Prestigious Catholic school in Uttar Pradesh invokes Spirit of Jesus and BJP's wrath

In a bizarre incident, a Catholic school in Lucknow, encouraged by its principal and a local Catholic priest, conducted a 'seance' in the presence of its students – a 'special' occult session that had a medium 'transforming' into Christ and blessing them – that reportedly resulted in many students fainting on the spot and the local Hindu nationalist party, BJP, seeing red.

According to witnesses and police reports, a few terrified pupils fainted because the school allowed a man to act as if he was a "medium" for Jesus Christ and claim that Jesus had entered his body.

Principal Sister Monica of the prestigious 134–year old Loreto Convent admitted that the occult session of September 6 had terrified some girls who fainted during the 'holy experience.'

According to Sr. Monica, Nobo Kumar Mandal, head of a little–known Chandra Cult with its headquarters in Krishnagar (West Bengal) was invited by her and by Father Sebastian Kuzhipala, a Catholic priest based in Murshidabad to serve as a 'medium' before the students and induce Jesus to enter his body to "heal and bless" the gathering.

Students, who were privy to the show, recalled that Nobo Kumar went around grunting and growling, making hissing sounds while 'inducing' Jesus to enter his body.

During the ritual, Nobo started shuddering and collapsed on the ground, writhing. "I thought he was dead and I also passed out," said a student.

"It looked like he had a massive heart attack...we all were so scared," said another student.

"After a few agonizing moments he was up on his feet declaring Jesus was inside him and that he could bless anyone who sought his divine exaltation," said yet another student, on the condition of anonymity.

According to the student, they were made to line up to seek his blessings and as he rubbed a cross on their hands, Sr. Monica, and Fr. Sebastian sprinkled holy water on them.

"It is very painful when Jesus enters his body. That is why he was writhing on the ground," explained Sr. Monica.

"It is not unusual to be terrified when the Lord comes before you. Even I was frightened," she explained.

The principal, however, defended what happened in the school assembly. "Nobody was forced to stay because Jesus will never bless those who don't believe," she said, adding, "Along with mental development through studies, we also focus on spiritual development of children…this experience was precisely aimed at that."

However, many parents were not amused as many students fainted, some requiring medical attention.

"What was the school upto?" demanded one girl's parents, noting that most girls were either horrified or too shocked to explain the phenomenon. "Why are they doing such things in an educational institution?"

However, Sr. Monica remained defiant about her actions, saying, "Ours is a Catholic institution. Parents who have problems with such spiritual acts, are free to take their children to some other school."

The shocking incident also made the local Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) see red.

According to news reports, on Sunday, around 40 Hindu activists, belonging to the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the nation's main opposition party, stormed the school, breaking windows of the school's chapel and damaging flower pots and doors.

"If the college had to conduct a religious prayer meeting, it should have been done after school hours… why were all students forced to attend the session?" asked BJP state president Kesri Nath Tripathi, who sees it as a "sinister move for conversion" (to Christianity).

"We have already arrested three men," senior police officer G.K. Goswami said, adding further arrests would be made.

Catholic educational institutions in Lucknow remained closed on Monday in protest against the attack by BJP activists.

"All the 16 Catholic schools in the city remained closed in protest against Sunday's attack," state Catholic Association secretary Father Paul Rodrigues said.

Security personnel remained deployed in strength around all missionary schools as a precautionary measure, police said.

Meanwhile, taking a serious view of the matter and the complaint of the parents, the Uttar Pradesh government has ordered an inquiry by the District Magistrate and directed him to submit the report within three days, according to official sources here.

According to District Magistrate (DM) Ramendra Tripathi, a major part of the inquiry was already over and the committee was now streamlining the details collected in order to help deduce if the allegations levelled against the educational institute were correct.

"The inquiry will also focus on whether the event was organised by the management or by an individual alone without seeking any acknowledgement from the rest of the management members," Tripathi said.

Christians make up over two percent of mainly Hindu India's 1.03 billion population and have faced attacks by hardline Hindus in the past, especially over the propagation of Christianity.