Amritsar: Day after attacks, Christians appeal for peace

Amritsar, September 1

Seeking adequate security, the Christian community under the banner of Masihi Maha Sabha today appealed for peace after attacks on social gatherings and vandalisation of statutes in front of a church at Thakarpura village in Tarn Taran district.

The heads of Roman Catholic Church, Dioceses of Amritsar and Chandigarh, Salvation Army and Methodist Church held a meeting in Amritsar today in this regard and decided to hold a candlelight march in the state on September 3.

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Meanwhile, all convent schools under the Diocese of Jalandhar and Roman Catholic Church remained closed today.

Bishop Agnelo Gracias, Apostolic Administrator, Diocese of Jalandhar, said he visited Tarn Taran to take stock of the situation.

He said it would be too early to conclude that this particular incident happened due to some religious issues.

“Such incidents divide people on the basis of religion. It is the job of the police to bring out the truth,” he said, adding that the miscreants had tried to vitiate peace. “We have been living without fear. We urge people not to take law into their own hands,” he said.

Dr PK Samantaroy, Bishop, Diocese of Amritsar (DoA), Church of North India (CNI), who is also a chief of the Masihi Maha Sabha, termed these attacks as a clear attempt to divide people and said the miscreants should be dealt with sternly.

Major Makhan Masih of Salvation Army and Rev Ilyas Masih of DS Methodist Church also echoed similar views.