A Vacation Bible School that was in session was disrupted and the local pastor threatened by some activists of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a fundamentalist Hindu organization, in Tamil Nadu in May this year, it has emerged now.
Around 90 children were in attendance in the VBS on May 12 when three persons, who identified themselves as activists of the RSS, barged into the class that was being held in a school in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.
One of them hit a girl and asked the children to run out of the school while another man tore the pages of some books, part of the VBS literature. They threatened Pastor S Immanuel, who was in-charge of the VBS, and asked him to stop ‘conversions.’
When the pastor clarified that no conversions were being done there, the activists argued with him saying children retain what is taught to them at a young age long after the classes are over.
“During the argument, the activists tried to beat me up,” Pastor Immanuel of Peace Prayer House told The Christian Messenger.
“We tried explaining to them that what is being taught at the VBS were some songs and stories with good morals but they would not listen to me,” he said.
The RSS activists even tried to cow down the school building owner where the VBS was being held by threatening to stage a dharna and blocking new admissions to the school.
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