Catholic school attacked after suicide attempt

(July 23, 2010) A group of some 150 Hindu activists has attacked a Catholic school in central Indian Madhya Pradesh state after a student attempted suicide and broke his leg. The mob stormed St. Gabriel Senior Secondary school in Jabalpur on July 21 and started smashing windows, less than an hour after an 11th-grade student jumped from a first-floor window. The boy, who fractured his leg, was rushed to hospital but has no life-threatening injuries. His suicide attempt came after he was summoned to the principal’s office to answer questions about his alleged role in a prank. In the attack that followed, the Hindu mob shouted slogans demanding the immediate closure of the school. They also accused the school of harassing students, said the office assistant Vivek Chauhan. He said the police managed to prevent the Hindu attackers from inflicting further damage on the school. Brother Joy Joseph, Principal, said the boy was summoned over his suspected role in planting rotten eggs near the chalkboard in his class. The principal condemned the Hindu attack saying the school had “done nothing wrong.” Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur condemned the attack and said Hindu groups frequently attack Christian schools and damage “our properties on flimsy excuses.” Christian schools have pioneered education in the state and continue to provide quality education, he said. He urged the state government to put an end to such attacks.