Mangalore tence

Educational institutions and shops remained closed and roads were empty in Mangalore today as the ram Sena called for a shut down today in response to the stabbing of one of its activists last evening.

The police say the incident was part of a settling of old scores and the recent violence was just being used as a cover.Around 10 people were stabbed on Monday after attacks on churches on Sunday. Around 170 people have been arrested so far after the start of the violence.

The attack began to protest the conversion activities of a particular sect called the New Life fellowship and has spiraled now into a mass protest with the local people coming out and actively involving themselves.

The Karnataka home minister has appealed to both communities to contain the violence.CM Yeddyurappa has asked the people not to indulge in violence or conversion by force or inducement. The Government has agreed to bear the cost or repairing the damaged structures. He also added incidents of forced cnversion needs to be brought to the notice of the government.

The congress and other parties have taken the occassion as a chance to demand the resignation of the government. The sudden increase in violence on te Christians in NDA ruled sates is something that needs to be looked into and studied from a conspiracy view point especially since the elections are coming near and the UPA seems to losing ground.

Another incident that took place just before the start of the wide spread violence that did not see any mention in the local media is the arrest of  group of Catholic leaders, who tried to mob the state minister for primary and secondary education minister Vishwanath Hegde Kageri, who is in the city to participate in a symposium to be held at Ramakrishna Ashram here. They were arrested by the police men at around 9 am on Wednesday September 10.

The leaders were protesting against the minister’s action in issuing
instructions to the deputy directors of public instruction functioning
at district-level, to issue notices to educational institutions
being run by Catholic organizations that were closed down on August 29
this year, in protest against the atrocities being committed against
the Christian brethren in Orissa state. The minister, who arrived in the city on Tuesday night, was staying at the Circuit House here.

About 100 protestors gathered at the Circuit House on Wednesday
morning and sought to restrict the movement of the minister, as a mark
of protest against his above action. Mangalore diocesan Catholic Sabha
president Lancy D’Cunha, Congress leaders Ivan D’Souza and Stany
Alvares, Mangalore Catholic Co-operative Bank director Raymond D’ Cunha
and several others were among the protestors.

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