Presbyterian Church in Ireland - Mission Overseas - INDIA: Anti-Christian violence towards pastors waged across country

6th November 2009

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reports that there have been hundreds of cases of anti-Christian violence recorded so far in 2009 in various Indian States.

On 6th October five people kidnapped a Christian pastor in Ludhiana, in the State of Punjab, and took him to a secluded location where he was beaten and left severely injured.

On 12th October in Lakshmeshwar, Karnataka State, two Christian evangelists were attacked when a group of anti-Christian radicals set upon them, assaulting them and destroying all the Christian literature they were carrying. Later the attackers handed the two Christians over to the village leader, who had them arrested for allegedly trying to convert Hindus in the area. The evangelists are still in police custody.

In Hyderabad, on 20th September, Christian leader Parishudam was returning home on his motorcycle when he was forced to stop and was then attacked by two people wearing masks. They beat him using sticks and other weapons and then fled, leaving him bleeding in the street. Local people took Parishudam to a nearby hospital for treatment.

In the same city, attackers barged into a Christian worship service on 18th October and started assaulting the church leaders, as well as women and children who were taking part in the service.

On 25th October, Hindu extremists assaulted a Christian leader with hockey sticks following a Sunday worship service in Madhya Pradesh, while in Karnataka 50 Hindu radicals stormed a service and assaulted the church leader, threatened worshippers and burnt Bibles.

• Pray for India's Christians, that they will stand firm in the face of such relentless pressure and violence against them.
  
  
• Pray that the resilience displayed by the Christians will be a testament to their faith and that this will change the hearts of the extremists who are carrying out the violence.

Related Link: Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIS)

Source: Barnabas Fund