India’s Supreme Court’s directive hailed

(January 10, 2010) Church people in eastern India’s West Bengal state have condemned political violence that killed seven people and wounded 17 others. “We strongly condemn the brutal violence, which is disturbing the people in the state,” Father Reginald Fernandes, who directs Calcutta archdiocese’s social service centre, Seva Kendra, told Ucanews on Sunday. The incident occurred on Friday when some villagers near Lalgarh in West Midnapore district revolted against Communist demands to take up arms. The Marxist Communist Party of India (CPM) heads a coalition that has ruled the state for the past three decades. Father Fernandes accused the communists of unleashing a reign of terror ahead of elections for the state legislative assembly in May. He said Seva Kendra will visit Lalgarh soon to plan Church intervention there. Claretian Father Peter James Xavier, who heads the local unit of the Conference of Religious, says the Church cannot take sides as the police and the Maoists closely monitor the “volatile” situation in the district. Jesuit Father Irudaya Jothi of Udayani Social Action Forum alleges the ruling party had planned the Lalgarh attack and warned “more violence is in store.” The Jesuit priest wants the Christians to side with the “victims of injustice and political violence.”