Hindu extremists attack Christian families for refusing to renounce faith

Mumbai – The Jamanya village in Jalgaon district of Maharastra witnessed atrocity of the worst kind when a Hindu mob, enraged at the refusal by a Christian family to renounce their faith, brutally beat them and even tried to strip the women in the group.

The ordeal began for the Christian families on May 15 when they were summoned by the village panchayat (village court) and directed to renounce their faith. The reason? They brought bad luck to the village by embracing Christianity, they were told.

However, when the families refused to do so, they were chased out of the village by a Hindu mob armed with clubs, who threatened to kill them. According to Compass Direct, some members of the families were captured and beaten up severely.

Later, that night, under the cover of darkness some members of the families tried to return to their homes but found a mob of armed villagers standing guard before the doors. That night the men fled in fear to a neighboring village and took shelter there for the night.

The following day, on May 16, the Hindu mob, enraged at having failed to catch the male members of the Christian families, vented their ire on innocent women and children of the household, thrashing them severely. According to news reports, some children fainted after receiving severe beatings. The mob also tried to disrobe the women, Compass Direct reported.

However, quick intervention by the local police authorities helped restore law and order in the village. Meanwhile, complaints and counter–complaints have been filed by the Christian families and the village officials in the Yawal district police station.

According to local reports, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) and the Bajrang Dal (BD) have a strong presence in Jalgaon district. Sattar Singh, the Jamanya village leader who allegedly initiated the May 15 attack against the small Christian community, also has ties with the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.

The local Christian community is hoping to work out a peaceful resolution with the Hindu villagers, thereby ending the hostility they have faced for the past several years.