Christian Persecution India

Goondagiri by BJP in Uttarakhand

2008-05-04T22:40:00.001-07:00

Dehradun, May 3 (ANI): Uttarakhand Police on Saturday registered a case against a legislator in Dehradun after BJP activists vandalized a Christian school on the day of a shutdown called by the party. The youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ransacked the school on Friday when the BJP issued a call for a nationwide shutdown to protest against inflationary trends in the economy. The

1700 convert to Hinduism

2008-04-28T05:51:00.001-07:00

The muddy Gavdevi ground at Shimpoli in Borivli (West) was sprinkled with saffron and green on Sunday. In the presence of Narendra Maharaj, chief of the Ramanandcharya Peeth of Nanij in the Konkan, hundreds of men and women, most of them tribals, converted to Hinduism. This is the first such event in the city, and part of the peeth’s massive re-conversion movement started two years ago. Women

1,800 Christian tribals convert to Hinduism in Mumbai

2008-04-28T05:50:00.001-07:00

Mumbai, April 27: Around 1,800 Christian tribals on Sunday re-converted to Hinduism in the presence of spiritual leader Swami Narendracharya at suburban Borivali. Talking to the media on the occasion, Narendracharya, popularly known as Narendra Maharaj, claimed so far he had reconverted 42,220 people, mostly from tribal areas of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Maharashtra, into Hinduism. It includes

Look Who's Talking: Advani Woos Christians

2008-04-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

New Delhi, April 26: After trying to persuade Muslims to back Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), former deputy prime minister L. K. Advani today asked Indian Christian community to back his party. The BJP is trying desperately to persuade one and all before the forthcoming general elections to be held next year. Christians can play an important role in states like Kerala and north eastern states.

Conversion law violation is a criminal offense

2008-04-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

GANDHINAGAR: From now on, anyone wishing to convert will have to tell the government why they were doing it and for how long they had been following the religion which they were renouncing, failing which, they will be declared offenders and prosecuted under criminal laws. Forced conversion could land those responsible a three-year jail term. This clause is contained in the rules of the

Christian arrested in Jabalpur

2008-04-26T04:37:00.001-07:00

Pappu Tekchand Burman alias Vijay ( 40) was denounced by Bajrang Dal and Dharam Sena in February, but no action was taken by them at the time. On the night of 24th April 2008, thre was a knock on the door at 12:00 midnight and police took Vijay from his residence near Timber factory Bhonga Dwar Kajarwara Jabalpur to the police station accusing him of converting people. He was let off at 1:00am

Sanction to prosecute VHP activists refused

2008-04-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

JAIPUR: The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Rajasthan has refused sanction to prosecute 14 Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists, accused of attacking a Christian priest here a year ago. It has ordered the closure of police investigation while asking the trial court to accept a previous charge sheet as valid. A gang of 20 VHP activists, led by its Jaipur unit general secretary Virendra

“We will burn you like Graham Staines”

2008-04-19T06:04:00.000-07:00

by Gospel for Asia Two young women from a Gospel for Asia Bible college were chased and threatened by 70 anti-Christian extremists after conducting a worship service in Orissa, India. Chunile Wyn and Preeja Sushan are student missionaries serving their internship in Orissa. On Sunday, the extremists entered the building where the women were worshipping with 15 other believers. The radicals

The Church needs no lesson in Nationalism

2008-04-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

T’PURAM: The Christian Church in Kerala need not be taught nationalism by anyone, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi said on Sunday.He was inaugurating an all-faith meeting convened to mark the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church’s St Mary Queen of Peace Pro- Cathedral at Palayam here.There are few communities that have cultivated a sense of

Christians arrested in MP

2008-03-30T16:57:00.000-07:00

News just came in about 4 pastors belonging to GFA who have been arrested in the Ratlam district of MP. On the 28th March 08, the pastors were with a crowd of Christians watching movies on the life of Jesus, when police arrested them. According to reports they were presented to the local magistrate on the 29th but they case has been postponed till April 1st 2008. The police it seems purposely

Hindu Extremists Assault Christian Family in India

2008-03-28T05:47:00.001-07:00

Group threatening to kill believers in Madhya Pradesh demands to abuse 15-year-old girl. REWA, India, March 27 (Compass Direct News) – Hindu extremists in a village in Madhya Pradesh who have harassed and threatened local Christians beat the grandparents and aunt of a 15-year-old girl last weekend when the Christian family refused to allow the group to rape her. Shouting anti-Christian slogans

New religion Bill may face the same fate

2008-03-26T01:09:00.001-07:00

JAIPUR: The observations made by Rajasthan Governor Shailendra Kumar Singh in his address to a gathering of Christians on the occasion of Easter celebrations here on Sunday have led to speculation that the newest of the anti-conversion Bills in the country, passed by the State Assembly three days ago, would go the same way as the previous one—passed in 2006 and returned to the State Government

Intolerant Hindus Attack Easter Services in India

2008-03-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

Assaults on two churches mar celebrations in Karnataka state. NEW DELHI, March 25 (Compass Direct News) – Hindutva (Hindu nationalist) extremists stormed two Easter Sunday services and beat at least 16 Christians, including two pastors, in the Karnataka state capital of Bangalore and in Shimoga district. A mob of more than 150 intolerant Hindus on Sunday (March 23) launched an attack on a

Nuns and Teenage girls attacked by Hindu Extremists

2008-03-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

MUMBAI, India (CNA) - A Hindu radical group on Saturday attacked two Catholic nuns and three teenage girls in a western Indian village as they prepared to hold a women’s educational program, UCA News reports. Sister Merciana Tuscano, one of the Carmelite nuns attacked, told UCA News that radical Hindu men and women attacked the nuns and girls in the village of Sanghoti in the state of

Freedom of Religion Bill passed in Rajasthan

2008-03-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

The government in India’s Rajasthan state sanctioned an anti-religious conversion bill Friday in a bid to scrutinize Christian activities, including allegations of conversions by force and allurement. The bill, introduced in the House last week, received strong resistance from the opposition Congress and religious leaders in the country. It prohibits conversions by use of force, allurement or

Rajasthan 'anti-religious conversion bill' likely to be discussed

2008-03-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan 'anti-religious conversion bill' likely to be discussedJaipur (PTI): The BJP government in Rajasthan is all set to take up an anti-religious conversion bill in the ongoing assembly session for discussion and passage on March 20 despite strong reservations on it by Opposition Congress. The Congress has warned that it would protest inside the House and on the

Evangelist arrested near Ujjain

2008-03-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Police yesterday arrested an evangelist working with the Indian Evangelist Team in Ujjain, 140 kms from Bhopal on false claims and allegations made by a staunch Hindu militant group. Evangelist Tulsi, 26 years old, was beaten and handed over to the police by the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) members on fabricated charges. After Tulsi was handed over to the police at the Maksi police

Christians flay Dharna by VHP, BD

2008-03-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

By Our Staff Reporter Bhopal, March 2: Christian community condemned the Dharna organized by Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in front of the Churches in Madhya Pradesh and the one held in-front of the Jehangirabad, St. Francis Cathedral Church in Bhopal. Archbishop Dr. Leo Cornelio, in a statement issued here on Sunday said, "the Government must treat all communities equally and

More attacks in Madhya Pradesh

2008-02-24T22:32:00.001-08:00

22nd February 2008: Christian participating in a lent meeting were attacked in the Kosmi area of Balaghat district of MP by Bajrang Dal people who then dragged Christians to the police station to lodge an FIR against them. The Bajrang Dal people attacked without provocation and they were constantly shouting, "Dharmantaran Band Karo." (Stop Conversions). Mr. Sunil Marawi and Brother Tom George

Christians March in Pune, Maharashtra

2008-02-19T19:42:00.000-08:00

Pune, February 18 Christian leaders from different denominations will take out a silent protest rally on Monday from YMCA, Quarter Gate, to condemn the attacks on Christian institutions in Orissa and Gujarat. They have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take steps to ensure the safety of the community. Disrupting church services and burning churches is deplorable, especially during the

The cross they bear

2008-02-08T01:38:00.000-08:00

Politics fuels religious violence THE blackened shell of a burnt car lies in the yard of Radha Bai's farm in this bucolic village of whitewashed houses and unhurried bullock carts in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. On January 16th, as she prayed with a large group of Christians, a mob of Hindu extremists arrived. They chased worshippers away, set fire to a car and ten motorcycles and,

India's terrorized Christians

2008-02-08T01:34:00.000-08:00

CAIRO — Indian Christians are feeling the heat of the rising Hindu nationalism in the South Asian giant. "They came into my house waving sticks and chanting," Radha Bai, a Christian resident of Bothali village in the central state of Chhattisgarh, told The Christian Science Monitors in an interview published on Wednesday, February 6. "They were looking for me, saying they would cut me into

Pastor attacked in Andhra Pradesh

2008-02-08T01:29:00.001-08:00

A mob of about 100 Hindutva activists attacked Pastor Ratnam Babu from the Kristu Aseenudu Prardhana Mandiram on January 15 in Mahalakshmi Nagar, Jagannadhapuram, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. According to local sources, Pastor Ratnam Babu was attacked when the activists barged into their special gathering on the 15th night. They activists arrived with belts to beat those who attended the meeting.

Excellent Coverage from Tehelka

2008-01-18T08:32:00.000-08:00

Next Stop Orissa Reconvert or Die

Suffering for Christians Continues in Central India.

2008-01-17T06:09:00.001-08:00

16th January 2008: The Orissa violence against Christians is hardly erased from our memory and yet again the Hindutva brigade is doing what it does best: targeting minority communities in different parts of the country. Bothali Village, Chhattisgarh The latest incident comes from Chhattisgarh, where in Bothali village in Dhamtari district about 100 Hindutva activists from Dharma sena (Religious