ICC Note:
Christians in Kurla village protested in large numbers yesterday after two icons of the Mother Mary were discovered to be desecrated. The icons were in glass cases in front of the village and were discovered on Sunday morning to have been desecrated. Attacks on Christians and their places of worship in India have dramatically increased in recent years. The impunity enjoyed by those perpetrating these attacks is often cited as one of the main reasons for this dramatic increase. Will the perpetrators of this desecration be brought to justice? 
02/20/2017 India (DNA) – Christians in Kurla village protested in large numbers as the word spread that two idols of Mother Mary in their village were desecrated on Sunday morning. The idols, covered by a glass facade, were at the entrance of the village and also inside the village. According to members of the community, the desecration happened at around 4 am in the morning. There were different theories that were being talked about as to how the desecration happened. Some said that some people on bikes threw paver blocks, while others did not know of just how the desecration happened.
“Someone close to the statue heard the glass being broken but then she did not bother about it not thinking and knowing that it was Mother Mary’s idol that was desecrated,” said Lovinda Gomes, resident of Kurla village. The resident who said that while robbing of chains around Mother Mary was common, it was the first time that idol was desecrated. “The outside idol suffered more damage. Some boys who were around saw that paver blocks were thrown by some people in the bike. It was they who created noise and informed people in the vicinity. The incident comes days before the BMC election, it is very disturbing,” said Ingrid Gomes, a resident who live close to the idol.
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