Dadra and Nagar Haveli say Hindu militants are threatening to kill them and burn their homes unless they leave the troubled region, BosNewsLife established.
The apparent campaign of intimidation and religious cleansing began in the Territory’s village of Sili Talavpada on December 31, when violent activists of the Hindu fundamentalist organization, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) entered the area, witnesses said.
"The VHP [activists] attacked while Christians were attending a prayer meeting peacefully," a local missionary of an indigenous Christian organization, Friends’ Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB), told BosNewsLife. "[They] stormed the meeting and made [the Christians] vacate the hall immediately, threatening them with deadly weapons," the missionary said on condition of anonymity.
The attack took place in a thatched cottage where the tribal members, who became Christians 12 years ago, gathered for prayer and worship every Sunday and Tuesday, the believers said.
DANGEROUS WEAPONS
"They (VHP activists) attacked us with dangerous weapons such as axes, iron and hockey sticks, and chains, threatening to kill us and burn down our houses and churches," claimed other tribal Christians in a letter sent to the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI).
"The VHP activists asked us to leave our village and go to Italy or America," they added in the letter to the EFI, a Charter Member of the World Evangelical Alliance of evangelical churches, organizations and individuals.
Tribal Christians from Sili Talavpada asked the EFI to intervene in the conflict, which they describe as the most serious since 2002, when they were also threatened by Hindu militants although "that quarrel was settled," peacefully, villagers said.
TRIBAL BELT
The Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli where this and other alleged incidents happen lies near India’s west coast, surrounded by the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is known as the "tribal belt" as tribes make up about 80 per cent of the local population. The term, ‘tribals’ refers to the original habitants of India.
There are about 25,000 tribal Christians and 36 churches in the Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, according to estimates.
Analysts say the Hindutva, the political ideology of Hindu fundamentalists, claims India as a land that belongs to Hindus while Christians are seen as ‘foreigners’. According to government figures Hindus constitute roughly 82 percent of India’s roughly 1.1 billion population, while Christians make up just over 2 percent.
POLICE TROUBLES
Tribal Christians claim that although they have filed complaints against the Hindu organization attacking them, local police refused to take action. Police officials could not be reached for comment, but VHP activists seemed to confirm the allegations.
In a statement obtained by BosNewsLife, VHP activists urged Christians to "reconvert" to Hinduism. They said the police "was with the VHP" and that nothing would happen even "if they sent letters to the President of India, the Home Minister, or the Congress President Ms. Sonia Gandhi."
It was not immediately clear if Gandhi or any other high ranking national official was aware of the growing tensions in Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, which is one of the regions supported by the India Development Relief Fund (IDRF).
U.S. SUPPORT
The IDRF, which is registered with the Internal Revenue Service of the United States for tax exemption, has been accused of supporting extremist organizations attacking religious minorities. In the Territory, the IDRF gives aid to the Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, an organization close to the VHP, BosNewsLife learned.
Missionary workers and church officials say the latest violence is part of growing Hindu pressure on India’s Christian community, at a time when the number of churches is growing, despite apparent persecution.
Gospel for Asia (GFA) said several of the 14,000 native missionaries it supports have been killed or injured in recent years. On Sunday, February 13, six GFA Biblical Seminary students were forcibly abducted and beaten in the latest anti-Christian violence, but "are now recovering from injuries sustained during the attack," the U.S. backed organization added.
(Introducing Vishal Arora, 32, as BosNewsLife’s New Delhi Bureau Chief. Journalist Arora has been working for a variety of national and international publications covering persecution and other hard hitting news stories. He can be reached via e-mail at: vishalarora_in@hotmail.com).
