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Violence resumes in the Dangs, two chapels set ablaze

The peace in the tribal Dangs district was marred after 10 days of normalcy by two attacks on Christian places of worship in remote villages since Sunday night.

According to Central Bureau of Investigation Superintendent T V Gaikwad, a chapel was set ablaze by miscreants at Lahan Chariya village, 25 km from Ahwa, on Monday night while a prayer hall was damaged in the wee hours of Monday at Dudha village, 20km from Ahwa.

Gaikwad said the pattern in almost all attacks was the same with the miscreants reaching the places of worship after midnight, carrying out the attacks, and fleeing the scene in minutes.

He said that in both cases alert villagers put out the fires before too much damage was done.

Reacting to the incident, Gaikwad said Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's visit to the area was only symbolic and would make no difference to the situation.

In fact, he said, the fundamentalists had become more enthusiastic after the visit on Sunday. Representatives of Hindu organisations, including Hindu Jagran Manch president Janubhai Pawar, who was among those arrested for the December 25 incidents, accompanied Vajpayee throughout his tour of the affected villages.

But Pawar told reporters on Sunday at Ahwa that the agitation against Christian missionaries would continue till they left the Dangs. He is also planning to hold a rally in some villages in the district shortly.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajan Gaikwad said a case of attempt to arson has been registered in the Dudha village incident and State Reserve Police personnel were posted in the affected area.

The Lahan Chariya incident, however, was brought to the notice of the police only on Tuesday afternoon. A posse has been deployed there, but no case has been registered so far, he added.

UNI

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