Hindu mob storms Orthodox school in India

(December 08, 2010) In central India’s Madhya Pradesh State, a group of rightwing Hindu activists on Tuesday attacked an Orthodox school in protest at disciplinary actions against three students, said witnesses. The group of the Bharitya Janata Party, BJP, forced their way into the visitors’ room of St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School in Jabalpur and shouted anti-Christian slogans. They then smashed a picture of the Blessed Virgin in the visitors’ room before the staff prevented them from further action. Another group of nearly 50 young people later went to the school and threatened the staff.
School principal Fr. K. J. Louis said the troublemakers had been angered by the school for punishing three students for indiscipline. The police were called and are now being asked to offer protection to the school, the principal told ucanews. The principal said the school acted against the students after getting their parents’ consent. They had been suspended for 10 days in November, after they were caught setting off firecrackers in the school premises. Catholic Bishop Gerald Almeida of Jabalpur condemned the incident, which he said was part of an ongoing hate campaign against Christians in the state. The school that started 25 years ago has some 2500 students.
Christians and their institutions in the state have witnessed several incidents of violence after the BJP came to power seven years ago. Since then, more than 180 cases of attacks on Christians have been reported from the state.