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The Hindu, Wednesday, January
15, 2003
U.S. missionary attacked
By Our Staff Reporter
The Protestant missionary, Joseph Kooper, who was attacked by
suspected RSS workers, being brought to a private hospital in
Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM JAN. 14. A
60-year-old American national and Protestant missionary, Joseph
Cooper, was grievously injured when he was attacked by a
10-member armed gang of suspected RSS activists near a
gospel convention venue at the Koppam Harijan colony in the
Kilimanoor police station limits near here, late on Monday night.
Police said that seven other persons, including a preacher and
his family accompanying Mr. Cooper, were also injured in the
attack. Mr. Cooper, hailing from New Castle in the U.S.,
sustained a deep cut on his right palm. He is under treatment at
a private hospital here.
Mr. Cooper had come to Kilimanoor to speak at the Koppam
Protestant Convention organised by the Puliyam Friends Bible
Church. He and his fellow church members were waylaid by the
armed gang while they were being escorted back to their vehicles
from the convention venue at around 9.45 p.m., police said.
The assailants first exploded a cracker to create panic. They
detained the missionary and other preachers for a few minutes
before attacking them with short sticks, swords and crowbars.
Among those injured are the preacher Benson (37), his wife, Sali
Benson, children Joy and Judith, Jayakumar and Mercy Christudas.
Police said the attackers fled when other church members rushed
to the rescue of Mr. Cooper. The injured were rushed to the
Medical College Hospital.
In a statement to police, Mr. Benson alleged that the
attack was carried out by local RSS workers led by an
autorickshaw driver. Police have arrested Raju (34), a former
Kilimanoor RSS functionary.
The Circle-Inspector (Kilimanoor), D. Rajagopal, said there was
no history of communal discord at the Koppam Harijan colony where
about 60 families lived. Some of the families practised both the
Christian and the Hindu faith.
When contacted, the SP (Rural), T.K. Vinod Kumar, said that
police raids were on to arrest the rest of the accused. RSS and
BJP workers, meanwhile, took out a march to the Kilimanoor police
station demanding the release of those arrested. When
contacted, the RSS Jilla saha karyavah, R. Santhosh, said that
his organisation had nothing to do with the attack. He alleged
that the speeches made by the U.S. missionary and other preachers
at the convention were "communally inflammatory" and
"insulting to practitioners of the Hindu faith".