Church leaders slam Maoists for train attack

Church leaders in India have condemned a Maoist attack on a train in West Bengal that killed 65 people and injured another 200 early this morning.
Brother Mani Mekkunnel, national secretary of Conference of Religious India, condemned the attack which he said was a symbol of human cruelty.
“It is a sign of sickness and the time has come to tackle such things. The government should be firm while dealing with such elements,” the Montfort Brother said.
Sabotage of the track derailed 13 coaches, pushing them into the path of an oncoming freight train in the early hours of May 28.
“We express our condolences for those who are killed. One should understand that by killing people nobody can achieve their goal,” Reverend Enos Pradhan, general secretary of the Church of North India, told UCA news.
The Protestant Church official said the government should take adequate safety measures in sensitive places.
Herod Mullick, general secretary of the Kolkata-based Bangiya Christo Parishad (council for Bengal Christians), said the incident “was very unfortunate and the people behind this should realize that what they are doing is against humanity.”
Mullick said he fails to understand the attackers’ aim and wants them to abstain from violence.
“We will pray for the victims and for those behind this incident so that they change their way,” he told UCA news.
The train accident comes just 10 days after the Maoists blew up a bus in Jharkhand, another state in eastern India, killing 35 people.