Hindu group threatens Christian schools in MP

After Churches, it now seems to be the turn of Christian schools to be threatened by Hindu zealots.

The Akhil Bhartiya Vishwa Parishad (ABVP), students' wing of the BJP, warned Christian institutions of more attacks after a school in Bhopal was vandalised earlier this month.

Church leaders especially those in Madhya Pradesh are seemingly worried after ABVP stated that all missionary schools in Madhya Pradesh would be targeted.

Alleging that Church run schools in MP are anti-national and discourages singing national anthem, Vishna Dutt Sharma, National General Secretary of the ABVP said: "We are going to campaign against schools which don't allow National Song, National Anthem or Saraswati Puja."

Members of the ABVP earlier this month accused a convent school of disrespecting the national anthem during the Republic Day function Jan 26.

They damaged the school, injured the faculty and had the principal of St Thomas convent School Thomas Malkacherupil arrested by the police.

Father Cajetan D'Mello, president of Indore Catholic Schools Association, expressed anguish over the allegations and said the ABVP enjoys the government support.

He stated that Christian schools regularly sing the national anthem. Christian schools in India are "very strong advocates of nationalism, patriotism and the secular democratic principles," he said. He termed the threat as "a deliberate attempt to malign Christian institutions."