Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, Jul 7: Stany D'Souza, working in the city unit of Indian prison ministry, stated that his Hindu friends started to grow suspicious of him, after the incidences of church attacks.
He was one of the witnesses who deposed before the Justice B K Somashekhar Commission of Inquiry that has been entrusted with the task of investigating the church attacks in the state, in the city on Monday July 6. Legal advisor of the commission, S R Raviprakash recorded the evidences of 11 witnesses. The hearing was conducted at the Circuit House here.
Stany added that he freely mingled with his Hindu friends since his childhood and enthusiastically took part in their festivities. "I am interested in Yakshagana episodes and the 'Harikathe' sessions of Bhadragiri Achutadasa. By listening to Harikathe and Yakshagana, I could improve my knowledge about my religion. We keep preaching about love and harmony, but I never know any one from my religion forcing others to join us," he deposed.
Another witness Dorn Louis, whose son studies at St Joseph English medium school in Kulshekar said that his son had been to his school on September 15 last year, as usual. The policemen had beaten him up during the attacks. He said, his son is a chronic asthmatic, and because of the bursting of tear gas shells, he suffered bouts of asthma attacks and fell to the ground.
Sr Celine said that on the day of the attacks on churches, she was going to Kulshekar church to offer prayers, when she saw over a dozen motor bikes outside the church compound. She recalled that the bikers used abusive language against the Christian community and left later, shouting slogans in favour of the Bajrang Dal.
Sr Alice accused the Bajrang Dal activists of claiming to have attacked only the New Life centres, but pointed out that they had attacked the Adoration Monastery. She said, the Bajrang Dal activists attacked churches in Beltangady and Udupi even after the peace committee meeting, in a brazen act. She also sought to refute the allegations of Hindu organizations that Christian institutions are not allowing students to celebrate Hindu festivities, wear bangles, flowers, bindis etc.