National Minority Commission seeks report from Kerala Govt on action taken against CPM-DYFI goons who molested X?mas carol team and vandalised the church

The National Commission for Minorities on Monday (31-12-2018) sought an action taken report from the Chief Secretary of the Government of Kerala and the Director General of Police under Section 9 (d) of the National Commission for Minorities (Amendment) Act 1995 within 7 days on a complaint (dated 28/12/2018) filed by the St Paul’s Anglican Church Committee regarding the partial destruction of their church, physical assault on its Christmas Carol team members and molestation of women and children allegedly by a group of CPI(M)/DYFI workers. The copies of the directive have also been sent to the District Collector of Kottayam and Superintendent of Police, Kottayam, for immediate action.

 

The directive came in response to a memorandum submitted by Rev Father P.J. Paulose Padikkaparambil and Mr Johnson P.C., Secretary, St Paul’s Church, Koompady, Pathamuttom, Kerala, to NCM Vice-Chairman Hon’ble George Kurian, seeking his intervention. Taking serious nature of the complaint, the NCM Vice-Chairman directed state officials to ensure safe return of the victims to their homes who are forced to stay in the local church for the last eight days and provide adequate security to their lives and properties. NCM also directed the state officials to take punitive action against the culprits under the relevant sections of IPC. The victims belong to Dalit Christian community.

 

According to the complaint, five Christian families are forced to stay in the Church owing to the death threats issued allegedly by the activists of CPI(M)/DYFI. Yamia C Thankachan, a B Tech student who sustained injuries in stone pelting, reportedly said she can’t even study or appear in exams due to fear of attack.

 

In the complaint, the Church authorities alleged that a group of local CPI(M)/DYFI workers barged into the Christmas carol service being taken out by the Church’s Youth Wing and Women’s wing workers on December 23 at 8 pm and disrupted the event by singing vulgar songs and using expletives against girl children. The carol team questioned them when they started flashing. Enraged, the DYFI workers molested the girls and physically attacked them. The CPI(M)/DYFI workers then brutally attacked the male members of the team who came to protect the girls. The gang on the rampage also damaged the St Paul’s Anglican Church. The frightened women and children hid behind the altar to escape the attack.

 

The complainants stated that the gang had pelted stones on the house of PJ John, a church trustee, and damaged his autorickshaw parked outside his house. The attackers pelted stones on another parish member Chacko’s house and demolished the compound wall. They also attacked the daughter-in-law of Chacko.

 

According to the memorandum, Church Committee secretary PC Johnson’s house was attacked and bikes parked outside his house were destroyed. They broke open the door and attacked Johnson’s wife Lincy and 3-year-old child. One of the culprits, Sreekuttan, hit her head with a big rod and threw the child on her lap onto a sofa. Later Allan and Sreejith also joined Sreekuttan and brutally attacked Lincy and cut her forehead. When she tried to call her husband, they shouted at her; “Call your husband, let him also see the attack on you.” They also threatened to kill her husband. When her brother-in-law tried to intervene, they brutalized him also.