service at a Catholic church in eastern India in an apparent robbery attempt, police said Wednesday, December 25.
The attack in the town Malipota near the India-Bangladesh border, 45 kilometres (apr. 20 miles) north-east of Calcutta, forced the priest and some of the 1200 worshippers inside to hand over their valuables, including money from the church safe and wrist watches, local media reported.
At least seven and possible fourteen people were believed to be injured when the dozens of robbers tried to flee the scene. "When they escaped they threw some bombs" Narayan Ghosh, deputy inspector general of police for West Bengal was quoted as saying.
He suggested that the gang threw the bombs and fired gunshots as the chief priest, Father Abraham, tried to resist.
ANTI-CHRISTIAN SENTIMENT
Anti-Christian sentiment has increased since a coalition government led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Hindu nationalist party came to power in 1999, ASSIST News Service learned.
The Associated Press (AP) news agency cited also several recent attacks on Christians and their organizations.
Australian missionary Graham Stewart Staines and his sons, Philip, 10, and Timothy, 8, were burned to death by a mob while they were sleeping in their vehicle parked outside a church in a tribal area of eastern Orissa state on Jan. 23, 1999, AP said.
HINDU HARD-LINERS
Hindu hard-liners accuse Christian missionaries of converting poor Hindus to their religion by offering money, a charge denied by Christian organizations.
Christians make up about two percent of India’s more than one billion people, while Hindus account for over 80 percent and Muslims at least 11 percent.
