Jabalpur goes Khandamal way

Communal violence between Hindus and Christians has been on rise in various parts of the country.The latest in the row of the attacks on churches is in Madhya Pradesh, again a Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state. Two men broke into a church in Jabalpur late on Thursday night. There were no casualties as the church was closed. Immediately after the incident, there were protests by Christians but the situation is now under control. (Watch)Earlier, in August, communal strife between Hindus and Christians in the Kandhmal district of Orissa hit the headlines. On August 23, Swami Saraswati, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, and four others were killed by suspected Maoist guerrillas at Swami's ashram in Kandhamal district.Violence erupted across the district as Saraswati's supporters started blocking trains and vehicles in protest. The row became worse on August 25 after an orphanage was burnt and a woman died in the fire in the Bargarh district. Violence erupted across the state and soon came a condemnation from the Vatican as the Pope expressed his profound sadness. Kandhamal remains on the edge even now.A few weeks later, on September 14, similar clashes appeared in Mangalore in Karnataka, after at least six churches and prayer halls were attacked by Bajrang Dal supporters. A day later, there was a police crackdown on Christian protesters, with reports of police brutality against women and nuns and the National Commission for Women demanding an inquiry. The ruling BJP is under attack over reports that it is going soft with the Bajrang Dal.