Burning of effigy of CBCI president evokes protest

New Delhi – Catholic communities in several states of India have strongly protested the recent incident of burning of an effigy of Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) and the Archbishop of Ranchi, saying that such acts could lead to communal violence and disturb the social amity among the tribals in Jharkhand.

On December 22, the CBCI reacted to the incident by condemning it and stating that it was another “malicious campaign against Christian Community” in the state.

"The effigy of Cardinal Toppo was burnt under the pretext of protesting against the alleged forced conversion of tribals to Christianity. However, this allegation has been time and again proved totally false and baseless and yet the vested interests have been intensifying their efforts to mislead the public," CBCI secretary general, Percival Fernandez, said in a statement.

The CBCI has also urged the State Government to act in a responsible manner and take immediate measures to protect the reputation of every citizen, particularly a religious leader of a community that has always been in the forefront in providing service to the neglected and the poor, the statement added.

Supporting CBCI was the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) that was greatly distressed by the wanton act of “burning of the effigy of a religious leader who has made his great contribution to the upliftment of tribals in the State.”

“Nothing can justify this act as this is totally against the ethos of our country where religious leaders are respected by one and all,” GCIC said in a statement.

“We strongly protest against the burning of effigy of Cardinal Toppo and appeal to the Government to take stern action against those who are found doing this disdainful act. We urge the people involved in such act to stop harming religious leader who is well acclaimed by his own people and by others in the country,” it added.

Ever since Cardinal Toppo had opposed the proposal of the Chief Minister of Jharkhand to introduce an anti–conversion law in the state, on the ground that “the Roman Catholic Church was opposed to conversions by fraud and allurement” and “such a legislation was not deemed necessary for Jharkhand as there has never been a single case of forced conversion anywhere in the state,” certain Hindu fundamentalist outfits including the Central Sarna Samity and the Hindu Jagaran Manch began burning effigies of the cardinal at various places in the state capital. However, no police action was initiated against these groups.

Church officials have pointed out that this was the first time when an effigy of a cardinal has been burned anywhere in the world.