September 8, after 15 Hindu militants attacked worshippers there, injuring several Christians, and damaged property, officials said.
The management of the Allahabad Agricultural Institute in the town of Allahabad, a 95-year-old Christian institute of higher learning, said the university would "remain closed for an unlimited time till the normalcy is restored," following the violence Sunday, September 4.
"On September 4 when the Sunday worship began, there were more than 7,000 believers gathered," Mani Jacob, general secretary of the All India Association for Christian Higher Education, told the BosNewsLife New Delhi Bureau.
"As soon as the worship began, about 15 outsiders suddenly trespassed into the worship place, mounted the platform where the leader of the worship was praying and started destroying the objects on the platform especially the Holy Cross kept there, musical instruments etc.," he added.
WORSHIPPERS INJURED
"Several worshippers were injured in the attack, and property worth 10 million Rupees" (about 229-thousand USD) "was damaged." He said the attackers also "burnt down one ambulance and one jeep belonging to the university."
During the attack, the militants shouted anti-Christian slogans, and began attacking worshipers who tried to restrain the attackers from destroying "sacred objects on the stage," according to university officials.
"It is difficult to say how many worshipers were injured, as there was a total chaos at the time of the attack, following which all returned to their homes. However, one person fainted after he was attacked, and was taken to a hospital," added Jacob.
Following the incidents "it was the Christian believers who were arrested" by arriving police, who also filed charges against the leaders of the worship service, claimed R.B. Lal, Vice Chancellor of the university. Lal accused the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu extremist group, of organizing the attack.
"ANTI-CHRISTIAN FORCES"
The Hindu group and police have not yet reacted to the claims. However human rights activists say the Institute has been attacked by "anti-Christian forces" since it started organizing worship services in 1998, amid accusations it attempted to convert people to Christianity.
"There is no question of conversion here. We are merely sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ as He has commanded us. And people get peace in life and are healed of their diseases when they listen to the Gospel," explained Lal.
The university saw several attacks since last week and the latest violence was apparently launched by a violent mob from outside the university campus. In addition some students have held protests to demand that the university’s courses secure recognition of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), officials said.
However the Institute, was in 2000 recognized as "a Deemed University," by the Indian government, does not require any approval from AICTE to start Technical Degree/Diploma program, its management says. As a Deemed University the Institute enjoys all powers and privileges of a university including the right to frame and start new courses, and award degrees of its own.
BOMB EXPLOSIONS
But protestors including "violent mobs attacked the university property, destroyed vehicles, looted the hostels and attacked the staff members and even exploded bombs on the campus" since 2000, said Lal. "This is an attack on religious freedom of the minorities and all secular values upheld by the citizens of India. If such attacks on the Holy Cross, the Bible and worship services are allowed to go unpunished and if the police take no action against the offenders, great damage will be done to the secular frame work of the country," Lal added.
He has appealed to the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and the Home Minister of the Government of India "to take immediate action to apprehend the culprits and ensure confidence and security to the Christian community of Allahabad and also the campus community of the Deemed University."
The Institute was established by the Missionary Sam Higginbottom in 1910 in Uttar Pradesh’s Allahabad city to "feed the hungry, save the land." Thousands of agricultural scientists of several generations and innovators have emerged from the first Christian university in the country.
In keeping with the motto of the institute, Lal and his colleagues started the "Yeshu Darbar" (The Court of Jesus) university program seven years ago. Under the program religious worship is organized every day on the campus and especially on Sundays attended by students, teachers, staff families and people living nearby.
