Thiruvananthapuram - Kerala is going through very tense times and may soon be heading towards communal riot. Hardly a week was allowed to pass since the time the Missionaries of Charity sisters were assaulted and beaten up by Hindu fundamentalists, when another ghastly attack was perpetrated. This time on a church - St. Thomas Mar Thoma church in Thiruvananthapuram became the latest victim of the string of anti-Christian attacks as vandals set fire to its velvet curtain covering the altar, two chairs, the microphone stand and a carpet.

It is suspected that the miscreants barged into the church shortly after the parish vicar and his sexton made an unscheduled visit to the church at 7.30 p.m. Wednesday, and torched furniture and the drapery in the altar.

Fire was noticed by the Church Assistant. He immediately put out the fire, police added.

Under intense pressure and criticism, police have stepped up investigation into this attack that took place on September 29.

Director General of Police P K Hormese Tharakan had directed City Police Commissioner Balramkumar Upadhyaya to submit a report on the investigation as early as possible.

Inspector General Ramesh Chandrabanu and DIG Arun Kumar Sinha have visited the church recently and supervised the investigation.

Mr Upadhyaya told reporters that detailed investigation was on with the assistance of forensic experts.

State Forensic Department experts have ruled out electric short-circuit as the cause of the church fire. They also found two matchsticks near the altar where the curtain was set on fire.

The experts also identified two sets of fingerprints from near the window, through which the intruders entered the church. The prints do not match any on record from other criminal cases, police said.

Crime Branch has been specially entrusted with the atsk of finding the culprits. South Zone DIG B Sandhya would probe the attack on the church.

Police said the intruders had allegedly written ''RSS-BJP act'' on the side of the window through which they entered the church and set fire to the velvet curtain covering the altar.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister's office said the question of entrusting the probe to any other agency would be decided only after preliminary investigation.

Unidentified miscreants set on fire the velvet curtain covering the altar, two chairs, the microphone stand and a carpet at the church. But the culprits did not steal anything or damage religious articles.

The graffiti police found on the window near the altar names two Hindu groups as responsible for the vandalism. But police suspect the sketch-pen inscription was "a deliberate act to divert the investigations."

State Director General of Police Hormis Tharakan disclosed that the motive was to create communal discord in Kerala.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy visited the church Saturday and assured the community that investigations were on in right earnest.

Bishop Phillipose Mar Chrisostom, who visited the church, condemned the attack as "ghastly".

Bishop, Dr Geeverghese Mar Theodsius of the Mar Thoma Church, who visited the spot on hearing the news said he hoped that the incident was not part of a calculated attack on minorities to vitiate the communal harmony in Kerala.

State Rural Development Minister C F Thomas, Irrigation Minister Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan, Transport Minister N Sakthan, Cooperation Minister M V Raghavan and Civil Supplies Minister Adoor Prakash also visited the Church.

Until recently communal extremist groups were not very active in southern India, particularly in Kerala, where Christians wield considerable socio-political influence and Muslims also form a significant part of the population, outnumbering Christians slightly.

"The state government views this kind of incident very seriously, that the miscreants would be brought to book and punished," said Transport Minister Shakthan Nadar.

The church sits one kilometer away from the state secretariat.

The Mar Thoma Church is an Orthodox Church which traces it roots back to Saint Thomas the Apostle.
Kerala is the Indian state with the largest Christian presence, which accounts for 20% of the population of 31 million. Until recently, Kerala's various religious communities had lived together peacefully.





Surojit Chatterjee
Ecumenical Press