A Church leader in Madhya Pradesh has hailed the High Court’s decision to seek more information on violence suffered by Christians in the central Indian state.

“This is a very good sign that the court has understood the gravity of the situation and now we have a fair chance to present our case in a court of law,” said Father Anand Muttungal, spokesperson of the Catholic Church in the state.

The recent court order came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) the Church filed in 2008 against right-wing Hindu groups’ continued violence against Christians and their institutions.

The PIL sought protection for Christians and their property.

Father Muttungal told ucanews.com on July 29 that the Church will furnish complete details of the attacks to the court in a couple of days.

The Church has a record of attacks it suffered since the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People’s Party) came to power in December 2003, he said. Since then the number of such cases has risen to 180, a figure which could increase if unreported cases are included.

One of the petitioners in the case, Francis Joseph, said they expect the court to “pass an order that will protect our constitutional right to live and practice our religion.”

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