Christianity Attacked by Indian Militants on Eve of Papal Visit

Thousands of Hindu militants shouted “Pope go back!” and hung posters throughout the capital Friday denouncing Christianity as a threat to Indian unity on the eve of Pope John Paul II’s pilgrimage to India.

The Pope arrived this morning in New Delhi for a 10-day, 14-city tour intended to promote religious brotherhood in India, where Hindus make up 83% of the population.

But a militant Hindu group called Rashtriya Chetna, or National Awareness, accused John Paul of coming to India to win Roman Catholic converts, a sensitive issue among Hindus.

“A face of unity and peace but working to divide and destroy the nation,” read one poster, which showed a figure in clerical garb striking a hammer at an image of India.

About 6,000 people, mostly Hindus but including Buddhists and Jains, marched through the city center chanting, “Pope go back, the Hindu religion is great!”

K. Narendra, a spokesman for Rashtriya Chetna, told the crowd: “Service and education are a mirage. The Pope has come for conversions.”

Death Threat Received

Demonstrators passed out copies of a letter to Indian President Zail Singh, the Pope’s official host, asking that he urge the Pope to withdraw the 1,200 foreign Roman Catholic missionaries from India.

Church officials received at least one death threat against the pontiff in Madras, and Bombay newspapers reported a second threat there.

Church officials deny that the Pope will seek to win converts. To show his respect for other Indian faiths, John Paul has been studying Hindu culture and tradition, the officials said.

The Pope is scheduled to meet about 1,000 representatives of various Indian religions, including Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Buddhists. He also plans to meet the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.