate incident, a pastor and his companion were severely beaten by the members of Rashtirya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Hindutva militants on March 25th at about 9 p.m. in Ekta Vihar, Ghaziabad.

A source told AICC that Pastor Gladwin Masih (aged about 40) along with his companion Mr. Pritam went to Ekta Vihar for a prayer meeting. While the prayer meeting was going on, three people known to be members of the RSS, came and sat in the prayer meeting. In the middle of the prayer meeting, they started calling other RSS members and threatened the people with violence as they returned home.

While the pastor and his companion were going to their homes in Seema Puri, New Delhi, a gang of RSS members numbering around 25 attacked them. Pastor Gladwin reported to the AICC, “They beat us with cricket stumps and hockey sticks. I was bruised all over my body, and was bleeding from my nose. My friend Pritam’s finger on his right hand was fractured.”

Pastor Gladwin called a police helpline number and a police escort rushed to the spot. By that time, the attackers had fled. Victims went to the police station at Tulsi Niketan, Ghaziabad at 9:30 p.m. and gave a verbal complaint. It was not recorded by the police officers on duty.

A member of AICC, Ghaziabad region, gathered a delegation of different pastors and Christian leaders and submitted a written complaint against the members of the RSS in the afternoon.

The FIR No. 438 is registered at Shahibabad Police station, Ghaziabad against Mr. Sharma resident of C/133, Defence Colony, Babupara, Arun Kumar resident of B-31, Defence Colony, Vicky, and 20 other members of RSS whose names are not known to the victims. A motorcycle, registration number DL 5SY 2276; Bullet Enfield model, is also listed in the complaint. No action has been recorded yet against the violent Hindutva extremists.