Hindu extremists disrupt healing event in Delhi, assault pastors

New Delhi – In a shocking incident, a mob of Hindu extremists disrupted a healing programme conducted by the Indian Pentecostal Church and assaulted six pastors who sustained serious injuries in the attack.

On October 14, the Indian Pentecostal Church was conducting a “Festival of Healing” in Dayalpur, Delhi, when suddenly some Hindu fundamentalists stormed into the prayer hall, disrupting the programme.

“Five people stormed the stage at about 3 p.m., while we were leading in praise and worship,” said one of the pastors, on conditions of anonymity. “They asked us to stop the meeting. And before we could understand what was happening, one of the attackers snatched the microphone from my hand and shouted, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai [Glory to Mother India].’”

According to Compass Direct, three people who were quietly attending the programme, suddenly joined the group of five and the mob went on a rampage.

Chanting anti–Christian slogans, the mob destroyed the public address system and musical instruments. The mob also turned violent and picking up chairs, they hurled them at the Christians who had gathered for the programme.

Six pastors – Pastors K.Y. Babu, Justin, K. Verghese, George Wilson, Victor Masih and Robin Masih – sustained injuries in the melee. Pastors Babu and Justin had to be hospitalized.

The extremists also seized a cell phone, wristwatch, and a digital camera from Pastor Babu, Compass Direct reported. They also tried to snatch a cell phone from Robin Masih, but in the struggle, it fell and broke.

However, the Christians, who had gathered for the programme, soon overpowered the fundamentalists and managed to capture one of them – Chandra Bhan, a resident of neighboring Kamal Vihar in the Karaval Nagar area – when they were trying to flee.

Soon a posse of policemen arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control. At the police–station, two local political leaders – Mr. Mohan Singh Bisht and Mr. Mehek Singh of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party – intervened and “advised” the pastors not to hold such meetings in the future as it tended to incite communal violence.

The politicians also suggested that the pastors “compromise” with their attackers. Seeing a large angry crowd of over 300 Hindu men assembled outside the police–station, the pastors decided not to press any charges against the fundamentalists.

When contacted by Christian Today, the local police remained tight–lipped about the incident.

According to the 2001 census, only 130,319 people are Christians out of the total population of 13.8 million in Delhi.