Attacks on believers mar New Year celebrations

Hindu fundamentalists went on the offensive in January 2007 assaulting Christians, destroying vehicles and organizing a protest rally against a church, dampening New Year celebrations.

On January 2, Hindu fundamentalists assaulted four pastors and vandalized a vehicle in Uttar Pradesh. The same day, another group attacked two more Christians and damaged a vehicle in neighboring Madhya Pradesh while in Andhra Pradesh, Hindu radicals staged an anti–Christian rally.

According to information obtained by Christian Today, around 200 members of the Hindu radical outfit, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council), accused four pastors of the Brethren Assembly church of forcibly converting innocent people and attacked them in Indirapuram, Uttar Pradesh, near Delhi.

The victims, identified as Samuel John, George Thomas, Abraham George and V.P. Paulouse, received severe internal injuries.

"We were attacked while we were distributing tracts on God's love to the local residents," Compass quoted Pastor George as saying. The extremists also badly damaged a car belonging to Pastor Paulouse.

He added that the extremists accused them of offering money to Hindus in exchange for their conversion to Christianity.

The pastors denied all allegations made against them. They were later taken to the local police station where they were held for more than four hours.

The police officers refused to register the complaint filed by the extremists regarding any kind of "forced conversions."

Despite the intense persecution and accusations, the pastors stated that they did not want to press any charges against their attackers. The All India Christian Council (AICC) had offered to help them in lodging an official complaint.

"We are Christians, and we believe in forgiveness," said George.

The General Secretary of the AICC, Dr. John Dayal, strongly denounced the attacks.

"The fact that Christians can be attacked in the National Capital Region (NCR) reflects how insecure we are in this country," Dayal told Compass Direct News.

The NCR comprises of Delhi and its neighboring cities: Ghaziabad, Noida, Faridabad and Gurgaon.
The same day, Dharma Sena (Religious Army) activists assaulted two Christians in Devera village in the Singroli area of Madhya Pradesh.

According to the Rev. Madhu Chandra of the AICC, the local Christians Shyam Sunder and Ram Deen received injuries in the chest and legs. He said the attack took place when nine Christians – guests of Nahum Das, a local Christian belonging to an independent church – were visiting Tez Bali, a believer in Devera village.

When the Christians were in Bali's house, local residents warned them that Hindu fundamentalists were approaching to launch an attack.

Hearing the news, Bali hid the nine guests in a room and locked it from the outside.

The extremists, however, damaged the boundary wall and broke into the house. They also broke the lock of the room where the Christians were hiding and beat Sunder and Deen.

They also damaged a car belonging to Das in which the Christian visitors were traveling.

When Das was informed about the attack, he called the police, who rescued the Christian visitors. The police reluctantly registered a complaint against the attackers after the intervention of a government official, Rev. Chandra said.

"To justify their attack, the extremists lodged a counter complaint against the Christians accusing them of conversions," a representative of the Christian Legal Association of India told Compass.

The police have registered a case against the victims for disturbing religious harmony under the Indian Penal code and for "indulging in conversions" under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act.

Meanwhile, on January 7, a pastor in Karnataka was beaten by a group of youths after his church's Sunday Service ended. The pastor needed sixteen stitches for the injuries he sustained from the assault on his head and back.

Pastor Robert Kennedy was worshipping with his church members at Jesus Preeti Church, Laggare, Bangalore, on the morning of January 7 for Sunday Service when seven youths entered the house church and joined the service.

The youth approached Pastor Kennedy after the service had ended and other church members had left. The youth requested the pastor to pray for a "sick friend" whose residence was near the church.

As they were leaving the church premises to head to the sick friend’s home, four of the youth attacked Pastor Kennedy.

"Suddenly all four attacked me, slapping my face, back and chest. One of them grabbed the microphone stand and struck me across the back, causing a deep gash, and blood began flowing out," Pastor Kennedy told Compass Direct News.

The other three youths later joined in the attack on Pastor Kennedy.
They also threatened the pastor, saying, "We will crucify you in the same way that Christ was crucified."

A church member, Rajendran who happened to return to the church during the attack, was also beaten by the youths.

Rajendran called for help from other church members after the youth had left. They rushed Pastor Kennedy to a clinic nearby. He received thirteen stitches on his back and three stitches on his head.

Pastor Kennedy believed that the attackers were from Hindu extremist groups because they were "mocking the teachings of Jesus Christ," Compass Direct News has reported.

Pastor Kennedy later filed a complaint at the Rajgopal police station under sections 323, 324, 506, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. So far, no arrests have been made.

Christian Legal Association (CLA) Karnataka have planned to submit a memorandum to the chief minister and home minister of the state in regard to the incident.

In another incident, on January 7, Hindu extremists severely beat Pastor Narsimullu Jacob of Vanasthalipuran village, Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.

The extremists had warned Narsimullu that morning to cease holding worship services and conducting evangelism in the area, Compass has reported.

Elsewhere, on January 6, Pastor Malaiya Gabriel was returning home from a weekly catechism class when a group of nine men approached him and warned him to stop indoctrinating the village children with stories about Christ.

Pastor Gabriel, who converted from Hinduism two years ago, lives in Shivalingam village in Nizamabad district.

Lionel Francis, coordinator of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), said the men threatened Pastor Gabriel with dire consequences if he continued his missionary activities.

Later, when Pastor Gabriel was returning from a visit to another Christian's home, a mob of around 50 people surrounded him and thrashed him with wooden clubs and batons. "They threatened to kill him if he did not stop evangelizing," Francis recalled.

Pastor Gabriel, who sustained severe injuries, was taken to a hospital for treatment.

"There is a worrying pattern of behavior in the activities of the RSS in Telangana," Francis told Compass. "First they issue a warning, and later the mob attacks."

Earlier on December 28, 2006, Hindu extremists assaulted Pastor Pawan Kumar, an independent pastor ministering near Bodhan, Telangana.

The extremists entered the home of local believer Issac Raju and thrashed some 14 believers, burning their Bibles and sound system.

Extremists had warned Pawan earlier that day to cease his Christian activities.

"The RSS and the Bajrang Dal have become much bolder in their attacks on Christians in Telengana," Francis said. "Even though we have filed complaints, no arrests have been made in relation to these attacks."