Hindu activists attack pastor in Rajasthan

In a shocking incident, a pastor in Jaipur, Rajasthan, was assaulted by activists belonging to the Hindu fundamentalist outfits, the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

On April 29, when Pastor Walter Masih concluded the Sunday Service in his house church in Nandpuri, he heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was a visitor, Pastor Masih opened the door and to his shock, about a group of 15–20 armed men wearing masks barged in and began brutally beating him with wooden sticks. "[The pastor] was brutally beaten and was also hit in the abdomen with sharp objects," national daily The Times of India quoted his neighbor, who witnessed the attack, as saying.

Pastor Masih has been admitted to a local hospital for treatment of internal injuries, said Rev. Rakesh Malachi, pastor of a local church. "It is a pre–planned, well orchestrated attack. We have also received information on other possible attacks on Christians living in the state," Rev. Malachi said.

The incident has evoked protests from local Christians who are fearing the safety of the minority communities in Rajasthan, a state governed by Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The incident has also drawn widespread criticism as the police had failed to come to his aid in time in spite of Pastor Masih's house being situated just a kilometer away from Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje's official residence in Jaipur.

Pastor Masih's wife and his nine–year old daughter, who were witnesses to the attack, are yet to recover from the shock.

"I am unaware whether they were from Hindu groups. I am serving the people and I want an unbiased probe into the matter," Pastor Masih told The Times of India over the phone. Those who are against Christianity are behind the attack, he added.

Circle Officer of Sodala, Rakesh Puri, said Masih was teaching Christianity and a case has been registered against 20 people for alleging beating him.

According to sources close to the development, most of the attackers, who are yet to be identified, were aged between 18 and 22 years.

"We are investigating the matter. We have conducted a medical examination of the pastor and will arrest those involved in the crime," said Anil Paliwal, Superintendent of Police (SP), Jaipur (South). Paliwal has denied that the police were negligent in their duty of protecting the pastor as no one had approached them for aid or protection.

Incidentally, last week, some people had tried to disrupt a revival meeting for local Christians conducted by Pastor Masih by snapping off the wires of the PA system.

Meanwhile, local VHP and Bajrang Dal leaders have denied their involvement in the incident.