Indian Christians suffered at least 23 religiously motivated attacks over the Christmas period, according to new research by a persecution lobby group.
Christian Today reported on Wednesday that the Washington-based International Christian Concern said the incidents sparked mass fear and left several believers hospitalised or imprisoned. One Indian pastor, Prabhu Kumar, is quoted as saying ‘never in my memory have we experienced the kind of hatred that we are experiencing now’.
One particular attack saw 20 Hindu nationalists along with police officials storm a Christmas celebration in Rajasthan, north west India. Despite having being given permission for the event, the attackers beat members of the congregation and destroyed Christian literature being handed out.
Another incident reported by UG Christian News last week, involved 30 Christians who were charged for singing carol singers in a village. These were attacked and had their car torched outside a police station in the state of Madhya Pradesh, central India.
Following the attack, Clergy in India said on December 20: ‘Indian Christians’ trust in the government has become shaky in the wake of increased attacks on Christians and members of the clergy.’
Indian Christians experienced almost as many attacks in the first half of the 2017 as they did in the entire year of 2016, CBN News recently reported.
This was based on a report from the persecution watchdog organization, Open Doors. Eighty-four of those incidents were violent assaults. Of those 84 violent attacks, 32 would have been deadly if timely medical-aid had not been provided.
India’s Christians are fighting back by lobbying their government officials.
The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), which represents 14 million Protestant and Orthodox Christians, as a way of raising concern, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in hopes he would condemn the persecution.
No such actions have been taken by the Indian government since that letter was written, CBN reported.
male@ugchristiannews.com
