Orissa, two Catholic priests attacked and robbed in their homes
The assault took place at night in a parish church in the Rourkela diocese. They were beaten with hockey sticks and iron bars, before being robbed of all the solid money collected for the school and hostel. In another incident of violence in Telangana, Muslims who were bringing livestock to the madrassa for the Eid festival were attacked.
Rourkela (AsiaNews) - In the Indian state of Orissa two Catholic priests were attacked Saturday in their home by a group of masked thugs, who beat them up and robbed them. The serious act of violence occurred in Jhorabahal, a parish in the Rourkela diocese in the Sundergarh district.
A dozen masked persons broke into the priests' house at night. The parish priest Fr Alois Xalxo, 72, and Fr Nirial Bilung, 52, were beaten up with hockey sticks and iron rods. Hospitalised, their condition is stable. "We were sleeping when the thugs entered the church after breaking the glass door," Fr Xalxo recounted. "They were 10-12 people," added Fr Bilung. They tied us up and when we shouted they attacked and injured us. They looted the money kept in the church, as well as money from the hostel and the school". According to police reports, the money stolen amounted to more than one million Rupees (more than 11 thousand euro).
In a note, the Rourkela diocese thanked the Jhorabahal community and the local police for their support for the two priests who were victims of the attack. "We ask for continued prayers for them," the local Church writes, "that they may soon heal and overcome the trauma. We invite everyone to pay attention and take all precautions to ensure that this type of incident does not happen again'.
Also in the same hours, in India, other serious violence of a different kind occurred in the city of Medak, in the state of Telangana, against the local Muslim community. Violence broke out when a group opposed the transport of cattle to the Minhaj Ul Uloom Madrassa in Medak, ahead of the Islamic festival celebrations of Eid al Adha, causing clashes between Hindus and Muslims. The crowd also vandalised the madrassa, causing several injuries. The crowd also vandalised the hospital where injured members of the Muslim community were receiving treatment. Members of the mob also damaged a doctor's car.
For these clashes, the Telangana police arrested ten people, including three leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party: Medak district president Gaddam Srinivas, Medak town president M Nayam Prasad, and another local leader Yuva Morcha.
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