May 5th 2005:
A YWAM (Youth With A Mission) team was attacked and was forced to bow down before and idol in a Hindu temple in the Kalkari villae in the Dharwad district of Karnataka.
The incident happened when the YWAM team along with a local evangelist had gone to Kalkari village to meet a new believer. The believer came from a higher cast group called the Lingayat.
It was while returning from the visit that they were stopped by three men who questioned them about their visit to the area. The men who were questioning them soon started to argue and it was with difficulty that the team managed to escape the situation only to be confronted by three more men who beat them up before dragging them to a nearby Hindu Temple. The attackers also demanded money from the team, asking for 10000 Rupees.
While the fundamentalists were trying to force the team to bow down to idols some leaders of the BJP arrived on the scene with the police and media persons.
The team was taken to the police where they were kept for about 8 hours. Jiggu Bogi a YWAM member told us, “During the time at the police station the ruffians spoke very degradingly about the sisters on the team and made fun of our Lord. Mockingly they asked our leaders to share their testimony. Both leaders counted it an opportunity to witness and shared about their changed lives since believing in Jesus as their savior. They were also asked to sing some songs and they ended up singing more love "More power more of you in my life" and worshipping the Lord in the police station.”
The scene changed after this when the police heard that the attackers had demanded 10000 Rupees from the team. They then warned the attackers and let the YWAM team go. The police even told the YWAM team that they every right to believe in any God and to preach their religion.
A YWAM (Youth With A Mission) team was attacked and was forced to bow down before and idol in a Hindu temple in the Kalkari villae in the Dharwad district of Karnataka.
The incident happened when the YWAM team along with a local evangelist had gone to Kalkari village to meet a new believer. The believer came from a higher cast group called the Lingayat.
It was while returning from the visit that they were stopped by three men who questioned them about their visit to the area. The men who were questioning them soon started to argue and it was with difficulty that the team managed to escape the situation only to be confronted by three more men who beat them up before dragging them to a nearby Hindu Temple. The attackers also demanded money from the team, asking for 10000 Rupees.
While the fundamentalists were trying to force the team to bow down to idols some leaders of the BJP arrived on the scene with the police and media persons.
The team was taken to the police where they were kept for about 8 hours. Jiggu Bogi a YWAM member told us, “During the time at the police station the ruffians spoke very degradingly about the sisters on the team and made fun of our Lord. Mockingly they asked our leaders to share their testimony. Both leaders counted it an opportunity to witness and shared about their changed lives since believing in Jesus as their savior. They were also asked to sing some songs and they ended up singing more love "More power more of you in my life" and worshipping the Lord in the police station.”
The scene changed after this when the police heard that the attackers had demanded 10000 Rupees from the team. They then warned the attackers and let the YWAM team go. The police even told the YWAM team that they every right to believe in any God and to preach their religion.
