INDIA: NEWS BRIEFS

Recent Incidents of Persecution

Andhra Pradesh, March 19 (Compass Direct News) – Hindu extremists armed with sticks assaulted a pastor, seriously injuring him, on March 11 in Medak. About 30 extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh stopped pastor Ezra Krupanamdam as he was returning from a prayer meeting at the home of a recently converted Christian, reported the All Indian Christian Council. The intolerant Hindus beat, punched and stomped on him. The pastor was found lying in a pool of blood and was rushed to a hospital. A medical examination showed that he sustained fractures to his spinal cord and ribs. At press time the pastor was in intensive care at Gandhi hospital. Area Superintendent of Police Bhaskar Reddy told Compass that four extremists were arrested in connection with the attack.

New Delhi – About 12 Hindu extremists armed with rods and hockey sticks assaulted a pastor and his family and threatened to murder them on March 8 in India’s capital. The extremists beat Apostolic Assembly Church pastor A.K. Wilson, his wife and son and took 15,000 rupees (US$290) from them, reported the Evangelical Fellowship of India. Warning the Christians not to continue their ministry, the Hindu hardliners threatened to burn their house and kill them if they did not vacate their home in one week. Pastor Wilson told Compass that he and his family sustained minor injuries; he added that he believes the attack was planned rather than spontaneous. The pastor filed a police complaint with Uttam Nagar police, and Station House Officer R. K. Tyagi told Compass that an investigation was underway.

Uttar Pradesh – Hindu extremists in Unnao accused a pastor of forceful conversion on March 8 and threatened to destroy his church building. A source told Compass that the extremists tried to enter pastor K.K. Vimal’s house at about 11 p.m. shouting denunciations of Christianity and falsely accusing him of hitting a neighbor’s car and forcibly converting people. The pastor locked the doors and hid in the attic. The intolerant Hindus told the pastor to leave the area and to stop leading worship meetings. Unable to enter his home, they filed a police complaint and returned to the pastor’s house with seven officers. After questioning, police found the accusations against the pastor were baseless. The Hindu hardliners, however, threatened to destroy his church building, shouting, “We’ll see how big a pastor you really are.” Pastor Vimal told Compass that he has relocated to another area.

Karnataka – Hindu extremists from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) disrupted a prayer meeting and threatened Christians on March 6 in Bangalore. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that Siloam Brethren Assembly Church members had gathered in new church premises at about 7 p.m. for an inaugural prayer meeting when the Hindu extremists barged in. Led by a Hindu hardliner identified only as Ramamurthy, they disrupted the meeting, verbally abused the Christians and threatened to harm them if they met for Sunday worship on March 8. Church leaders filed a police complaint, and two police officers were posted on the church premises. A church representative told Compass that Sunday worship service was not conducted on March 8, as police advised church leaders against it.

Andhra Pradesh – Upper-caste Hindu extremists on March 1 attacked the Sunday worship of a church in Khammam. The All India Christian Council reported that the extremists attacked pastor Isaac Ravi as he was leading the service, disconnected the power supply and beat the pastor and other Christians, including women and children. The attackers also damaged the church’s furniture and sound system, shouting that there was no place for Christians in the area. A police complaint has been filed against the assailants, but no First Information Report has been registered.

Uttarakhand – Police on March 1 beat a Christian after detaining him in Dehradun. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported than an unidentified group had repeatedly disturbed church meetings at a rented home by playing high-volume music during services the past few months. Pastor Kuldeep Singh filed a complaint against them at Patel Nagar police station on Feb. 24, and at about 10 a.m. on March 1, as Sunday worship was about to begin, officers arrived and took the Christian renting the house, Sanjay Verma, into custody. Some of those Pastor Singh had named in the complaint had summoned police to the site. Officers beat Verma and detained him for about two hours. Christians gathered at the police station to support Verma, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India, and police urged them to reach a compromise with those disturbing their worship services. The Christians refused, as members of the opposing group insisted that they would stop playing loud music only if the Christians stopped worshipping. The church moved worship services to another venue.

Himachal Pradesh – Hindu extremists armed with sticks assaulted a Christian on Feb. 26 in Damtal. According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI), Joginder Masih had gone to a local shop when a group of extremists began following him and making derogatory comments about Christianity. Masih asked the Hindu hardliners to stop, and they beat him relentlessly. EFI reported that the intolerant Hindus opposed construction of a church building that Masih and other Christians had begun. Area Christians said they believed the attack was premeditated, with the extremists trying to provoke Masih into retaliating. Sustaining minor injuries, he filed a police complaint but no First Information Report has been registered.

Report from Compass Direct News

INDIA: NEWS BRIEFS

Recent Incidents of Persecution

Madhya Pradesh, February 27 (Compass Direct News) – Police on Feb. 25 arrested the Rev. Venkata Rao Paulose in connection with the sale of a book said to hurt the religious feelings of Hindus; the book was sold near a Christian conference Rev. Paulose organized in January in Sanjay Nagar Colony, Anuppur district. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that Rev. Paulose, founder of Pine Mount English Medium School, was directing the conference at the school on Jan. 16-18 while, unknown to him, two persons were selling books near the school compound. Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and Bajrang Dal purchased copies of a book, “Secularism and Hindutva” by M.G. Matthew, and took it to the Chachai police station. There they filed a complaint against Rev. Paulose, pastor of Pentecostal Church of God. At 1 a.m. on Jan. 19, police ordered the pastor to the police station, where he gave a statement saying he didn’t know who was selling books near the conference site; he was reprimanded and released. On Feb. 19, police arrested pastors Kailash Mashih and Sharda Prasad Muthel in Anuppur in connection with the complaint about the book and took them to the Chachai police station. Investigating Officer D.S. Divedi told Compass that the pastors were arrested under Section 295(A) of the Indian Penal Code for “deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings.” One of the pastors (undisclosed) was put in Shadol district jail, and the other was freed on bail. On Feb. 25, police for unknown reasons again arrested Rev. Paulose in connection with the complaint about the book. An Anuppur district court judge refused to grant him bail, and at press time the pastor of the 150-member church was in jail at the Chachai police station.

Karnataka – Police on Feb. 24 detained two Christian women in Chickmagalur after Hindu extremists filed a complaint of forcible conversion based solely on the women welcoming two new converts into their home. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that the Hindu extremists saw a recent convert to Christianity identified only as Panamma and her daughter visit the home of Christians identified only as Sangamma and K.P. Mary. The Hindu nationalists filed the complaint against Mary and Sangamma at N.R. Pura police station, and the Christian women were in police custody for about two hours. A station officer who goes by only one name, Revannea, told Compass that an inquiry was made into the matter and the two women were released without charges after a warning not to undertake further evangelism. 

Chhattisgarh – Hindu extremists on Feb. 23 disrupted a prayer service in Ambikapur, accused the pastors of forceful conversion, beat them and damaged motorcycles. A Compass contact said pastor Joseph Toppa was leading the prayer meeting at the house of Parmeshwar Lakda when the Hindu extremists barged in at about 7 p.m. The extremists belonged to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarhi Parishad (student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party), Dharm Sena (Religious Army) and Dharm Jagran Manch (Religious Awakening Forum), all affiliated with the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Police arrived and, as is customary in India, arrested the victims; officers took about 30 Christians to the police station. Local Christian leaders intervened, and the Christians were released at about 11:30 p.m. after giving their statements. There were no serious injuries.

Andhra Pradesh – On Feb. 22 Hindu extremists led by a village leader barged into the Sunday worship meeting of a church in Ranga Reddy, attacked a pastor and demanded that he turn the property over to them. Led by village head Rokalbanda Ramulu, the intolerant Hindus arrived at about 11 a.m. and beat the pastor, tearing his shirt. About six policemen arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control. Pastor K. Krupanamdam of True Wine Church filed a police complaint. Two officers have been posted to protect the church, but no First Information Report was filed.

Chhattisgarh – Police on Feb. 17 arrested 11 pastors from the Believers Church in Sarguja under Chhattisgarh’s anti-conversion law after Hindu extremists stormed into their revival meeting and beat them. The Evangelical Fellowship of India reported that Hindu extremists led by the local legislative assembly member from the Hindu extremist Bharatiya Janata Party, Renuka Singh, arrived at about 7 p.m. and attacked the pastors, tore Bibles and banners and damaged the sound system. The pastors were bruised but reported no serious injuries. The Christians were conducting the meeting with prior permission of the police and the civil administration. Police intervened at about 11 p.m. after persistent calls from local Christian leaders. As is customary in India, authorities took the victims of the violence to the police station “for security measures” but ended up filing charges against them under unsubstantiated claims of forceful conversion. The pastors were released on bail on Feb. 18.

Andhra Pradesh – Hindu extremists on Feb. 14 attacked a Christian media team, accused them of forceful conversion and threatened to kill them in Kawadipally, Ranga Reddy district. Moses Vatipalli of the All Indian Christian Council told Compass that three Christians identified as K. Anand Kumar, Mudi Jacob and Swami Das were distributing gospel tracts when about 15 Hindu hardliners attacked them. The intolerant Hindus assaulted the Christians, tore the remaining gospel tracts, damaged their vehicle and threatened to kill them if they did not leave the village immediately. The Christians were badly bruised but reported no serious injuries. A complaint was filed at Hayath Nagar police station, but no arrests had been made at press time.

Karnataka – Hindu extremists on Feb. 3 burned a Christian’s house and threatened to build a Hindu temple on his land in Tumpur. According to a local source, about 15 extremists went to the house of the Christian, identified only as Dasappa, on Feb. 1 and insisted that the area member of the legislative assembly was asking for the site for a Hindu temple. Dasappa refused, saying that the land was legally owned by his son, and the extremists asserted that there was no place for Christians in the area. On Feb. 3, the Hindu extremists went to his house again, splashed gas on it and burned it to ashes. Local Christian leaders filed a complaint, but police refused to register a case.

Karnataka – A group of Hindu extremists from the Bajrang Dal on Feb. 2 attacked a Christian truck driver in the Deralakatte area on the outskirts of the Mangalore. The Hindu newspaper reported that the extremists beat Albert D’Souza, 48, with iron rods after he found them breaking the windshield of his Jeep and marring the Christian stickers on it. D’Souza was brought to a city hospital in critical condition, the report stated. Konaje police registered a case, saying the attack was communally motivated, and arrested three of the five persons believed to be responsible for the assault.

Karnataka – Police on Jan. 27 arrested a pastor in Bangalore for alleged fraudulent conversion after Hindu extremists who assaulted him filed charges. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that about 30 Hindu extremists led by Shiva Rame barged into the house of pastor G. Kiran Kumar of Bethesda Church and accused him of trying to convert children by luring them with free tuition and asserting that he had insulted Hindu deities. The extremists assaulted the pastor and his father and dragged them to the Vidyaranyapura police station. Surrounding the police station, they bullied officers into arresting the Christians, with pastor Kumar charged under sections 503 and 153(A) of the Indian Penal Code for “criminal intimidation” and “promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion” respectively. The pastor was released on bail on Jan. 31.

Karnataka – Hindu extremists on Jan. 27 accused a pastor of conversion by allurement in Belgaum because he offered light refreshments at his house church on Christmas Day. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that when the intolerant Hindus heard that pastor Tanaya Sunder Nayak served the refreshments at a prayer meeting of his house church last Christmas, they filed the complaint and manipulated police into going on a hunt for him. Arrest warrant in hand, police went to the pastor’s house while he was away. Umesh Pangam, area additional superintendent of police, told Compass that after an inquiry police realized there was no basis for the charges and dropped the case.

Assam – A mob of about 600 Hindu extremists from the Kamalabari-Sattara Establishment assaulted Christians on Jan. 24 in Majuli Island, Jorhat. The Indian Catholic reported that about 400 believers from St. Anthony’s church in Mariani had gone to Majuli Island for an ordination ceremony. Shouting anti-Christian slogans, the Hindu extremists stopped the Christians as they were en route home, accused them of forcible conversion and threatened to cut them to pieces, according to the newspaper. The Hindu mob asserted that Christians should never enter their area, where a temple affiliated with the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is located. The violent mob kicked and punched the Christians, including women and children. Pulling the Christians’ ears, they forced them to walk barefoot to Ferry Ghat five kilometers (nearly three miles) away. Civil administration officials intervened after a priest informed them of the incident and arranged transportation to assist the Christians home. Alan Brooks, spokesman of the Assam Christian Forum, told Compass that Christians filed a First Information Report in Kamalabari and Jarmukh police stations, but no arrests were made.

Kerala – Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Jan. 22 assaulted a pastor and beat him till he fell unconscious in Vaithiry. According to the Evangelical Fellowship of India, pastor T.T. Abraham of the Brethren Assembly Church was distributing gospel tracts when three intolerant Hindus stopped him. In the assault the pastor suffered serious injuries on his neck, stomach and back. The Hindu extremists fled the scene when they saw an approaching auto-rickshaw, and the driver took the pastor to a government hospital. No police complaint was filed, as the pastor said he chose to forgive the extremists.  

Report from Compass Direct News