During the Gujarat carnage it was not only Muslims who
were attacked but also Christians. Christians were the target of BJP, VHP,
BD, RSS goon squads right from ’98 until ’99. (See section on Build-Up
in Gujarat, Volume II) On March 2, 2002, a mission being run at
Sanjeli by the Divine Word society was ransacked and burnt by RSS and VHP
activists. Father Chachkochan and his companion brother Gnanarul were
attacked with stones by a mob at around 2 p.m. The attackers returned at 6
p.m, broke open the house, looted and set fire to the building. The two
victims managed to reach the Jhalod Mission by walking a few kilometres
and then getting a lift. Then, the Indian missionary society compound at
Dhudia (which is close to the Limkheda taluka headquarters near
Godhra) was ransacked. Sixty children were chased out and property looted,
also on March 2. On the day of the Bharat bandh on March 2, the
Mahatma Gandhi school run by the Catholic Mission at Rajkot began its day
not knowing about the bandh. RSS and VHP activists reached there
and terrorised the school into closing down.
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