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The Rediff Interview/Reverend Gollapalle Samuel

'Christians are a peace-loving community'

What do you feel about the Machilipatnam incident?

We are very sorry for what has happened. It is a very unfortunate incident in which several persons were wounded. We will call on the wounded and ascertain the facts. We will talk to those affected. Christians are, by and large, a peaceful community. This incident sends a dangerous signal to them. There have been violent attacks against Christians in other states and we thought that Andhra Pradesh would be free from this.

Have any such incidents occurred before in Andhra Pradesh?

Never. Machilipatnam is a quiet place and an educational centre. I have been in Hyderabad for 30 years as a pastor and never heard of such a serious incident.

Have there been minor attacks on Christians and churches here?

There were a few attacks in Andhra Pradesh. A pastor was attacked at Medchal and the local authorities did not bring the culprits to book. Some churches were attacked in various parts of the state. A church was pulled down in Secunderabad. The Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad authorities said this was done for road widening. They claimed that the building violated civic rules.

Why can they not bulldoze unauthorised structures on the road at Bashirbagh? They cannot because they belong to the majority community. At RTC Crossroads too, a similar structure of the majority community exists. But that encroachment has not been removed for obstructing traffic.

The government is not fair in dealing with issues pertaining to different faiths. For people of one faith, it has a particular attitude and for people of another religion it is biased. That is why we all feel hurt.

Who is behind the Machilipatnam incident?

We have heard that the first information report states that a person came to the venue and asked for a glass of water. A moment after he left, a bomb exploded. Whoever has done it, I strongly condemn it. But I cannot say anything without definitely knowing the identity of the culprits. They may be persons who do not have any belief in the Christian faith or those not interested in peace and harmony in society.

What does the Church plan to do to protest against such incidents?

A delegation led by the All-Indian Christian Council is proceeding to Machilipatnam. Representatives of various denominations and churches are associated with the delegation. After we return from Machilipatnam, we want to meet the governor and chief minister. In Machilipatnam, we will meet the district collector. We want to take out a silent rally to protest against the incident. We are peace-loving and cannot take the issue to the streets. But we are beginning to feel insecure. We believe in Almighty God and seek the support of all sections of society to see that such incidents do not recur.

Is the majority community against Christians?

No. All minorities and the majority community don't like such incidents, but there are some fringe groups which are interested in perpetrating such violence. We want to bring these incidents to the attention of our brothers and sisters of all communities and appeal to them to condemn these acts.

How large is the Christian population in Andhra Pradesh?

We are not interested in statistics. Christians constitute not less than 10 per cent of the state's population. That works out to seven million out of 70 million people in Andhra Pradesh. We are a peace-loving community committed to the welfare of all.

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