KUNDAPUR: Attack on Priest Condemned

Karnataka Bishops Condemn Attack On Church Personnel In Kundapur, Huge Protest Rally Held

Kundapura, Karnataka, June 28, 2007, 9.30 Hrs (CBCI News/daijiworld):

KUNDAPUR: Protest Against Attack on Catholic Priest

Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops' Council (KRCBC) has condemned the assault on a Carmelite priest and four other church personnel at Koteshwar near Kundapur in Udupi district on Monday June 25.

In a press note issued by the Council president Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore has said the attack is an attempt to provoke Christians who are a minority community and to disturb peace and harmony in the area.

The Karnataka Bishops’ Conference has appealed to the chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister B S Yadiyurappa, leader of the opposition and home minister to take immediate action against the accused.

As reported earlier, on Monday Fr Sylvester Pereira and his companions had gone to a Hospital at Kundapur for treatment. Fr Sylvester was taken unawares when the youth attacked him with foul language and beat him in the hospital premises.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday June 27, thousands of people gathered at Shastri Circle in the Kundapura town to show solidarity with the victims of attack and to protest against the communal forces which were “bent to destroying the secular fabric of the undivided district of Dakshina Kannada.”

The protest was organized by like-minded organizations from the districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, witnessed a sea of people thronging in support of Fr Sylvester Pereira.

It was not only the gathering of Christians but even Hindu and Muslim brethren came together in huge number, in order to express their solidarity. It was a spontaneous protest rally where an aggressive assault on five innocent people including a priest was condemned.

The protesters included MLC Pratapchandra Shetty, former member of parliament I M Jayaram Shetty, former member of parliament Vinaykumar Sorake, Byndoor MLA Gopal Poojary, K Shankar of CPI (M), Rajashekhar of Human Rights Organization, Edwin Crasta, Kundapur Taluk Panchayat president Jyoti Putran, Udupi Zilla Panchayat vice-president Sharada Bijur, Udupi district Congress president M A Gafur, Shyamala Bhandary, ex-MLC Winifred Fernandes, Zilla Panchayat member Gerald Fernandes, Lancy D’Cunha, president of Catholic Sabha, Vicar General of Mangalore Msgr. Denis Moras Prabhu, Ananta Movadi, Harun Saheb, Jacob D’Souza, Carmelite Karnataka-Goa provincial Fr Dominic Vas, Kundapura dean Fr Antony Lobo and others.

KUNDAPUR: Fr. Sylvester OCD Assaulted

A Carmelite Priest, 3 Brothers, A Layleader Attacked In Karnataka

Mangalore, June 26, 2007, 06.30 Hrs (CBCI News):

Fr. Sylvester Pereira OCD

A Carmelite (OCD) priest and 3 brothers belonging to the Karnataka-Goa Province, residing in the monastery, 'Carmel Ashram' at Katkere, Koteshwar, near Kundapura in Karnataka, and a local layleader were physically attacked by fanatic Hindu miscreants Monday, June 25.

Fr. Sylvester and the four other injured persons were taken to the government hospital for medical attention and later shifted to 'Chinmayi Hospital'. They are all under shock, after the traumatic experience of the day.

The superior of the community, Fr. Sylvester Pereira had gone to the 'Surgeon Hospital', along with a regent, Brother Joyson Saldanha, an aspirant, Brother John Pradeep and the cook, Mukunk Bhandary, for a medical check-up. They were all accompanied by a friendly neighbour, Mr Valerian D'Silva.

While they were inside the hospital awaiting for the doctor, 4 local miscreants belonging to a local communal organization, confronted the priest and brothers, verbally accusing them of converting people to Christianity.

Then Fr. Sylvester was caught by the collar, pulled down the stair, pushed to the ground and severely beaten with kicks and blows. The others who tried to intervene and protest, also became the victims of the violent attacks. In the process, Mr. Valerian even lost a few of his teeth.

With this commotion, people gathered around the spot, but the miscreants shoved them into a waiting autorickshaw and forcibly took them directly to the local police station. They complained that that the victims were caught them in the process of converting people.

Initially, the police believed their version and did not allow the helpless victims neither to seek help from others, nor to lodge their own complaint.

It’s only when the local parish priest Fr Anthony Lobo intervened and the local police circle inspector Valentine D'Souza arrived, the things began to fall in place.The assailants who understood they had no escape, confessed to their crime, but tried to excuse themselves under the pretext of mistaken identity of the priest. An FIR was lodged immediately against the assailants.

The provincial of the Karnataka-Goa province Fr Dominc Vas, responding to the incident stated, “In a Democratic and Secular country like India, incidents such as the one involving one of our priests and a few seminarians, is a blot on the legacy of communal harmony.”

“Various fathers and brothers belonging to our monastery, since it was founded in 1998, have been rendering yeomen service to the neighbourhood. They have never instigated communal passions nor incited violence. Actually the presence of our members has been appreciated by all the people in the vicinity,” stated the provincial superior.