Compass Direct News, a Christian news agency investigating reports of persecuted, and rights investigators have identified some key news developments in the predominantly Hindu nation of 1.1 billion people:
–In the state of Maharashtra, Hindu militants from the Shiv Sena group allegedly disrupted a worship service in Chandrapur June 1, burning Bibles and pressuring a pastor to give a false statement that he was "forcibly converting" people. The assailants entered the Assemblies of God church on the pretext of taking video footage of the service at around 10 a.m. and stopped the service, the Christian Legal Association of India said. The extremists shouted Hindu devotional slogans inside the church and slapped the pastor when he refused to succumb to their demands, Compass Direct News quoted the Association as saying. Police said they are investigating the incident.
–It came as in the state of Chhattisgarh some 25 Hindu nationalists reportedly disrupted a June 1 worship church service, saying the pastor and believers were involved in "forced conversions". They also destroyed church furniture in the church in Raipur Naka of Durg district, the Evangelical Fellowship of India reportedly said. The militants raided the independent Masihi Mandir church of Reverend Nelson Daniel, shouting “Jai Sri Ram [Praise Lord Rama]” at about 11 am local time, witnesses said. The militants also vandalized furniture and threatened church members with "serious consequences" if they continued to worship Christ, Compass Direct News reported. Later that evening some 40 Hindu militants returned to the church shouting anti- Chris tian slogans and threatening more attacks on area churches, Christians said, adding that police have been asked to support the Christians and arrest those responsible.
–Earlier in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Hindu nationalists accusing a pastor of forced conversions, hit him on the head with an iron rod and left him lying semi-conscious in a pool of blood in Dadar village of Rewa district on May 27, advocacy group Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) said. GCIC, a major advocacy group, said pastor Rampal Kori of Eternal Life Ministries was on his way home from an all-night prayer meeting when “two Hindu extremists” of the youth wing of the , Vishwa Hindu Parishad, or World Hindu Council groep, stopped and questioned him. One of the Hindu militants allegedly slapped and punched Kori, while the other warned him "not to conduct any Christian meetings in the village," the pastor was quoted as saying. He “hit me on the head with an iron rod” before they fled and stealing 3,000 rupees ($75), Kori said. GCIC Regional Coordinator Sam Mathew said in a statement that, "Kori was taken to the government hospital and received three stitches on his head. Later he registered a police complaint against his attackers." No arrests had been made.
–On the same say in Madhya Pradesh in Kharra Nivi, Rewa district, a group of Hindu militants of the Bajrang Dal group “seriously injured a believer and beat his wife for their faith,” Christians said. The extremists allegedly beat Shankarlal Saket for embracing Christianity and enlisted village boys to fill the couple’s water pump with stones, reported GCIC. "When the couple went to the boys’ parents to complain, the intolerant Hindus along with the boys’ parents were waiting for them and seized the chance to savagely beat them. Saket was hospitalized for one week with 20 stitches in his head." Local residents were reportedly angered over his decision to became a Christian four years ago. Christians in the area reportedly face continual opposition and accusations of forcible conversion, charges they strongly deny.
–Just a day earlier in India’s Andhra Pradesh state news emerged that Hindu nationalists allegedly belonging to the feared Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) group in Tembi village of Adilabad district reportedly demolished a thatched hut used as a church for about 25 people, after accusing the pastor that he pressured local Hindus to become Christians. Passtor Yesu Das of Believers Church was standing outside the hut when two villagers allegedly insulted him and falsely accused the church leader of forcibly converting the local Lambadi tribal people. Backed by other Hindus and armed with wooden clubs and iron rods. “They completely demolished the church, continuously shouting that Christianity is a foreign faith,” local Christians said. Villagers often complained about the activities of Christian tribal people who worshipped there, Christians said. Pastor has not registered a police complaint apparently because he has forgiven the extremists, Compass Direct News said.
–In the state of Karnataka, Hindu militants were also active and on May 24, members allegedly belonging to the Hindu Jagarna Vedike and Vishwa Hindu Parishad groups reportedly assaulted staff members and students of Timothy Theological School (TS) in Sathanarayapettai of Bellary district, the GCIC said. Some 20 militants reportedly stormed the house church where classes were being held. "The extremists shouted filthy abuses, slapped the lecturing pastor identified only as Rev. Jayaprakash, and made false accusations of forcible conversion against him,” said GCIC President Sajan K. George. “The Rev. Dr. Isaac Namadevu, director of TTS, tried to pacify the extremists that no conversion was going on, but they began repeatedly slapping and hitting him too." The Hindus also kicked and punched 15 students, he said. "The extremists, cursing the Christian faith, tore up Bibles and religious study material, wrecked the tables and chairs and smashed the window panes," explained George in a statement. Police reportedly detained 11 suspects, but they were apparently released the next day without being charged.
–Elsewhere in Andhra Pradesh, Hindu militants of the RSS group and Bajrang Dal “ambushed” and beat several pastors on May 23 in Bhainsa village of Adilabad district, GCIC’s Georg said. The troubles allegedly occurred during Living Christ Church pastors training seminar on May 22 and 23 in the same district. As part of the training, some 20 pastors, had gone to different parts of the district for evangelisation, GCIC said. “While they were passing through [the area of] Bhainsa, a tree trunk blocked their road. When a few pastors got out of jeeps to clear the road, 20 Hindu extremists accosted them, and a pastor identified only as Zephania handed out a gospel tract. The intolerant Hindus began cursing the Chris tian faith and found stones and sticks with which to hit the pastors, dragging others out of the jeeps and striking them as well.” The attackers phoned fellow militants, and eventually over 100 arrived with cricket bats and iron rods, which they used to beat the pastors for nearly two hours, said GCIC regional coordinator Lion Francis. "The extremists also robbed the mobile phones and wallets of the pastors."
Police eventually stopped and chased away the extremists and escorted the pastors to the police station and registered a complaint against the attackers, Francis said in published remarks. Pastors Bommana Prakash, Prabhakar Rao, Prem Jhonson and Zephania were admitted to a private medical clinic with swollen limbs and internal injuries, Christians said. Pastor Janardhan Rao lost two front teeth, and other pastors suffered minor cuts and bruises all over their bodies, including one with a bleeding nose and one with a black eye, Compass Direct News reported.
–In Andhra Pradesh Hindu militants of the RSS group were also active May 16, filing a “false complaint” against a Bible teacher after storming her Vacation Bible Study in Krishnadasanapalli village of Kuppam, Chittoor District, GCIC investigators said. Some 20 “extremists” led by a local villager disrupted the Bible class as Sister Munirathnam Harita, 29, of Missionary Assembly Church was teaching 25 children. “Abusing her in foul language, they grabbed the Bible from her hands and tore it, and they shouted at the students, snatching their gospel tracts and chased them away," George said. He said the the Hindu mob forced Harita to the Kuppam police station and filed a false complaint of ‘forcible conversion’ against her." Police angrily questioned her and eventually send her away after several hours, with a strict warnings not to conduct more Bible classes in the village, GCIC President George added.
–Earlier in May there were two major other incidents in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Christians said. They said some 30 “intolerant Hindus armed with hockey sticks, bats and stones” attacked the Novitiate of the Presentation Sisters at the state’s capital Bhopal on May 15, beating two novices and destroying property. Sister Silvya Francis was quoted as saying they forced their way into the convent at around 6:30 pm, and destroyed window panes, a television set, lanterns and other property. “The estimated loss is around one lakh [100,000 rupees, or US$2,333],” she said. "Before attacking they had disconnected the telephone lines.” One of the novices told Father Anand Muttungal quote the militants as saying: “We are Hindus, and we don’t want you here.’" Police eventually detained 13 militants but nine of them have meanwhile been released on bail, news reports said. Local Christians say the state government has failed to follow a High Court interim directive to provide security to the Chris tian community. The attacked convent impoverished people in the area for six years.
It came a day after Hindu militants attacked and burned the house and belongings of Thavariya Mehda, a tribal Christian from the state’s Jobat district, on May 14, because of his involvement in a local church Compass Direct News said, citing local sources. Mehda, who resides in Kila Jobat village, apparently attends a local church led by pastor Kanhaiya Lal of Jobat town. Local evangelist Kemta Chauhan was quoted as saying that the man’s family of 10 slept outside the house because of the hot summer temperatures when a man from the same village "burned his house" because he opposes Thavaria’s Christian faith. Witnesses said the fire consumed everything in the house, including 40 pounds of wheat, one kilogram of silver, 15,000 rupees (US$350), stored corn, lentils and food grain, as well as clothes and utensils. "Two of Thavaria’s goats were burnt alive,” Chauhan added in published remarks. “Now the family of 10 is homeless, without food and clothing, and the rains are only adding to their trouble." Thavaria has reportedly filed a complaint with local police but has named no suspect, apparently for fear of retribution. "I cannot tell the police that my being a Chris tian is the reason for jealousy for my rivals," Thavaria reportedly said.
Rights groups have linked the attacks to concerns among Hindu groups about the spread of Christianity in India.
