Bangalore, Jan 25, Daijiworld Media Network: If the eve of the Nativity Feast of Blessed Virgin Mary and the subsequent days witnessed a series of attacks against churches and other places of worship belonging to Catholics and Christians in Mangalore, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Bangalore and other places 2008, the eve of the Republic Day has turned out to be a nightmare for Catholics with two churches in Thernamakki in Karwar diocese and Inkal near Mysore in the Mysore diocese being the targets of attack by miscreants probably in the wee hours of Monday.

The attack on the Thernamakki church in Karwar diocese, probably after Sunday midnight, follows the attack on another church at Mundalli near Bhatkal on Friday, January 22.

According to information gathered from various sources, including the Archbishop’s house in Bangalore, the grotto in front of the Inkal in the heart of Mysore city was attacked by unidentified miscreants between 2 and 3 pm. The miscreants damaged the grotto and the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, located barely 50 ft from the church.

In Karwar diocese too, the grotto of a church at Thernamakki, which is situated between Honnavar and Bhatkal, was damaged by the miscreants who smashed the glass window panes after midnight on Sunday. The damages were discovered this morning, Karwar Bishop Rev Dr Derek Fernandes told Daijiworld on phone.

The Thernamakki church attack, according to Bishop Fernandes, comes in the wake of the similar attempt to vandalise and destroy the Cross in the Mundalli church on Friday, January 22.

According to Bishop Fernandes, the local chief of Sri Rama Sene had along with a group of his supporters had submitted a memorandum addressed to the President to the Assistant Commissioner demanding immediate steps to stop the attacks against Indians, who were mostly Hindus, in Australia and had reportedly warned that the Churches and Christians would be subjected to similar treatment if the attacks against Indians in Australia did not stop.

"The local newspapers and television channels had widely reported details of the memorandum and the alleged threats to Christians and Churches,’’ the Bishop said pointing out that he had press clippings of the same. He also pointed out that the local chief of Sri Ram Sene had owned op the reports and statements in the television interview on the following day, which however had been disowned by other leaders of the Sri Ram Sene.

The Bishop pointed out that the local police had arrested 7 persons in connection with the submission of the memorandum and the provocative statements and were subsequently remanded for 15 days.

Bangalore Archbishop Rev Dr Bernard Moras, who is also the president of Karnataka Region Catholic Bishops’ Council (KRCBC), has strongly condemned the attacks against Churches and urged the B S Yeddyurappa-led BJP government to take immediate steps to book the culprits.

The Archbishop, who has closely monitoring the incidents and has been regularly in touch with the Karwar Bishop Dr Derek Fernandes and the Mysore Bishop Rev Dr Thomas Antony Vazhapilly, pointed out that the Inkal church was attacked eight years back on February 17, 2002, when statues and other property in the Church was destroyed by miscreants.

"Though the local parish priest had lodged a complaint and has personally submitted as many as 11 appeals demanding action so far, nothing has happened. The issue is simply dragging on and the authorities have not taken any serious interest in conducting or completing the investigation,’’ the Archbishop said quoting information received by him from the local Parish Priest.

Talking to Daijiworld, the Archbishop regretted that the attacks against churches and places of worship belonging to Catholics and Christians was continuing unabated in recent years.

Declining to blame the ruling BJP for the situation, the Archbishop lamented that the state government was not seriously persuing the investigation. ``The state government, right from the chief minister to the home minister, have been promising stringent action. But unfortunately, the attacks keep continuing and the Christians and minorities feel insecure,’’he said demanding that the state government should direct the police officers to book culprits and take tough action to prevent recurrence of the incidents.

"The state government appointed a judicial inquiry commission after the series of attacks against churches all over the state since September 2008. But the commission is still dragging on and there is nothing to show even after one and half years. Can anybody blame the people, if they expect nothing to come out of the judicial inquiry commission?,’’he asked terming the situation as ``too outrageous.’’

"Justice should not only be done, but seen to be done and done fast and quickly. Justice delayed is justice denied,’’ the Archbishop said pointing out that Christians and Catholics were a very small and numerically insignificant minority. ``Merely because, the Christians and Catholics are peace-loving and law-abiding, does not mean they can be attacked and targeted,’’ he said.

The Archbishop came down heavily against the tendency among the senior police officers and even ministers to brush off the attacks against churches as insignificant or not so serious or as burglary attempts or acts of internal conflicts. ``Merely because there have been no serious loss of lives and destruction, does not mean that they can ignored. Attacks against the holiest symbols of Catholics and Christians like the Cross or other religious objects like statues or even the Blessed Sacrament mean a lot to the faithful. These attacks and their impact cannot be measured or assessed,’’ he said, asking the government to take serious action.

Instead of trying to brush off the attacks against churches lightly as insignificant, the Archbishop urged the state government to direct the police officers to seriously investigate the incidents. ``Let them book the culprits and bring them to justice. If Christians or Catholics are involved, let them be identified with concrete evidence.

But these incidents must be curbed and stopped once and for all. Otherwise, the people will lose faith in the government and police machinery,’’ he said appealing the Catholics to ``remain calm, united and pray.’’

Meanwhile, former Lok Sabha member and retired IPS officer H T Sangliana, who had been recently appointed as the Vice Chairman of the National Minorities Commission, called on the Archbishop at his residence in the afternoon and expressed solidarity with the Catholics and the church.

Speaking to reporters after meeting the Archbishop, Sangliana, who was elected to parliament from Bangalore North constituency on the BJP ticket and had been expelled from the party for supporting the Congress-led UPA regime on the Indo-US Nuclear Deal, alleged that he had information regarding the provocative speeches made by Sri Ram Sene chief Pramod Muthalik during his visit to Hubli and Karwar on January 20.

"It is very unfortunate that the churches have been attacked within days after the provocative speeches. But the police have not taken any action,’’ he said and wondered by the police were so ineffective. ``If the police are ineffective and inefficient, it is high time that they should be sent home. Let efficient persons handle the investigation,’’ he said.

Sangliana castigated the state government for its continuous failures to check the attacks against the Christians and other minorities. ``If the government continues in its failures, imposition of the President’s Rule might be the only option. This government must go,’’ he asserted.

Pointing out that the National Minorities Commission, which visited Bangalore, Mangalore, Mysore and other places in the state after the series of attacks against Churches, had submitted a detailed report to the government last year.

“But so far, no action has been taken and the situation seems to be going from bad to worse,’’ he said pointing out that the National Commission on Minorities may have to depute another fact finding team to Karnataka soon. ``I will submit a detailed report to the commission,’’ he added.