It is shocking to hear and see that the 18-year-old, 20-feet-tall statue of Jesus Christ was demolished in Gokunte village at Kolar district in Karnataka. The government says that the Christ statue was built on state land, set aside as pasture for animals. When the matter was pending in the Court, how can the civil authorities in the state of Karnataka give the order to demolish the statue? Christian devotees from the village requested them but they did not listen and broke the statue into pieces by bulldozer. It was completely destroyed without any fear of God or any mercy. The entire community is in shock after the demolition. Videos and pictures of the demolition are being widely circulated through social media and news channels. Today, the whole world is watching what is going on in India against Christians. Karnataka recorded the highest number of incidents of anti-Christian violence in southern India. Couldn’t they have atleast removed the statue in a safe manner instead of breaking it into a thousand pieces? Is this what our religion teaches us? Why is there so much religious hate in our country? Today, there are so many illegal houses built on government land, but neither the government nor the Court interferes in this matter to demolish them. This is a clear case of hate and jealousy against Christians. The Hindu groups don't want the Christian community to do anything and create religious tension all the time, especially during religious festivals. The people behind the demolition may be thrilled today thinking they have won, but remember that your judgement time will come soon.
Ronnie D'Souza, Chandor
