Eight Christians Brutally Assaulted In Odisha

A group of Christians were brutally attacked by a gang of raging religious goons at midnight on the 21st of July 2020. This attack took place in the Indian state of Odisha in a village named Badaguda which features in the district of Koraput.

Speaking to Persecution Relief, Pr. Ayuba Khora, the local Pastor said, “The goons broke into the home of 75-year-old Chachiri Muduli, who was housing around 7 odd Christians after their homes had been broken down earlier this year by the same fanatics. The goons not only mercilessly beat the Christians up but also destroyed the house.”

He further added, “8 Christians in all were admitted to the local government hospital with severe injuries, of which the elderly Chachiri had the worst wounds.”

Pr. Ayuba told Persecution Relief that he had been running a house church at the Badaguda village for the past 2 years. Around 40 Christians used to gather to pray every Friday. Since then, the villagers have been harassing and beating up the believers saying, “When you pray, our gods leave us, so you have to stop praying here or you must leave this village.”

Pr. Sudhakar Khosla, one of the Odisha state coordinators for Persecution Relief soon got in touch with Pr. Ayuba regarding the attack. “On the 26th of March 2020, the fanatics burnt down and destroyed a small cottage that we had built for the Church to meet in.”

Pr. Ayuba further told us that the fanatics had vandalized and broken down the homes of other believers in the village too, which is why the believers had taken shelter at ChachiriMuduli’s home. “Around 8 families in all are being persecuted for their faith in this village” he said.

Pr. Sudhakar also got an opportunity to speak with the persecuted Christians regarding their ordeal. “The villagers told us that our Christian faith has disturbed the village” said Sumitra, a young Christian girl who was also beaten up along with her father, Shiba Muduli, two other sisters, Sabi and Radhika and her brother-Sunam.

“Some of these villagers are very angry with us because we worship Jesus Christ and are trying to make us forsake Christianity” said Sunam Muduli, who is currently recuperating from his injuries.

Pr. Ayuba explained to Persecution Relief that in the past two years, the fanatics have quarreled with, beaten up and broken-down homes of believers many times. The homes of Christian brothers, Patulu naik and Purshan Naik were completely destroyed a few weeks ago. The believers approached the village headman for help numerous times but nothing was done about it.

“We then approached the Tehsildar and requested him to intervene on our behalf. Sadly, we were turned away with comforting words and no help” narrated Pr. Ayuba. He further stated that the attacks against the believers intensified to such an extent that all of them began living together as their homes and possessions were taken over by the goons.

“3 times Pr. Ayuba and the believers lodged a FIR at the local police station against the accused, but the police did nothing and did not arrest them” said Pr. Sudhakar. He added that the fourth FIR was filed on the 22nd of July 2020.

Pr. Sudhakar Khosla told Persecution Relief that after much pressure from The Koraput Pastor’s Association and the local Christians, the Police arrested a few of the accused on the 23rd of July 2020. “But there is a big possibility of the accused being released without bail” he exclaimed.

Speaking to the President of the Koraput Pastor’s Association, he said, “Since the 20th of March 2020, I have come to this village at least 6 times to sort out the issues. On every occasion, the fanatics come to a compromise but soon begin to harass the believers again.”

Since January 2020, Persecution Relief recorded a total of 18 cases of Christian Persecution in the state of Odisha and reported 6 murders in the same state since 2015. 293 cases of Christian persecution were recorded by Persecution Relief in the first half of 2020. From January 2016 to June 2020, Persecution Relief has recorded 2067 cases of Hate crimes against Christians in India

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has downgraded India to the lowest ranking, ‘Countries of Particular Concern’(CPC) In its 2020 report. The US State Department ranked India’s persecution severity at “Tier 2” along with Iraq and Afghanistan. Over the past seven years, India has risen from No. 31 to No. 10 on Open Doors’ World Watch List, ranking just behind Iran in persecution severity.

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Christians Seriously Injured after Attempted Burial in Eastern India

DELHI, March 5, 2018 (Morning Star News) – Tribal animists upset that Christians tried to bury one of their dead in a village in eastern India seriously injured a 13-year-old girl and others who tried to protect a Christian woman the villagers threatened to burn alive.

On Feb. 26 Christians in Chitrangapalli, Tamguda village, were about to bury the body of a 3-year-old girl who had died of natural causes in Odisha’s state’s Malkangiri District, when villagers reached the field where they were performing last rites. The mob insisted they would not allow a Christian to be buried in their village, even though the burial site was on land owned by one of the Christians, area sources said.

They demanded that the Christians take the body outside the village for burial. After the land owner argued that he was free to bury his dead on his land, the villagers left, only to return at midnight with weapons.

About 20 to 25 villagers carrying wooden sticks surrounded the houses of the three Christian families in the village of nearly 35 families and ordered them to come out. The mob was shouting loudly, reviling them for changing their faith.

Some Christians came out of their houses, and the villagers told them to renounce Christianity. When they refused, the attackers entered their homes, dragged the rest of their family members out and beat them, area residents told Morning Star News.

Savagely beating 45-year-old Nandi Madkami, an aunt of the girl who had died, the assailants threatened to burn her with gasoline they were carrying.

“As they were attempting to burn her, Nandi’s 13-year-old daughter ran to her rescue,” Enka Pusham, a Christian from a neighboring village who gave refuge to the Christian families after they spent the night hiding in the forest, told Morning Star News.

Mob beat Deba Madkami when he tried to rescue his daughter. (Morning Star News)

The villagers began to beat Madkami’s daughter, Savita Madkami, with wooden sticks, leaving her bleeding from head wounds. Savita’s father, Deba Madkami, was beaten when he came to his daughter’s rescue, as was his father, Ganga Madkami, and brother, Jaga Madkami. The elderly Ganga Madkami sustained a broken right hand.

The attackers proceeded to burn the houses of the Christians, destroying a roof.

“The mob also looted 10,000 rupees (US$153) from Jaga Madkami’s house and destroyed his cycle,” Pusham said.

The Christians ran to the jungle to save their lives and spent the night there. One badly injured Christian who could not run was secretly taken in by some kind villagers and kept safe.

The next morning Pusham, from nearby Kalimela village, and other Christians went in search of the Christians hiding in the forest.

“News reached our village that the villagers assaulting the Christians had actually burnt Nandi alive, and we were horrified,” Pusham told Morning Star News. “We started to send messages for help and prayer support on social media.”

Pusham and the others rescued the displaced Christians, who have now taken refuge at an undisclosed location.

That day (Feb. 27) the Christians went to a local police station to file a complaint but were refused, as officers told them to contact the main police station in Kalimela. Police did not help them obtain medical treatment as they customarily would, Pusham said.

“Anti-tetanus injections were all that the Christians were given in the name of first aid,” she said.

After the Christians filed a complaint on Wednesday (Feb. 28) at the Kalimela police station, officers took the wounded to a hospital.

Savita, Ganga Madkami and Jaga Madkami are still receiving hospital treatment. Nandi Madkam, who was threatened with being burned alive, sustained injuries on her legs and back, while Deba Madkami and Jaga Madkami have injuries on their legs, face and back. Savita has a severe wound on her head.

“The police had assured us that they would arrest the attackers, but we have not heard from them since,” said Pusham.

Christian leaders from Malkangiri approached police, resulting in a First Information Report being filed against the assailants.

Those assaulted are members of the Indian Missionary Society Church in Pulimtla village, six kilometers (less than four miles) from their home.

After the attack, the villagers are not allowing the Christians to return to their homes or enter the village.

“We had sent a known person to the Tamguda village to assess the situation there,” Pusham said. “He returned to report that the villagers are waiting to attack these families if they try to return to their homes.”

The three families had already been boycotted in their village, she said.

“They were not allowed to fetch water nor associate with the other villagers,” she said. “In September of last year, animals belonging to the Christian families were taken away and were slaughtered. But they have stood strong in their faith.”

On Friday (March 2), Christian leaders from Malkangiri area, along with the police, arranged for a peace meeting between the leaders of the attackers and the Christians. It may be possible for the Christians to return to their houses soon, but at this writing the area remains tense, and the assaulted Christians are still waiting to return home.

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