– Yusra Firdaus
22 January 2024
In a disturbing incident, a group of individuals on Sunday climbed atop a church in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua, planting a saffron flag adorned with the image of Ayodhya Ram Temple and chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’. A video of the incident has since gone viral.
Pastor Narbu Amaliyar, who oversees the church located in the village of Dabtalai, Ranapur, recounted that the men arrived shortly after the Sunday prayer, approximately at 3 pm. About 25 men participated in this unauthorized act, with some climbing the church to attach the saffron flag to the Christian cross. Amaliyar recognized the individuals as being from a neighboring village, but his attempts to reason with them proved futile.
Expressing his confusion and distress, Amaliyar stated, “I didn’t understand what was happening; this has never happened before.”
Jhabua Superintendent of Police Agam Jain revealed that as of now no FIR has been registered. According to Jain, their initial inquiry suggested that the targeted structure was a person’s home used for prayer, not a church. As the person in question didn’t wish to file a complaint, no official complaint has been lodged with the police.
However, Pastor Amaliyar refuted this claim, asserting that the building in question is indeed a church that he established in 2016. Regular prayer gatherings, attended by 30-40 people every Sunday, are held at the church. Despite the men responsible for the act later apologizing, Amaliyar is undecided about filing a complaint and intends to consult with the village sarpanch before making a decision.
The incident is especially disconcerting given its timing, occurring on the eve of the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony, which subsequently took place on Monday.
