A primary school textbook picture showing Jesus Christ holding a beer cane and a cigarette is infuriating India’s Christians and fueling sectarian tension in the country.
"We are deeply shocked and hurt at the objectionable portrayal of Jesus Christ in the school book," Archbishop Dominic Jala told Agence France Presse (AFP) Monday, February 22.
"We condemn the total lack of respect for religions by the publisher."
The lampooning picture was found in a handwriting book for children in church-run schools in the Christian-majority northeastern state of Meghalaya.
The image was used to illustrate the letter "I" for the word "Idol".
The Indian Catholic Youth Movement of the Shillong Archdiocese denounced the image.
"The publication of the despicable picture has deeply hurt our religious sentiments, and its publisher has manifestly breached the provisions of the Constitution of India."
The Meghalaya state government condemned the controversial Christ image.
"We strongly condemn such a blasphemous act," said M. Ampareen Lyngdoh, the education minister.
Christians make up less than 3 percent of India's 1.1 billion population, but over 70 percent of Meghalaya populace.
Insulting
The Catholic Church has banned all textbooks of the involved New Delhi-based printing house, Skyline Publications.
"We have told all our member schools across the country to ban this publisher," said Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).
"Jesus Christ is central to Christian faith and Christian life.
"The attempt to tarnish his image is highly objectionable and goes against the spirit of religious tolerance in India."
The blasphemous image has sparked sectarian tension and a spate of attacks on churches in the state.
Two churches were burnt while the priests were thrashed and their houses ransacked after Christian youths took to the streets to protest the picture.
To ease tension, the government has sealed off the printing house and arrested its owner.
"Legal action has been initiated against the publisher," said minister Lyngdoh.
India’s Christians often complain of discrimination and abuses by the Hindu majority.
In 2008, a Catholic nun was gang-raped and paraded half-naked through the streets by Hindu mob in the eastern state of Orissa.
Dozens of churches, prayer halls and Catholic-run schools were attacked by Hindu extremists in the state.
Hardline Hindu groups accuse Christian missionaries of bribing poor people and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity by offering free education and health care.
Catholic groups say Christians in the state are being forced to reconvert to Hinduism.
"We are deeply shocked and hurt at the objectionable portrayal of Jesus Christ in the school book," Archbishop Dominic Jala told Agence France Presse (AFP) Monday, February 22.
"We condemn the total lack of respect for religions by the publisher."
The lampooning picture was found in a handwriting book for children in church-run schools in the Christian-majority northeastern state of Meghalaya.
The image was used to illustrate the letter "I" for the word "Idol".
The Indian Catholic Youth Movement of the Shillong Archdiocese denounced the image.
"The publication of the despicable picture has deeply hurt our religious sentiments, and its publisher has manifestly breached the provisions of the Constitution of India."
The Meghalaya state government condemned the controversial Christ image.
"We strongly condemn such a blasphemous act," said M. Ampareen Lyngdoh, the education minister.
Christians make up less than 3 percent of India's 1.1 billion population, but over 70 percent of Meghalaya populace.
Insulting
The Catholic Church has banned all textbooks of the involved New Delhi-based printing house, Skyline Publications.
"We have told all our member schools across the country to ban this publisher," said Babu Joseph, spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).
"Jesus Christ is central to Christian faith and Christian life.
"The attempt to tarnish his image is highly objectionable and goes against the spirit of religious tolerance in India."
The blasphemous image has sparked sectarian tension and a spate of attacks on churches in the state.
Two churches were burnt while the priests were thrashed and their houses ransacked after Christian youths took to the streets to protest the picture.
To ease tension, the government has sealed off the printing house and arrested its owner.
"Legal action has been initiated against the publisher," said minister Lyngdoh.
India’s Christians often complain of discrimination and abuses by the Hindu majority.
In 2008, a Catholic nun was gang-raped and paraded half-naked through the streets by Hindu mob in the eastern state of Orissa.
Dozens of churches, prayer halls and Catholic-run schools were attacked by Hindu extremists in the state.
Hardline Hindu groups accuse Christian missionaries of bribing poor people and low-caste Hindus to convert to Christianity by offering free education and health care.
Catholic groups say Christians in the state are being forced to reconvert to Hinduism.
