Anti–Christian violence reported during Easter week

At least three pastors were attacked and 70 Dalit Christians were "reconverted" to Hinduism on Easter Sunday, Compass has reported.

In another incident, in Uttar Pradesh police arrested a fourth pastor on false charges of "conversion."

These incidents followed violent attacks on two Palm Sunday processions and the beating and torture of yet another pastor during the Lenten season.

According to information obtained by Compass Direct, supporters of the Hindu radical outfit, the Dharma Sena (Religious Army), attacked Christians, April 1 (Palm Sunday), injuring seven Christians during final prayers at St. Paul’s Church of the Church of North India (CNI) denomination in Gokulpur, Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh.

In the second incident, two Christians in Damoh district suffered serious head injuries in an attack by unidentified extremists on a procession largely comprised of Sunday school children from local churches. The attack occurred as the group stopped at a shop for sugar cane juice.

In yet another incident, Hindu extremists attacked two pastors of Believers’ Church on April 8 (Easter) in Salwa village in Mandla district. The Hindu radicals stormed the house of two young pastors, Dinesh Toppo and Chandan Chhinchani, in Salwa village in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district on Easter and began questioning them. The Hindu radicals then ransacked the house and began beating the pastors. Then they forcibly dragged them from the house and rained blows on them, hurling insults and shouting anti–Christian slogans even as villagers watched helplessly. The attackers finally left, alleging that the pastors were indulging in "conversion" and flesh trade, promising to complain against them to the police.

Later that day, the local police summoned the Christians to the station for interrogation, as the attackers had lodged a false complaint against them. The police arrested the pastors April 9, but they were subsequently released on bail.

In a similar manner, about 50–60 extremists allegedly belonging to the Bajrang Dal youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) stormed a house church in Krotal village, Shirad Valley, in Himachal Pradesh's Manali district while the Easter service was going on.

Initially, the attackers stormed into the house church and sat quietly observing the service that was led by Pastor Yona Babu.

Subsequently, one of the VHP activists stood up and started abusing Pastor Babu with false allegations of force and fraudulent conversion. "They insisted that I denounce my Christian faith and forced me to burn the Bible inside the church," said Pastor Babu.

When Pastor Babu refused to burn the Bible and denounce his Christian faith, the mob started beating him. He was severely beaten and was rendered unconscious.

The VHP mob then warned other believers to denounce their Christian faith otherwise they would face the same consequences. "Church members were strong in their faith and they testified the reason why they were following Jesus," recalled Pastor Babu.

The mob finally left after seizing some church musical instruments.

In another incident, apparently, the same VHP mob stormed another house church at Krotal near Manali and disrupted the prayer meeting. The mob manhandled the believers, warning them to stop gathering or face dire consequences.

AICC state secretary, Rev. Sam Abraham, subsequently discovered that Pastor Babu and found out that he did not register any complaint in the police station as he did not have any affiliated church body to help him.

Later, with the initiative of the AICC, Pastor Babu went to Kullu Police Station to lodge a complaint against the culprits but it was reported that the police had refused to entertain the complaint. Subsequently, a complaint letter addressed to the District Collector of Manali was submitted.

On enquiry, the Station House Officer (SHO), Sarwan Chandel of Kullu Police Station, pretended ignorance and later he told the AICC that the District Collector has instructed him to enquire into the matter.

However, in spite of instructions from the District Collector, no police action has been taken so far to trace and arrest the culprits.

"When any allegation is made against Christians, police immediately take action but the case is different when Christians complain," said Rev. Abraham, expressing frustration.

Since the enactment of the anti–conversion law early this year in Himachal Pradesh, rise in incidence of anti–Christian persecution have been reported.

In another incident in Andhra Pradesh, a Hindu seer, Shankaracharya Sri Swaroopanandenda Saraswati, led the "reconversion" of about 70 Dalit Christians in a function held at Maridimamba temple in Recherla area in Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada district on Easter.

According to local daily, Andhra Jyoti, the "reconverts" reportedly took an oath saying, "We will live as Hindus and die as Hindus." It could not be ascertained, however, whether the "reconverts" were actually Christian.

The seer, who is the head of Visakha Sarada Peetham sect, said he organized the function to protect Hinduism. He also accused "some culprits" of indulging in "forcible conversion" of "innocent people." The reconversion program, he announced, would spread to Srikakulam, Chittoor and Hyderabad districts later this month.

In another incident, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS or National Volunteers Unit), along with its numerous affiliate groups, on April 2 staged a motorcycle rally in Kaviti area in Andhra Pradesh's Tekkali division, alleging that Christians were converting Hindus through force and monetary enticements, according to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).

Meanwhile, an unidentified group brutally attacked a Christian worker on March 21 in Andhra Pradesh state. Evangelist Samuel Bandaru from Srirangapuam, Nalgonda, Andhra Pradesh, was masked and beaten by some 16 unidentified extremists, March 21, when he was returning after conducting prayer in one of the believers' house in Thumnalapalli.

Shouting anti–Christian slogans, the extremists dragged the believer to a nearby school compound where they continued to beat him up. The radicals even attempted to strangle him when, in spite of their insistence, he refused to renounce Christ.

The radicals continuously told Bandaru that Christ is not an Indian God and is an imported God from America. They even accused him of being a terrorist and rained blows on him till his whole body became bruised.

He was even threatened with a knife placed on his neck.

Finally, realizing that Bandaru was not one to be cowered by their threats, they damaged his bicycle beyond repairs and left.

Bandaru meanwhile prayed to God for strength and found his way back home. He later informed his mentor Pastor Ravi Kumar who helped in filing a police complaint in the Mothey police station.

The attackers are yet to be traced and arrested.

On April 5, the police in Uttar Pradesh state's Chandauli district arrested a pastor of the GEMS ministry on a false complaint. The inspector of the Nawgad police station, Nandu Ram, told Compass that local residents had lodged a complaint based on a newspaper report claiming Pastor Munsi Lal had induced and converted Hindu families by paying them Rs. 2,000 ($45). Pastor Lal was detained for one day before he was fined Rs. 111 ($2.50) and released.

Pastor Lal later told Compass that he was safe although the atmosphere in his village remained tense following the incident. Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections started April 7 and will conclude May 8.