Statues of Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, and Joseph are damaged at a Catholic church in a remote village in Meghalaya
Students from India's northeast region singing hymns at the Christ the King festival procession in New Delhi on Nov. 20, 2016. (Photo: Bijay Kumar Minj/UCA News)
Police are on the lookout for one or more unidentified culprits for allegedly vandalizing a Catholic church in a remote village in India’s northeastern state of Meghalaya.
Statues of Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, and Joseph were damaged on the intervening night of Aug. 24-25 at Daram village in the North Garo Hills district, Church officials said.
Shailendra Bamaniya, the district superintendent of police, told a local newspaper that investigations are underway "but so far no arrest has been made."
Bishop Andrew R. Marak of Tura told UCA News on Aug. 30 that the culprits had also tried to damage a crucifix placed near the altar.
“There seemed no attempt to take away the offerings or any valuables,” he said.
The bishop said he hoped the police will nab the culprits soon and was praying for peace to prevail in the village.
“Daram village is dominated by Christians and the church is one of the oldest Catholic communities of the North Garo Hills. There are more than 100 families who are part of the Resu parish,” he said.
Bishop Marak said it was the first such incident reported in the village, where people of different communities lived happily.
“I don’t see any communal angel though it is a matter of investigation. Let the authorities do their work,” he appealed.
The first Christian converts in Daram reportedly date back almost a century when the first Italian missionaries led by Father L. Rocca arrived here. Meghalaya was then part of the British North-East Frontier Agency.
Christians account for 83 percent of the state’s 3.2 million people.
The desecration of the church has raised an alarm in local circles though the situation is under control, said local daily Shillong Times while referring to an earlier incident being perpetrated by a mentally challenged person.
“The same person, as per police, was again on the suspect list though no arrests have been made until the writing of this report,” it added.
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