Christian women throng at Circuit House to display their agony

Mangalore, Sept 17 (UNI) It was a heartening scene at the Circuit House here where a large number of Christian women gathered to narrate their deep agony and horrible experiences they underwent during the last three days during attack on churches and prayer halls in the city followed by police atrocities on them with the Home Minister Dr V S Acharya who is camping here since last two days reviewing the situation.

The women were seen crying and complaining with the Deputy Commissioner M Maheshwar Rao and other politicians from different political parties including the Congress and the Janata Dal(Secular) demanding justice. The crowd was also seen, with deep anguish, demanding the Deputy Commissioner for the immediate release of their innocent kith and kins who have been arrested under false charges.

Some of the women showed bruises they got during lathi charge by the police on their hand and legs before the waiting press persons.

The women who were not allowed first to meet the Home Minister seen shouting against the state Government alleging instigating violence and atrocities on women by the police should be dismissed.

"We don't want such government and the Home Minister who do not have concern about the women. The entire incident was done at the behest of the government and the police, they alleged." Some women while briefing the press persons cautioned that they would not leave the Circuit House until their sons were not released from the jail. "Give us poison, we will drink and die instead of undergoing such mental and physical torture without seeing our children who have been arrested two days ago," said a weeping woman.

A 78 year old teacher Sister Denesia recounting the horrible experience told UNI that the people, most of them women were praying inside the church at Kulashekar and St. Joseph Church yesterday when police all of a sudden inside the churches without notice and started canning them. The horrified women and children ran helter shelter near the main stage to hide and some of them ran inside the nearby school. The police without consideration entered the main stage and inside the school dragging the women and children outside and hit with their lathis without any consideration about aged women or children. She said that should could not sit or lay down due to bruises she had got by the lathi charge. This government which had no consideration for women and children should go, she shouted with deep agony.

The assembled women were however allowed to meet the Home Minister later who heard their grievances.

UNI MA MSP TS1702