Introductory Note EFI News
October 2015
The Evangelical Fellowship of India has recorded at least 23
verified incidents targeting the Christian community in the months of September
- October 2015. This includes one person being killed by unidentified people in
Jharkhand while other incidents like arrests on cooked up charges and attacks
on individual Christians and worship services continued. At least one act of
vandalism of a cemetery was reported from Karnataka.
Most of the incidents came from the central Indian states of Madhya
Pradesh (11 incidents) and Chhattisgarh (5 incidents). Jharkhand reported two
incidents, Delhi, one; Uttar Pradesh, one, Punjab, one; Gujarat, one and
Karnataka reported one incident.
Majority of the incidents centered on the tribal belts of Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand with tribal Christians bearing the brunt of
most of the violence.
These incidents of hate crime and violence against the Christian
minority are at best a partial indicator of the situation of Christians in the
country for many incidents are not even reported. The Evangelical Fellowship of
India urges the central government and the respective state governments to look
into these incidents and take steps to check the hate and ensure justice and
protection for the minority community.
Christian Cemetery
Vandalised in Belgaum, Karnataka
September 7, 2015: A cemetery in Belgaum of Karnataka was found
vandalized on September 7, 2015 when a group of people went to bury their dead.
According to reports in the media, the vandals have uprooted more than a dozen
crosses, broke up some gravestones and dig up some graves. The incident
happened at Bharatnagar of Shahapur area, which is about 2kms from Belgaum
city.
Three Christians including
two pastors jailed at Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh
September 8, 2015: Three Christians including two pastors are in
jail in Jagdalpur, Bastar district since September 8, 2015. Pastor Loknath
Baghel, Pastor Suddu Baghel, and Tikaram Netam of Barpaguda village of Bastar
district were arrested after they opposed the takeover of their village land.
The land in question has been used as a graveyard in the past and now has been
marked by the government authorities that want to develop a pond there. A FIR
was filed against the Pastors when the villagers opposed the takeover of land.
The sessions court has rejected the bail application for the Pastors twice.
Church members brutally
attacked by Hindu extremists at Bastar, Chhattisgarh
September 8, 2015: Christian villagers in Karmari village, district
Bastar, Chhattisgarh were brutally attacked by Hindu extremists following the
passing of a resolution in the village banning all non-Hindu religious
activities. A mob of over 50 Hindu radicals gathered and surrounded a Church
building around 4 pm on September 8, 2015. Before any of the Christians could
even ask what was happening, the radicals attacked, assaulting Christians with
wooden clubs and sticks. When some women from the Church confronted the
radicals, they too were brutally beaten with wooden clubs and fists. Two
Christian women, Pulo Bhai and Ludri were seriously injured in the assault and
lost consciousness. As Christians in Karmari village face a social boycott,
life has become very difficult for them.
House Church Service
stopped at Palian Kalan, Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh
September 13, 2015: Pastor Durgesh Yadav of Palian Kalan, Lakhimpur
Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh was threatened by a mob of around 200-250 people
led by local RSS and BJP leaders during Sunday worship service on 13 September
2015 at 11:00 am. The mob wanted him to stop conducting worship in the area.
The house Church of about 100 members has stopped worship as of now because of
the threats received. Pastor Yadav has filed a complained to the Palia Kalan
police station but the police have not yet lodged the FIR against the local
leaders.
Pastor and wife detained
and interrogated by Police alleging force conversions at Chandia, Umaria,
Madhya Pradesh
September 18, 2015: Pastor Gaya Prasad Dharwiya and his wife, from
Shahdol district, Madhya Pradesh were apprehended and threatened by a local RSS
leader who was accompanied by the police. The Pastor and his wife were
returning from a friend's house at Chandia town of Umria District, Madhya
Pradesh. The RSS leader and the policemen forcibly took the couple to the
Chandia Police Station without assigning any reason and detained them there for
more than eleven hours before letting them go late in the night. The
Superintendent of Police, Umria District ordered Pastor Dharviya and his wife
to be present at the Chandia Police Station next morning at 10:00AM.
Christians Beaten Up, Chased
Out from Home in Chhattisgarh
September 22, 2015: In Kongud, Kondagoan, Chhatisgarh, Hindu
extremists beat up two Christian siblings after they refused to renounce
Christ. The extremists summoned Mankuram Singh and his brother to a Hindu
temple and asked them to renounce Christ However, the Christians refused and
the mob thereafter started to beat them up, accused them of being involved in
forceful conversions and proceeded to vandalize their home. The attackers later
locked up their home and chased them out of the village. The brothers submitted
a police complaint with the help of area Christian leaders, but the police did
not register a case against the attackers and the extremists are threatening to
harm them if they do not withdraw their complaint.
Delhi, Pastor threatened
to stop Church service
September 27, 2015: September 27, 2015: Pastor Pradeep Kumar in
Matiala, Uttam Nagar, New Delhi was manhandled and threatened by some of his
neighbors who were led by local Hindu extremists. The attackers wanted to stop
the Sunday Church service that was going on.
Three Christians arrested
for alleged forced conversions in Satna, Madhya Pradesh
October 3, 2015: Madhya Pradesh police arrested three evangelists
accusing them of proselytizing and forced conversions. The arrest took place at
a school located at Majhgawan, a small town in Satna district. The three
Stephen Rajkumar, 40; Harilal 20; and Anil Kumar have been charged under the
Madhya Pradesh freedom of religion act. The police also confiscated Bibles,
books, CDs and projectors that were with them.
26 Christian Families
threatened with boycott and ouster from the village at Betul, Madhya
Pradesh
October 3, 2015: Suraj Sariyam, a Christian from Chattarpur, Ghoda
Dongri, Betul district was threatened and harassed by local Hindu leader
Kailash Sariyam alias Gabba on October 3, 2015. Gabba not only stopped Suraj
from enter his own paddy field but also did not allow him to take water for
next two days from the village river. The village has 26 Christian families. On
October 5, 2015 the village council summoned all the Christian families for a
hearing. Orders were also issued to the villagers to boycott all the Christian
families. Villagers were told not to provide basic facilities like water etc. to
the Christians. But due to police intervention the hearing could not take
place. The Christians in the village are still getting threats from Hindu
extremists and are living in danger.
Christian family pressured
and threatened for Ghar Wapsi (re-conversion) at Satna, MP
October 5, 2015: A group of 15 Hindu extremists trespassed into the
home of a Christian family at Motwa village in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh
and threatened them. The extremists were pressurizing the family to do a 'Ghar
Wapsi' (homecoming). This family had accepted Christianity 5 years ago. The
extremists threatened the family and warned them not to partake in Christian
worship service.
Pastor, his pregnant wife,
and their 11-month-old baby beaten at Kapurthala, Punjab
October 8, 2015: Pastor Arvinder Singh and his family were brutally
beaten up to the point of death by a mob
that included his neighbours in Phagwara city of Kapurthala district, Punjab.
Pastor Arvinder was hit with an iron object on his head, which made him unconscious
for a couple of hours. His wife, who was seven months pregnant, was manhandled
and struck many times over on her stomach by the mob. The couple's 11-month
baby boy was also thrown at pile of bricks, which caused him serious internal
injuries. No FIR has been registered till date.
Pastor's mother pelted
with stones in Dahod, Gujarat
October 12, 2015: Dasudi Ben Bhuriya (58), mother of Pastor Rajesh
Bhuriya was at tacked and pelted with stones by 6-7 Hindu extremists, on
October 12, at Bilwani village of Dahod district. She was admitted at the
Bilwani hospital as a result of the attack for treatment of her injuries.
Pastor Shot Dead in
Jharkhand
October 13, 2015: Pastor Chamu Hasda Purty of the Pentecostal Church
at Sandih, Khunti district was killed as unidentified people opened gunfire at
him after entering his house. The murder took place in the late evening of
October 13. Pastor Chamu Hasda Purty was well respected and valued by the local
community.
Christians summoned at
Police station for questioning on false charges of Conversion at Betul, MP
October 17, 2015: Two Christians, Yuvraj and Kumar Singh were taken
to the Bhimpur Police station in Betul district for questioning after local
Hindu extremists complained against them alleging religious conversions.
Christians have been gathering as a Church conducting regular Sunday worship at
Bhimpur village for more than a year now but they are getting regular threats
from local Hindu groups to close down the Church and move out of the village.
Christians detained at
police station on the complaint of Bajrang Dal and VHP members in Rajnandgaon,
Chhattisgarh
October 17, 2015: Members of Bajrang Dal attacked a prayer meeting
near Rajnandgaon and beat up the preacher Dev Kumar Sahu on October 17, 2015.
The meeting was held at the house of Mr. Lalit Sahu and about 50 Christians
were in attendance when more than 20 armed members of the Bajrang Dal
trespassed into the private property of Mr. Lalit Sahu and started pushing
people and beat up the preacher. The police carried the Christians to the
police station for questioning and they were let off later after EFI and other
local Christian leaders intervened.
Christian meeting
disrupted in Dalli Rajhara, Chhattisgarh
October 21, 2015: A prayer meeting organized at the home of Mrs.
Dhaneswari Sahu was disrupted by member of the Dharm Jagran Samiti along with
some representatives of the Sahu community who were angry that the family had
started organizing Christian prayer meetings at their home since last many
months. According to reports when the prayer meeting was going on, members of
the Dharm Jagran Samiti and representatives of the Sahu community arrived at
the house of Mrs. Dhaneswari Sahu in an inebriated state. They created a ruckus
and stopped the prayer meeting. They accused the Christians of conversions and
also charged them with scheming alleging that the Christians wanted to demolish
the nearby temple. The Christians have not reported the matter to the police.
Christians arrested in
Kanhiwada, Madhya Pradesh
October 25, 2015: A Christian woman and a man were arrested by the
police from a private prayer meeting at Bhatekhari village after a local Hindu
leader complained against them alleging conversions through allurement. Mrs.
Anjana Jharia and Mr. Manish Yadav were speaking at a private prayer meeting
organized at the house of a Christian, when the police arrested them on the
complaint of one Ashok Baghel. There is no evidence of Mr. Ashok Baghel even
being present in the meeting according to local Christians. They were charged
with sections 3 and 4 of the MP Freedom of Religion Act and under sections 506
and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. They were later bailed out.
Christians including
children arrested in Junardeo, Madhya Pradesh
October 25, 2015: At least 8 Christians plus two children were
arrested from Silvada, Junnardeo on cooked up charges of forced conversion and
of hurting religious sentiments this included a family from Bhopal who had come
down to Junnardeo for their vacations. Pastor A J Thomas, his wife, and two
children, John (14) and Kezia (12) were among the people arrested. Pastor
Thomas and his wife were later put in a jail in Junnardeo while their children
were taken to Chhindwara which is 50 kilometres away. Later the children were
separated and while Kezia was sent to Shahdol (421 Kilometres away), John was
sent to Narsinghpur (125 Kilometres away), where they await their bail till the
writing of this story. Their parents have been bailed out.
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