BANGALORE (Agencies): Disregarding provisions of this new law protecting religious structures, government officials in Karnataka, India, removed a nearly two-decades-old six metre high statue of Jesus on February 15, which was in the possession of St. Francis Xavier Church at Gokunte village in Kolar district, under the Diocese of Bangalore, UCAN reported on February 17.
The officials damaged the concrete structure on which the statue stood, in addition to a couple of stations of the cross, under the pretext of removing encroachments made by the parish church.
Local Christians insisted that the removal of a statue, which was on government land, was a violation of the government’s own Karnataka Religious Structures [Protection] Act 2021 law protecting religious structures.
Section 3 of the law states that the government shall protect religious structures existing on the date of commencement of the act “notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force or any judgment, decree or order of any court, tribunal or authority.”
The local tehsildar [administrator], R. Shobhita, who led the reportedly 400-strong demolition squad, told media that the statue was built on government land which was reserved for cattle grazing.
OpIndia.com reported Shobhita as saying, “We demolished the statue based on the High Court order.”
Church officials challenged the official contention, saying the issue was under consideration of the state’s top court, which had sought a status report.
Church officials said were not even issued the mandatory legal notice before the demolition and called it a part of the government’s communal agenda to target minority Christians and Muslims.
The law on religious structures enacted by the state government describes them as “a temple, church, mosque … etc. constructed on a public place without authority of law.”
J.A. Kantharaj, the public relations officer of the archdiocese, said, “We have a state law in our support along with two court orders, one of them from the high court, but still our sacred structures were demolished without a notice.”
Remarking that the action amounted to contempt of court, he said, “We are moving the court for action on the concerned officials.”
However, Shobhita pointed out that the demolition order, issued in March 2021, was carried out after seven to eight hearings.
“We will not give up. We will continue our fight against the fundamentalists out to disturb the communal harmony by their false narratives,” Kantharaj insisted.
Kashmir Media Service reported Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore saying on February 18, “Even if assuming that the structures were not fully authorised, the government could have had magnanimity to regularise them, considering that they had existed for long.”
Archbishop Machado asked, “Are there no other communities of other religions who have illegal structures on public or government properties? Why this discriminatory attitude towards the Christian Community only?”
Karnataka, known as the hub of India’s information technology sector, has lately turned into a hotbed of anti-Christian and Muslim actions.
The pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs the state, recently passed an anti-conversion law targeting Christians while also raising the bogey of hijabs, the veil worn by Muslim women [Sunday Examiner, February 20].
The state government also ordered a survey of churches and Christian missionaries, causing outrage among secular individuals and organisations.
The United Christian Forum, an ecumenical group, in its recent report said Karnataka had recorded the highest incidents of anti-Christian violence in southern India.
