In different parts of India, several men from the Bajrang Dal stormed into churches and did not allow Christmas worship to be performed.
In states such as Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Agra city, Madhya Pradesh and others, Christmas services were disrupted. Miscreants break statues in Holy Redeemer Church in Haryana’s Ambala district. It was built in 1848 under the British rule, when troops of East India Company were transferred from Karnal to Ambala
Miscreants break statues in Holy Redeemer Church in Haryana's Ambala district. It was built in 1848 under the British rule, when troops of East India Company were transferred from Karnal to Ambala. @ndtv pic.twitter.com/iZdSWA2BNc — Mohammad Ghazali (@ghazalimohammad) December 26, 2021
In Ambala, Punjab, the statue of Jesus Christ in the premises of the church was broken where the vandalism broke out on the night of 25 and 26 December at around 1:40 pm. after a young man entered the church while another broke the statute. The police has started an investigation in this regard after complaints were registered.
Several men stormed into a church in Assam’s Silchar on Saturday, 25 December, the major day for Christians, demanding it to be shut down as Hindus were also taking part in the festivities.
The men declaring to be members of the Bajrang Dal, which has its ties to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said they had no issue with Christians celebrating Christmas but declared that Hindus will not be allowed to do so, as 25 December is also ‘Tulsi Diwas’.
The video of the altercation has gone viral on social media. One of the attackers can be heard saying in the video:
“We are not against Christmas…let only Christians celebrate Christmas. We are against Hindu boys and girls participating in Christmas functions. Today it was the Tulsa Diwas of Hindus, but no one celebrated. It hurts our sentiments…everyone is saying Merry Christmas. How will our religion survive?”
Right-wing group activists allegedly disrupt Christmas celebrations at a school in Karnataka’s Mandya.
Christmas prayers disrupted in Pataudi, Gurugram: “We aren’t disrespecting Christianity,” the man on stage says. He tells the youngsters, “The destruction of Indian culture has started, you all have to resolve to stop it. With the same resolve say, Jai Sri Ram! Sanatan Dharam ki, Jai!”
Riots on Christmas! Hinduist organizations raised slogans of Jai Shri Ram in the school program disrupting the event where clothes and blankets were to be distributed to poor children at the Christmas program.
Ashok Swain, a professor, UNESCO Chair on International Wate who lives in Sweden wrote, “First, Hindu Right-Wing started with Muslims, denying them to pray on Fridays in Gurgaon, India. Now, they are denying Christians to pray even on Christmas Day. This country still claims to be a secular democracy!”
Hindutva groups disrupt Christmas celebrations at a school in the Mandya district. They allege students are being converted to Christianity, ask schools to put up posters of Hindu, Muslim gods. Police say there’s no case registered, the Hindutva group was warned for this disruption.
Well, at least Santa knows now who has been naughty. These bad boys are getting lumps of coal in their stockings. Bajrang Dal (affiliate of #RSS) burns effigy of the holly jolly man. pic.twitter.com/TnTw9vNfSx — Pieter Friedrich (@FriedrichPieter) December 24, 2021
In another bizarre attack in Uttar Pradesh’s Agra, Rashtriya Bajrang Dal workers lit an effigy of Santa Claus setting Santa Claus on fire chanting Santa go home!
Meanwhile, a senior Assam Police officer was reported as saying that since no complaint had been filed, no case had been registered. The police also said that there was no need for a suo moto case as the attack was a “small commotion”, NDTV reported.
The previous Christmas, Mithu Nath, the General Secretary of the district unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, had warned Hindus that if they visit churches to take part in Christmas celebrations, they will be “beaten”.
A few days before Saturday’s disruption, a mob of nearly 30 to 40 people had stormed inside a convent school campus in Karnataka’s Mandya district alleging that the children were being brainwashed and accused the sisters of converting the children to Christianity by celebrating Christmas.
On the same day, a church was vandalized in the Chikkaballapur district in southern Karnataka. The statue of St Anthony was found broken in the 160-year-old St Joseph’s church.
After disrupting Friday prayers, Gurugram, which is in the state of Haryana, sets another record where on the eve of Christmas, prayers were disrupted in Pataudi town. From ‘law will take its own course’, it has fallen so low where police claim that they did not receive any complaint so far.
While radical Hindus are claiming to do this to preserve their culture, in all cases, these attacks have nothing to do with the survival of Hinduism rather an irrational fear that “Hindus Khatre Mein Hain” meaning Hindus or Hinduism is in danger, a fear tagging extremist Hindus which has infiltrated throughout which has increased the level of religious intolerance.
In India, Hindus are 80%, yet the Hindutva radical groups accuse the 2% of Christians of conversion, and the attacks on Christians are rising.
The Hindu Sanatana Dharma is the fastest-growing religion in Russia, Europe, and other Western countries and radical groups need to realize that while Indians and others have freedom in Western countries to profess their faith with ashrams extending around in the West, no one is attacking them or breaking their ashrams.
There are many Westerners who have left their ancestral Christianity to follow Hindusim and it has to be pointed out that the Western governments never interfere with them and these are never attacked.
Here in India, the radical groups while wanting to “protect” their religion are shielded by the government and never arrested or very rarely, where the police seldom take complaints against them alleging Christians are lying about their attacks. In the meantime, attacks on Christians and Muslims are rising.
Remember, genocide never starts directly with killing: If first starts with marking out people dividing into “them and us”, and then hate speech starts. We are at the precarious edges of genocide right now.
In a wonderful way, many Hindus are rising up and rejecting the violent colors of the Hindutva moment with a hashtag on Twitter, #HindusRejectHindutva, raised in support of Christians shared by different Hindus and this was heartwarming.
Studied in Convent schools all my life. Lit candles in school chapels, sang beautiful hymns, decorated the Christmas tree & continue to do so, hung stockings expecting Santa’s visit. Every Eid meant visiting Muslim friends & eating sumptuous spreads, #HindusAgainstHindutva 1/3 — Twinkle Twinkle (@HowIWunder) December 24, 2021
Rita
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