Church Burned, Christians attacked in Karnataka
On 26 June, Hindu extremists burned up a church, beat up a pastor and five church members in Narasipura, Hassan District.
According to our correspondent Advocate Moses Muragavel, the extremists burned down Zion church at about 10 p.m after they repeatedly threatened to harm the Christians if they continued to conduct worship meetings in the area.
Speaking to EFI News, Pastor Annaiah said, "The extremists want to wipe us out from the village and told us that there is no other religion than Hinduism for us".
Again on 29 June, the extremists massed up to burn the temporary shed the Christians built for conducting prayer meetings and beat up Pastor Annaiah and the church members as they tried to stop the extremists.
The Christians ran to the police station. However, the police refused to file a case against the attackers and summoned the two parties for a compromise.
The police told the extremists not to disturb the Christians in future and the Christians were told to pray quietly in their respective homes and not to gather for a prayer meeting.
On 3 June, about 1000 Hindu people shouting anti-Christian slogans staged a protest rally against Pastor Annaiah and his ministry and demanded the eradication of Christianity in the area.
The extremists continued to harass the Christians at press time. Area Christian leaders are meeting the higher officials to bring calm to the situation.
Christians account for about 4 percent of Karnataka’s population of 61.1 million people, according to Operation World, though officially the government puts the Christian population at 1.9 percent; Hindus make up 83.9 percent of the state’s population, and Muslims 12.2 percent.
Christians Arrested in Hunsur in Karnataka
In a similar incident in Hunsur, Mysore, Police arrested 12 Christians after the Hindu extremists staged a protest rally against alleged forceful conversion and demanded the arrest of Pastor Steven Suresh and 11 other believers .
According to our correspondent, Pastor Shibu Isaac, the extremists filed a police complaint against the Christians of forceful conversion, of desecrating the photographs of Hindu gods and of using derogatory and highly insulting remarks against the Hindu gods on 15 May.
Subsequently, Pastor Steven Suresh and 11 Christians from the Hikki Pikki adivasi were arrested under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code.
Speaking to EFI News, area Christian leader C.V Chacko said, "After accepting Christ, the Hikki Pikki Adivasi Christians underwent positive transformation in every spheres of their lives and the extremist could not tolerate the change".
Hikki Pikki adivasi Christians in Pakshirajapura are socially boycotted and their Anganawadi School has been converted into a temple. They are not allowed to draw water from the common wells. Government facilities for which all the STs, whether Hindus or Christians, are entitled to, are not made available to them since they have converted to Christianity.
On 6 June, the same group of anti-Christian people massed up and staged a protest against the Christian activities in the area.
Source – EFI News
