Hindus transform church into temple

Vijay Upadhyay / Etah

An 18-year-old church in village Bhojpur in Etah district was finally transformed into a temple by Hindu activists and 300 dalit Christians given "Yagyopaveet". According to sources in the Hindu Jagran Vibhag (HJV), despite regular re-conversions by Hindu organisations in rural India, the number of Christian convertees is growing, especially in the rural parts of western Uttar Pradesh.

Rajshwar Singh, provincial head, HJV, said his outfit had set up a team of 600 Hindu activists to investigate into the reasons for the growing number of dalit Christians in the region. This team recently submitted a report that pointed out the existence of a number of churches without a single Christian around.

Accordingly, he said, a campaign was designed by Hindu organisations to wipe out these churches neutralise their effect, some of which came up 15-20 years ago. He said the presence of these churches was having a serious impact on the dalit community, which was being mistakenly seen as dalits embracing Christianity.

The HJV arranged for a re-conversion function in Bhojpur village about 15 km from Etah, where a church was being operated by the New Apostle Church organisation of Canada. According to Mr Singh, Vijay Maseeh, the church priest, agreed to give away the possession of this church to the village when contacted.

Mr Singh said on Wednesday, a function was held in the church premises by the Vibhaag and 300 dalit Christians, frequenters to this church, were especially brought for reconversion along with Vijay Maseeh who gave the first offering in the yagna held inside the church. After the ceremony, the church was "purified" by Hindu priests, the cross removed from the apex of the building and replaced by the Hindu symbol of Om and idols of Durga were placed.

After the ceremony, the Vibhaag declared a grand temple shall soon replace this building that has been used as a church for a very long time.

Notably, Etah has been the centre of conversions and re-conversions scuffle between Christian and Hindu organisations.

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Christian Couple sent to Jail in Kukshi, Madhya Pradesh

According to reports received, a Christian couple in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh have been arrested and put to jail in the morning of the 12th February 2006.

Mr. Rajendra Nehemiah and his wife Vineeta Nehemiah, both government servants, have been charged with assisting in the crime of abduction and rape of a minor about 4 months ago. The couple denies any involvement in the act but have been booked under IPC 120 (D), 376 and 393.

About 4 months ago a young boy called Abhishek went missing with a 12 year old girl called Hemlata and resurfaced after 20 -25 days. According to the girl's testimony Abhishek had kidnapped and raped her, while Abhishek claimed that he had taken the girl to get her admitted in a school.

The parent's of the girl filed a complaint and Abhishek and 2 others were put behind bars. The Nehemiah's did not figure in the FIR or in the 161 statement till then.

A few days ago however, the girl wanted to change her statement and filed a 164 statement before the magistrate in Indore also naming the Nehemiah's as co-accused.

Moving on this the police today arrested the couple on the pretext of investigation and quickly also presented them before a magistrate, thus moving them to jail by the afternoon.

The story however has another side. The Nehemiah's deny knowing Abhishek well enough. The chief cause of their arrest as put by local Christians is the conspiracy by VHP activists in the area.

According to information Abhishek is not even from Kukshi but from Jhabua and the only reason that the Nehemiah's have been targeted is because they have been conducting prayer meetings for Christians in their home for some time now.

Tribals urged to 'return home'

Manas Dasgupta

An estimated three lakh tribals turn up for 'Shabri Kumbh'

AHWA (DANGS): A call for "ghar wapasi," (return home) was issued to the converted tribals from the dais at the inauguration of the three-day "Shabri Kumbh" in the remote tribal-dominated district in south Gujarat on Saturday.

Led by the Chief Cinister, Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the event, prominent sadhus and saints occupying the dais ridiculed the Christian institutions and voluntary organisations for expressing apprehensions about the "safety" of the minorities in the district in the saffron surge and asked the "foreign religious leaders" of other communities to "stay away" from the tribals in the State.

No `force or lure'

Contrary to the earlier claims of the organisers that the "Shabri Kumbh" had nothing to do with re-conversion, the chief organiser of the event, Kailash Sharma, "appealed" to the "misled" tribals to "return home" and tendered an apology if Hinduism had ever "ignored" them in the past emphasising that the tribals were always "an inseparable part of Hinduism." Besides Mr. Sharma, other speakers also supported the call but made it clear that no amount of "force or lure" should be used to reconvert the tribals who had "gone astray."

Mr. Modi went to the extent of suggesting that he saw nothing wrong if even the State government extended support to the "reconversion" efforts pointing out that the country's Constitution had put an obligation on the governments to prevent religious conversions "by force or by lure." But, he said, he would be considered a "criminal" by the over-zealous voluntary organisations and enthusiastic foreign missionaries if he made any such suggestion as the Chief Minister.

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Modi Resumes Hindutva Chant

SUBIR (DANGS): "Aa laut ke aaja mere meet, tujhe mere geet bulati hai..," this soulful Mukesh number was no Valentine Day ballad, but Morari Bapu's chant asking tribal converts to return to the Hindu fold.

As two lakh people thronged the Pampa Sarovar at Shabri Kumbh in Dangs on Saturday, the motive behind the mela was clear — another reconversion drive.

Slipping back to his aggressive Hindutva mould, chief minister Narendra Modi joined religious leaders in exhorting 'converted tribals' to adopt their 'own religion.' Without mincing words, Modi, Morari Bapu and Asaram Bapu said that conversion would not be tolerated.

"Conversion of tribals by offering them medical services and providing food will not be tolerated and its time now to return home," was the common refrain.

The dais was cramped with Dangi tribal 'sadhus' and Bhil leaders posturing in front of a garish poster of Ram killing Ravana. Spewing sarcasm at the Congress and NGOs, Modi "thanked certain people" for making the event successful.

"First of all, I would like to thank Congress leader Arjun Singh who discussed the Shabri Kumbh with Sonia Gandhi and abused its organisers for almost half-an-hour.

I also would like to thank those 'jhola chhap' people for raking up the issue and bringing it to the notice of the rest of the world.

And finally I would like to thank the media which for a change has given positive reports on the event." "Whatever we have said and done in Kumbh was purely according to the Indian Constitution which clearly mentions that conversion by means of force or temptation is against the law.

Whatever is happening in Dangs is not good for the tribals and every effort to take them away from Ram will fail in the end." Morari Bapu, who mooted the idea of the Shabri Kumbh, began by quoting the Bible.

He said, "The Bible says that conversion by means of allurement is a sin and a person doing this and the person who gets converted would go to hell. I wish Christians follow the Bible".

Claiming that missionaries are luring people by offering medical services and food, Morari Bapu said, "A sick tribal goes to a doctor (missionary), they treat them and ask them to convert.

Now the tribals have realised that it is not good to be in the hospital for long and they want to return home to Hinduism."

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Kumbh Day 1: Message for missionaries

ABHISHEK KAPOOR

Posted online: Sunday, February 12, 2006 at 0046 hours IST

SHABARI KUMBH SITE (DANGS) FEBRUARY 11: Quoting from the Bible and a Bollywood number, it was an open call from kathakar Morari Bapu to missionaries, asking them to stop conversions. Stressing his liberal credentials, he even asked them to cooperate in the ghar vaapsi programme of those tribal Christians who wanted to come back to their 'parent' religion.

Gujarat CM Narendra Modi, on the other hand, quoted Mahatma Gandhi to say it was his constitutional duty to see that no conversions took place. RSS chief K S Sudarshan, however, chose only to watch the proceedings from the dais with Asaram Bapu among others.

The inauguration of the Shabari Kumbh at the sprawling site in the forests of Ahwa-Dangs proved what it was supposed to: a show of Hindutva strength, and a warning to missionaries to stay away from conversions.

Supported by the state government, the religious heads wanted all induced conversions -poaching, as they term it - stopped. Calling the missionaries and their supporters pakhandis and hypocrites, Morari Bapu chose to remind them of the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Addressing a crowd of more than two lakh devotees, Morari Bapu quoted from the Gospel of Luke in the Bible to say that even Christ's word forbade conversions. "It is hypocrisy to not follow what you preach. When the Bible says do not convert, please don't. It is great that you are good doctors, and have the money to help poor and ailing. But once they have been healed, let them go back home (re-convert) as good doctors do."

Raising the rhetorical pitch, Morari Bapu went on to ask, "Are induced conversions are good but is coming back home bad? Plane-loads from the Vatican can come here and carry out conversions, but if we organise a ghar vaapsi, it is bad. Let everyone be clear that this programme is about peace and tolerance as characterised by the Hindu ethos. No one should be scared of it," he said.

Modi for his part ridiculed those who opposed the Kumbh as "Macaulay's sons". "Mahatma Gandhi fought conversions," he said. "Our Constitution disapproves of them, and yet some people turn a blind eye."

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Kumbh's agenda: Anti-conversion

Rathin Das

Subir (Dangs), February 12, 2006

Confirming the apprehensions of Christian and human rights organisations, the first-ever 'Shabari Kumbh' began with a tirade against alleged conversions of tribals in the district. Speeches of organisers, religious leaders and the chief minister left no one in doubt that the real purpose of the congregation is to kick start a campaign against conversions by missionaries. The practice of conversions had been the bone of contention in the district for nearly a decade now.

The tone and tenor of the three-day session was set by Satyamitranandgiri Maharaj of Bharat Mata temple in Haridwar when he told the locals to accept milk, food and medicines (from missionaries) but "do not agree to change your religion". "Medicines, education and clothes are welcome but not your religion, the missionaries should be told," the saint warned the crowd of nearly a lakh. Urging the people to stay clear of allurements, the saint asked them to 'keep the pollution of conversion away from India'.

Chief minister Narendra Modi had a dig at secularists, NGOs and the media by saying that by crying hoarse about 'Shabari Kumbh' for weeks, they gave enough publicity to it. The Kumbh wouldn't have got more publicity even if formal invites were sent to the media, Modi said. He ridiculed the "Macaulay children" and NGOs for what he called 'defaming Hindutva abroad'.

Ramayana narrator Morari Bapu, who had originally floated the idea of Shabari Kumbh during a discourse in 2002, even quoted from a version of the Bible to drive home the point that conversion was a sin. "They are violating their own religion by converting people with the lure of medicines and money," Morari Bapu said without naming the missionaries. Justifying the re-conversion campaign by the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, Morari Bapu said there is nothing wrong if some one returns home after being cured through medication.

The saffron surge in the dry forest area spread over several square kilometres was apparent with small saffron triangular flags hoisted atop non-descript tribal huts as security forces guarded all Christian institutions in the district.

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Christian missionaries trying to end Hinduism: Togadia

DANGS (GUJARAT), FEB 12 (PTI)

The issue of religious conversion was in focus at the Shabri Kumbh mela for the second today with senior VHP leader Pravin Togadia accusing Christian missionaries of coming to Gujarat to "eradicate" Hinduism.

"Christianity is just 2000 years old while Islam came to India in the 14th century but Lord Krishna was born 5000 years ago and Lord Ram was born eight lakh years ago," Togadia told a mass gathering at the mela in this forest and tribal district.

"On an average, only three people go to the church at the Vatican and the same is the case with England where only seven per cent attend prayers," Togadia said in a mocking tone adding "the Vatican would be taken over by Hinduism if it did not mend its ways".

"In America, there are 50,000 yoga centres and people around Europe and America are embracing Hinduism," Togadia told the gathering.

He sad if Christianity wants to save itself from Osama Bin laden it will have to enter into a pact with Hindus to save Christians from terrorist attacks.

"The rate of religious conversions has increased after the UPA government came to power," Togadia charged.

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Missionaries booked for conversion

MAJID JAHANGIR

SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 8: The J-K Police today swooped down on a Christian missionary group for using "earthquake relief as a means to convert people in far-flung villages along the LoC" and seized cassettes, Urdu-translations of the New Testament and other materials from the group. A case has also been registered against the Bible Society of India.

"Under the garb of relief, they (missionaries) were trying to convert people, promising them money and houses in Srinagar city in exchange for the change of faith," IGP, Kashmir, K Rajendra said.

"We will not allow it to happen. Instead of coming to the help of quake victims, they are making relief a bait for conversion."

The police said a group of missionaries from the Kashmir chapter of the Bible Society of India had been visiting Madian village in Uri sector. "On January 25, they had distributed gas cylinders, three water bottles, audio cassettes and a copy of the New Testament in Urdu besides other material to each of the 230 families of the village," Deputy Inspector General of Police, Baramulla-Kupwara, Mohammad Subhan Lone said.

Lone said the police had ordered a probe after the locals protested against the missionaries. "This could turn into a law and order problem. We have filed a case and are investigating the matter," he said.

It is learnt that Lone has submitted a report about the missionaries' activities in quake-hit areas. The Police said their probe has revealed that the group operates from Nishat, Srinagar, and that a local resident Mukhtar - who runs an educational institution - had been acting as their guide in the area."

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Life in Danger for 'Friend of Outcasts'

To the "outcasts" of society, Believers Church Pastor Kawal has been a true friend. But today his life is on the line because of religious oppression, and he needs the prayers of his Christian brothers and sisters around the world.

Kawal serves the Lord in North India, reaching out to a community where many low-caste tribals live. In the system that governs their society, they are looked down on and trampled upon by those of higher castes.

With Christ's compassion for these oppressed people, Kawal began visiting homes with a listening ear, prayers, and the Good News of Jesus Christ. They marveled, because most people wouldn't even think about visiting their homes or associating with them!

Kawal gained their trust with his kindness, and they began to flock to his home as well, asking for prayer. Through such outreach, 50 precious souls were won for Christ-and a church was planted. New believers counted it a privilege to worship the Lord in the home of the kind pastor who called them friends. Then five people began to meet with Kawal for special training so they, too, could labor to reach the lost.

Kawal rejoiced. But like any pastor in his situation, he also saw the need for a more suitable building to accommodate his growing flock. That was when the trouble started.

A few days after the believers began constructing their church, local anti-Christian groups strongly vocalized their opposition, even monitoring outside visitors to the site. Despite such setbacks, the Christians slowly continued construction. They rejoiced to see all four walls come up . . . but more harassment came as a mob of 40 people surrounded the building, intimidating the workers and demanding they stop construction.

The believers were encouraged when Christians from other churches came out one night to help them complete the tin roof. But the word spread quickly in the village, and a mob came out the next day to threaten them yet again.

As the leader, Pastor Kawal was specifically singled out. Hearing of the mob's intent to harm him, many advised him to leave the area. It was an agonizing decision, but for his safety Pastor Kawal traveled to a temporary, undisclosed location.

Please pray for protection for this dedicated pastor and his wife, their four children, and this young Believers Church congregation. Pray that each person will stand strong for Christ and will be aware of the heavenly Father's comforting presence at all times. And pray for all tension in this area to subside, and that the persecutors will be drawn to the Father through the love lived out by the Christians. Pray that this congregation's dreams of having its own church building will be fulfilled.

Courtesy: GFA

U.S. missionaries deported from Kerala capital for visa violations

By K.Asif, Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Three American missionaries were deported from Kerala capital Thrivananthapuram on Friday for violating visa norms.

The missionaries - Terrel Davis Heze, Van Meter Carl Micheal and Taylor David Lee—had come to India on business and tourists visas and were charged with conducting crusader programmes in the state.

They were deported from Thiruvananthapuram following complaints from the Neyyattinkara Taluk Committee of the Hindu Aikya Vedi and RSS.

According to Hindu Aikya Vedi and RSS, these evangelists had violated the visa rules by conducting revival crusade programmes in two areas on the Kerala Tamil Nadu border, which was stopped by the police.

"Today we deported three persons named Terrel Davis Heze, Van Meter Carl Micheal and Taylor David Lee because they violated visa conditions," said S. Suresh Kumar, Circle Inspector.

The missionaries, however, claim that they are returning to the United States voluntarily.

Last year, Dr Nanditha Krishna, Chairperson of the C P Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, alleged that the ecological traditions of India, especially in Kerala, were facing a serious threat in the form of religious conversion. This view was also supported by other noted environmental scientists, technologists and ecologists.

Dr Nanditha pointed out that the alarming rate at which religious conversions all over the country were taking place had destroyed forests and holy groves (popularly known as Kaavus in Kerala).She also pointed out with statistics that many dense forests and groves in north east India had become the main target of the Christian missionaries.

M Amrithalingam, a well known botanist and ecologist with more than two decades of research experience in the ecological system of south India said that unless something was done to arrest the destruction of the holy groves, the country could face serious crises, like drought and shortage of water.

"While we had small sized forests attached to the Hindu tharavadus in Kerala, urbanization and religious conversion have denuded them. There were many scientific reasons for worshipping forests, animals and groves," Amrithalingam had claimed.

Last month, RSS leader A Gopalakrishnan that Kerala had become a testing lab of global Islamic terrorism. Delivering the keynote address, he also referred to the demand by the Christian community for reservation benefits for the Christian converts from Dalit communities, and said that such demands would help increase the number of religious conversions in the state.

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Villagers Brutally Beat Christians in Orissa State, India

Eruption of Hindu violence linked to anti-Christian propaganda.

NEW DELHI, February 3 (Compass) - Extremists encouraged Hindu residents of a village in Malkangiri district, Orissa state, to attack Christian residents on January 24. At least 10 Christians were injured and two were hospitalized.

The attack took place at about 8 a.m. while 14 Christian families and four missionaries from the Indian Evangelical Team (IET) were at a believer's house in Koikonda village, said Satya Das Benya, IET’s district coordinator.

Only 15 of approximately 300 families in the village are Christian.

A number of Christians had gathered at the home of Salvam Gangi on January 23 for a worship meeting and stayed overnight. Members of the Hindu extremist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) apparently heard the sound of singing and called for a village meeting on the morning of January 24.

Immediately after the RSS meeting, a group of about 50 villagers surrounded Gangi’s home and demanded that the four missionaries - Vijay Kumar, Baldas Gopal, Ramesh Sulah and Gideon Challan – come out of the house.

As soon as the missionaries complied, the mob started beating them and then attacked other Christians who were in the house.

Kumar fell unconscious after the beatings and did not regain consciousness until three days later. He and Gopal were both hospitalized with serious internal injuries, although doctors have now declared them "out of danger."

Village pastor Salvam Samu received minor injuries, along with three men and four women.

Samu tried to lodge an official complaint on January 26, but the police said they were "too busy" to talk to him. When IET missionary Sulah approached police officials the next day, they accepted his written complaint but failed to give him a signed carbon copy as required by law.

Sulah's report named 11 of the attackers.

At press time, police had made no attempt to arrest the accused. Fearing further violence, Christian residents did not meet for worship on Sunday (January 29).

When Compass spoke with Yatinda Koyal, superintendent of police in Malkangiri district, Koyal said the victims had not lodged a formal complaint. When he was given evidence that a complaint had been filed, he pleaded ignorance, saying he had been "away from the office for the last three days."

Hindu residents had attacked Christians a year ago, in January 2005, injuring several people including a pregnant woman. The police helped both parties reach a compromise, but Hindu villagers have continued to express hostility to the Christian minority.

Spreading Violence

Orissa is ruled by a coalition government consisting of the Biju Danata Dal party and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Anti-Christian violence has risen sharply in states ruled by the BJP since the beginning of the year. Christians blame hate propaganda distributed by the RSS and other extremist groups in preparation for a major Hindu "reawakening" event to be held this February in Dangs district of Gujarat state.

Four attacks on Christians in Madhya Pradesh, another BJP-ruled state, were reported last week, immediately after the attack in Orissa. (See Compass Direct, "Extremists, Police Beat Christians in Madhya Pradesh," January 30.)

"The RSS wants no violence in Dangs at this time, but it wants the chant to continue in other states," Dr. John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council, told Compass.

Dayal said he expected violence against Christians in Dangs to break out after the Hindu rally scheduled for February 11 to 13.

A compact disc distributed by the RSS in Dangs and elsewhere describes Christianity as a dangerous foreign faith that must be eradicated from India.

Centre asks Gujarat to maintain law and order at the Shabari Kumbh

NEW DELHI: Concerned at the reports of a large congregation being planned from February 11 to 13 in the predominantly tribal district of Dangs in Gujarat by a Sangh Parivar outfit, the Centre on Thursday said efforts would be made to provide additional paramilitary forces to ensure that the "Shabri Kumbh Mela" passed off peacefully.

In a letter to the Gujarat Chief Secretary, Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal suggested that extensive arrangements be made along the route leading from the bordering States and districts to the site. He also suggested that adequate security arrangements be made in the villages where the people of minority community live or there religious and educational institutions are located. Four companies of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), stationed in Ahmedabad, would be deployed in the area.

The three-day event is being organised by the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad at Shabri Dham near Jarsol in Dangs district. The district witnessed attacks on the Christian tribal population and their institutions during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime in 1998.

With nearly 10 per cent of the population of the area being Christian tribals, the Parishad, a front organisation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), tries to discourage the others from getting converted to Christianity. The law and order situation in the Dangs and surrounding areas was reviewed by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil at a meeting here on Wednesday.

The Ministry sent A.K. Mitra, Special Secretary (Internal Security), to Ahmedabad and Dangs on January 29 for a three-day visit to make an on-the-spot assessment of the situation. The Centre is keeping a close watch on the situation, sources in the Ministry told The Hindu.

Intelligence inputs said the Christians in the adjoining Nandurbar district in Maharashtra were also apprehensive of tension following the congregation and the programme of "Suddhikaran" (reconversion).

Several Christian organisations, including the All-Indian Christian Council, have urged the Gujarat Government and the Centre to take steps to ensure the safety of Christian missionaries and institutions.

Nearly three lakh tribals from across the country are likely to converge in the area to attend the programme, being dubbed as "Sabri Mahakumbh", which isaimed at protecting the Hindu religion from the foreigners. The three-day programme is likely to be attended, among others, by RSS chief K.S. Sudarshan, Sant Asaram and Morari Bapu. The "Mahakumbh" for tribals is aimed at mobilising their clan from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Another outfit "Shri Sabarimata Seva Samiti", affiliated to the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad, has been active in Dangs over the past one-and-a-half decades. It has often accused the Christian missionaries of indulging in conversions under the pretext of social and religious services. It claims to have reconverted, on an average, 200-500 Christian tribals to Hinduism every year for the past few years.

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Missionaries beaten up in Orissa

23rd January 2006: Four IET (Indian Evangelical Team) missionaries namely P. Bijay Kumar, G. Baldash, Gideon Challan and Ramesh Suna had gone to village Koikonda of Motu Thehsil, Malkangiri District, Orissa State for a special meeting. Village Koikonda is more than 60 kms away from Malkangiri District.

The RSS (Rashtriya Swayam Sewak) activists came to know about this meeting and went to the village in search of the missionaries. The miscreants interrupted the meeting and forcibly entered the venue. They took the missionaries out of the place of worship by force.

After pulling the Missionaries out the miscreants proceeded to beat them up inhumanly. Brother Bijay Kumar and Brother G. Baldash became unconscious because of the assault. The RSS activists then turned to the believers who were attending the meeting and brutally beat and harassed them.

The missionaries who were severely beaten up were taken to the District Hospital around 9 pm the same day. Among the missionaries three are under treatment but Bro. Bijay Kumar is very serious and has still not recovered from the trauma.

Complaint against the miscreants has been lodged in the local police station. Please pray for the missionaries and believers to overcome this shocking incidence.

As reported on email by the Indian Evangelical Team, New Delhi

Catholic Bishop, priests attacked in Maharashtra, India

Mumbai (ICNS) -- Bishop Thomas Dabre of Vasai and his three priests were pelted with stones as they opened a hostel for tribal children in a village.

A priest sustained head injuries in the Jan. 29 attack in Ghosali village of Mukada Taluka, which comes under Bishop Dabre's Vasai diocese in Maharashtra.

Bishop Dabre and Fathers Oneil Faroz, Philip Vaz and Andrew Rodrigues were inaugurating the Suryodaya Ashram, a hostel to help tribal children's education.

"Miscreants who allegedly belonged to the Bajrang Dal and Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad numbering over a hundred were armed with sticks," according to a statement from Bombay Catholic Sabha (forum). Vasai was formerly part of Bombay archdiocese.

The attackers shouted slogans and threw stones at the gathering. "This was intimidation of its worst kind. Had it not to be for the strong opposition of the villagers, who repulsed the attack by the hooligans something worse could have happened," the statement said.

It said the presence of more than 300 members of the Bajrang Dal and Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad triggered off ugly scenes.

The activists were under the impression that the educational institutions would convert some of the students to Christianity, informed Abraham Mathai, vice chairman of the Minorities Commission.

The statement wanted the "fascist elements" appreciate "the good work done" by the Church for the marginalized. It also asked the attackers "to have the guts to follow" Church's example of social service.

The statement said BCS officials have taken this matter with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

They have also contacted Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R.R. Patil to ensure "adequate protection" for Bishop Dabre, Suryodaya Ashram, its children and other the Christian Institutions in the Thane District, it said.

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More attacks against Christians in Madhya Pradesh

By Vijayesh Lal

31st January 2006: The night of 30th January 2006 was replete with reports of incidents against Christians in Madhya Pradesh.

The state already infamous for attacks on the Christian minority with as many as 4 attacks on the community since 25th January 2006 experienced more of it, with unconfirmed reports indicating at least 18 instances of violence against Christians as India mourned the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi refered to as the apostle of peace.

The first attack was in Betul in Madhya Pradesh where in Hindutva fundamentalists attacked and attempted to burn a Pentecostal Church. The Church pastored by Senior Pastor K T Samuel was broken into by miscreants. After vandalizing the Church they attempted to set the Church on fire.

The second attack took place in Banapura, District Hoshangabad. Between 12:00 – 1:00 in the night unidentified men broke in the Friend’s Church in Banapura and after vandalizing they set the Church gates on fire.

The police station of Banapura is just opposite the Church and as soon as policemen saw flames from the Church they came to the rescue thus making the attackers flee from the scene. It was the police personnel who doused the fire and protected the Church.

The Friend’s Church is a historical Church and is about 150 years old. It belonged to the UCNI and currently the CNI is the custodian of the Church. Ena Jiwan Masih, an elder of the Church has filed an FIR with the police. We spoke to Mr. David Nathaneal, one of the elders of the Church and he has expressed his concern at the attacks but was appreciative of the police action.

The third attack was again at a Friend’s Church but this time in the town on Itarsi. Unidentified people broke the Church lock and attempted to vandalize the Church, but a major mishap was averted when the miscreants ran when someone raised an alarm.

According to reports received unidnetified people attempeted to burn a Church in Mandla district too, but the police intervened at the right time and thus prevented a major mishap.

Bible Students Beaten to Near Death

01/28/2006: Three Gospel for Asia Bible college students were severely beaten, threatened with death and their literature burned while witnessing in Bihar state during India's annual Republic Day celebration.

The first-year students, Michel, Jaipal and Balkishore, were visiting homes in a village near Purnia when they were attacked by a group of anti-Christian militants. The radical Hindus beat the students, then took them to a youth hostel where they tied them to a tree and encouraged others in the hostel to urinate on them.

When the hostel residents hesitated, the militant youth beat the Bible students with bamboo sticks and kicked them before they were rescued by the residents.

Amid the celebration of India's independence from Britain, the radicals accused the Christians of being "agents for the British," and set fire to all of their literature.

"If you ever come again to our area, we will burn you like we burned these books," they warned the Bible students.

When the victims finally reached their Bible college that evening, they were described as "half dead" by their teacher. After being treated at a local hospital, the three returned to the school, their faces still swollen and their joints aching from the assault.

GFA President K.P. Yohannan asks Christians around the world to pray that the Lord will heal these courageous students, and that those who attacked them will come to know the love of Jesus instead of the fear that drives their blind hate for the Gospel.

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Capital Shame: Christian meeting attacked and participants assaulted in Bhopal

By Vijayesh Lal and Rahul Pant

28th January 2006: A Christian retreat was disrupted and Christians beaten up on Saturday morning in the state capital of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.

The incident occurred when an all-day prayer retreat and training organized by the Hallelujah Church had just begun. The trouble began at 10:30 a.m. when miscreants belonging to the Bajrang Dal, the militant wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) forcefully entered the house of Freddy Prasad in Govindpuri area where the retreat had been organized and began beating the Christians who had gathered for the meeting. Before beating the participants, the goons pelted stones from outside and shouted anti-Christian slogans and accused the organizers of indulging in “forced conversions”.

Thereafter, the mob which consisted of around 60 Hindu fundamentalists, a number of whom were clad in saffron clothing and were wielding rods, lathis (sticks) and other sharp-edged weapons assaulted the Christians and ransacked the room in which the meeting was going on injuring at least 17 Christians.

While 6 Christians have sustained serious injuries and had to be rushed to the Kasturba hospital in Habibganj where they have been admitted, other Christians present at the venue of the meeting at the time of the attack have also been injured. The meeting was being conducted at the house of one Freddy Prasad who is a local Christian.

Pastor Sam Francis who was coordinating the all-day meeting and training was hit badly and has received fractures in his hands and legs. The RSS activists also damaged his vehicle, a Toyota Qualis, completely while Freddy Prasad's scooter was also damaged by the attackers and the window panes of his house smashed.

Kishore Sadhwani, a Sindhi background Christian, who had been invited as the main-speaker to address the gathering has also received a fracture in one of his hands and eight stitches on his head. Reportedly he is also suffering from a blood clot because of the beatings and has been vomiting blood.

The others who have sustained serious injuries in the attack include Majit Masih, Lal Chand and Ivan Pereira all of whom are evangelists.

While the leader of opposition and others have visited the injured in the hospital, no one from the ruling Hindu nationalist Bhartiya Janta Party has bothered to enquire about the condition of the Christians who were attacked.

The regional media has reported the attack on Christians as a case of personal rivalry between two groups and the Superintendent of Police (SP) has issued a statement in the media saying that there have been only minor injuries to those who were attacked.

The very fact that such an attack has taken place in the State capital raises concerns over the rapidly deteriorating situation of law and order in the state and the complete failure on part of the state government to protect the minorities in the state. The local Christians have condemned the incident and have demanded that the state government provide adequate security to the Christian community all across the state.

This is the third recorded attack on the Minority Christian community in the state of Madhya Pradesh within the past three days.

Christian leaders locked up on false charges at Jabalpur on Republic day

By Vijayesh Lal

Three Christian leaders belonging to the Church of Nazrene were arrested Thursday the 26th January 2006 at Jabalpur on grounds of indulging in forced conversion of tribals.

According to sources, in a well-planned move by the local unit of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh affiliated Dharama Raksha Manch (or Religion Defence Platform) two Christian leaders residing in the Civil Lines area of Jabalpur and one Christian leader from Dindori, close to Jabalpur, were falsely accused by the Hindu fundamentalists of forcibly converting and attempting to forcibly convert 23 tribals from Dindori.

The local police acting on the directions of Sudhir Agarwal of Dharam Raksha Samiti conducted a raid on the Gurudev lodge in Madan Mahal area of Jabalpur in order to scare the tribals who had voluntarily put up at the lodge to spend the night while on their way to attend a Christian convention organized by the Church of Nazarene at Nagpur city in Maharashtra. The tribals were going to participate in the convention by their own free will from 27th January 2006 onwards.

After conducting the raid at the lodge, the police under the leadership of City Police-Inspector Siddarth Chaudhary arrested the three Christian leaders namely Pravin Pawar, Sanat Pawar and Maclin Masih. They were arrested and put into custodial lock-up where they were till the writing of this report.

The three Christians have been accused and booked under Section 420 and Article 4 of the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance. The police have also confiscated Christian literature, documents related to the Church of Nazrene and 35 passenger tickets of a private bus agency.

Anti-Christian reports appearing in the regional media have made the situation critical as it may lead to a flare up in the situation leading to further attacks on the Christian community. According to these completely one-sided and biased reports investigations have revealed that 23 tribals were being taken from Dindori district to Nagpur to forcibly make them participate in a convention of the Christian community in order to convert them forcefully. False allegations of enticing the tribals to Christianity by lure of money and under the pretext of taking them for sight-seeing have been levied by the police on the falsely accused Christians.

When we spoke to the Police Inspector Mr. Siddharth Chaudary, he maintained that the Christians arrested had conspired to convert the poor tribals by luring them for sightseeing and promising them physical healing through prayer during the convention.

Mrs. Indira Iyengar, member of the Madhya Pradesh State Minority Commission spoke to us where in she informed that she too had spoken to the police officials in Jabalpur and they had appeared biased against the Christians. When Mrs. Iyengar questioned a senior police official as to why the Christians had been arrested when the tribals were going to Nagpur of their own free will, she did not receive an answer. The police also kept mum when Mrs. Iyengar questioned them as to how three Christians can force 23 tribals to travel to a place they did not want to go?

As the misinformation against Christians was spread by the Hindu fundamentalists among Hindus living in and around the Gurudev lodge, a large mob of Hindus, mostly mobilized by the Dharma Raksha Samiti, gathered together and beat the Christians black and blue. They continued to thrash the Christians even as the police tried to register a case against the Christians. Activists belonging to the militant wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak sangh shouted anti-Christian slogans while all this was going on and tried to incite communal frenzy.

However when we spoke to Mr. Chaudhary, he denied reports that the Christians had been beaten up even though this was reported in the local media.

The situation in Jabalpur continues to be volatile and the Christians are fearful that this wave of anti-Christian violence against them may increase in the days to come.

Tribal Pastors attacked in Jhabua again

Tribal Pastors attacked and beaten up in a case of blatant state atrocity
By Vijayesh Lal

25th January 2006: In a gross violation of human-rights a group of local policemen barged into a Christian home where a prayer meeting had to be conducted in Chapri village of Jhabua in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and beat up two tribal pastors who were supposed to leading the prayer meeting.

On Wednesday morning at 10:30 am, as local Christians had gathered together for a time of prayer at Rai Singh's home, as many as nine policemen belonging to the state police barged into the Christian home a few minutes before the prayer meeting could begin.

In utter disregard of their responsibilities as keepers of law, these goons became breakers of law and badly beat up the two tribal pastors who had to lead the prayer meeting.

After beating the two pastors of the Philadelphia Church of Chapri, namely Rai Singh Amblia at whose house the meeting was going on and Hatehsingh Rawat mercilessly, the police put them into their vehicle and dragged them to the police station repeatedly threatening them of dire consequences if they coinued to gather together for prayer or for any other kind of 'Christian activity'.

Raisingh and Hatesingh were locked up in custody for more than four hours where they were not only beaten up more but their Christian faith was also mocked at. The pastors were assaulted on their stomach and hands and the policemen also struck blows on their neck. The wounds which the two pastors received as a result of the police beatings forced them to be taken to the local hospital the next day.

However, when reports last came in the two pastors were denied access to medical aid by the local hospital authorities who demanded that the pastors obtain written permission from the police to receive medical help.

Those involved in this unlawful act of atrocity against the minority community include Babu Bhabor, Pal, Jaisingh, Gadwan, Shamra, Mukesh, Shisodia and other policemen. The incident took place in the very presence of the Sub-Inspector, Kalidevi Police chowki, Mr. Samrath Devanji. The T.I. of the area was however absent when the incident took place.

The Christians in Chapri village are in a state of shock while Christians in Jhabua maintain that acts of state atrocities like this are shaking their confidence in the state machinery which they say is anyway conniving with anti-Christian elements to terrorize the Christian community in the state of Madhya Pradesh.

Mrs. Indira Iyengar of the Madhya Pradesh Minority Commission expressed her concern over the incident. She said, "It is shocking in the manner in which the Christians in Jhabua are being targeted almost systematically by communal forces. It is becoming a regular affair and almost no protection is being offered by the government." She expressed her surprise at the incident as it happened just a day before the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh; Mr. Shivraj Chauhan was in Jhabua for Republic Day celebrations.

It is noteworthy that Mr. Arjun Singh, Central Human Resource development minister had called on the government to protect the Christian community in Jhabua from systematic attacks by Hindutva forces just a few days ago.

Children's Homes Face Opposition from Hindu Militants in Uttaranchal India

On Saturday, Jan. 14, approximately 40 Hindu militants opposed to a children's home and school being constructed in the village of Tikri in northeastern India's Uttaranchal state came to the construction site and threatened to kill the workers who were building the new facility. The workers fled for their lives.

Ashish Massey, the head of the North India Evangelistic Association (NIEA) who is funding the project, was also threatened with death by the militants. According to a local report, some of the local villagers allegedly complained to the activists that the Christians had come to their village to convert them.

In a separate incident in West Bengal, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority demolished a church building and orphanage on Monday, Jan. 16, despite ongoing legal proceedings. According to Indian Express, the development authority claimed that the buildings were impeding a planned road expansion. At the time of its destruction, the orphanage was home to 30 children and 20 women. (Voice of the Martyrs)

Source: Persecuted Church of India Yahoo Group