(November 23, 2010 ) The central Indian Madhya Pradesh State recently witnessed
a rare instance of communal harmony, when a group of Hindus welcomed a procession
on the Feast of Christ the King in Bhopal on Sunday.( Nov. 21) “This gesture from
the Hindus left us spellbound,” said Fr. Francis Scaria, pastor of St. Theresa’s
Church in Ashta, a parish under Bhopal archdiocese. The priest told ucanews on Monday
that although the parish has been holding the procession for years, they never got
such a welcome. Hindu men and women lined up on both sides of the 3-kilometer procession
route and threw flower petals on some 600 Christians and vehicles carrying tableau
depicting various events in Christ’s life. They also erected a small stage to welcome
the procession. Hindus then garlanded the priests with shawls as a mark of respect
in the local tradition. “This was our humble attempt to show our great concern
for the peace loving Christian community and our tribute to peace, harmony and brotherhood,”
said Sesh Narayan Mukati, president of the Hindu festival committee that organized
the welcome. Mukati expressed the hope their gesture would help foster communal harmony,
especially when sectarian distrust is on the rise. Retired Jesuit Archbishop Pascal
Topno of Bhopal, who was present, lauded the Hindus’ “great understanding and unity.”
Ashta, a town in Sehore district, has nearly 50,000 people, mostly Hindus. Madhya
Pradesh has witnessed some 200 incidents of anti-Christian violence in the past several
years.