Hindu Nationalist Group Seeking to Cleanse Christian Presence From India Is Not Unlike ISIS, Watchdog Group Warns
By Stoyan Zaimov
September 8, 2014|10:14 am
International Christian Concern has warned that Sangh Parivar, an umbrella Hindu nationalist group, is inflicting suffering and looking tocleanse the minority Christian population in India, much like terror group ISIS is doing in Iraq and Syria.
The watchdog group said in a press release that the nationalist group and its associate organizations have been directing hate speech toward Christians and leading attacks on pastors and churches in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Believers are reportedly worried that radical Hindu nationalism and persecution of minorities will escalate.
John Dayal, a member of the Indian government's National Integration Council, said: "There has been a sharp rise in hate campaigns against Christians by political organizations. This threat of purging Christians from villages extends from Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh to now Uttar Pradesh, and to the borders of the national capital of New Delhi."
There have been reports of churches being turned into Hindu temples, and entire mobs attacking Christian houses — ICC shared of one incident in July where a church in Sahakarinagar village was rampaged by a group of 25 Hindu radicals, led by Hemanth Singh, a leader in the local Bajrangdal group. Rev. R. C. Paul, who was leading a Bible study at the church at the time, was beaten along with several other members.
"We were shaken and are very scared of the situation in the area. We are concerned of our safety, even going alone outside looks very dangerous at the moment," Paul said.
ICC noted in its press release that news headlines will continue to focus on Christian persecution at the hands of terror group ISIS in Iraq, but argued that the international community "must take notice of the issues of Christian persecution globally."
"Like Christians facing ISIS in Iraq, millions of Christians across India are facing persecution at the hands of radical Hindu nationalist groups," the watchdog group added.
"Without drastic change, this difficult situation will likely only get worse, as radical Hindu nationalist groups popping up across India have been given almost complete impunity under the new Hindu nationalist government led by BJP and Narendra Modi."
Following May's election of the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, several Indian church leaders had said that they were not concerned that extremist groups would rise up against minorities.
"Minorities, such as Christians and Muslims, are an integral part of the nation and of the social fabric of Indian society. Minorities are protected by the Constitution, I believe that the new government cannot and will not want to go against the Constitution. As Christians we are confident," His Exc. Mgr. Stanley Roman, bishop of Quilon, in the state of Kerala, had said at the time.
His Exc. Mgr. Albert D'Souza, archbishop of Agra, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and general secretary of the Indian Bishops' Conference, added that sometimes "small groups of fanatics can give us concern," but argued that the Church "will continue in its mission to pray for the new government and contribute to the common good of the nation, supporting democracy, respect for pluralism, the rights of all and a secular concept in the political agenda."
New Delhi Archbishop Anil J. Couto has now also raised concern, however, at the rising attacks on Christians and churches in India in recent months.
"It is very disturbing, and we request local authorities to take adequate measures to book the miscreants threatening to weaken the social fabric of this great nation," Couto said.
"The Sangh Parivar plan [is] to carry out shuddhikaran — attempts to re-convert Christians to Hinduism," the Archbishop continued."This move by fundamentalist groups is a grave assault on the fundamental rights of individuals and people and groups."
Other persecution watchdog ministries, like Open Doors, have also noted a rise in Hindu extremism targeting Christians. The group ranks India as number 28 on its list of countries where Christians face the most persecution.
Pastors arrested in Greater Noida under pressure from Hindu groups
At least 10 Christian pastors were brought in for questioning to Surajpur Police station in Greater Noida on Saturday over allegations that they were “forcefully converting Hindus to Christianity”. Soon after their detention, the police station was surrounded by protesters from various Hindu groups.
Christian community leaders in Greater Noida said allegations of forced conversion had been trumped up and were aimed at creating mistrust in the district.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar police said the 10 pastors were allegedly participating in a fasting ritual, which was not connected to religious conversion, at Kulesra village.
But, SP (Rural) Brijesh Kumar Singh said since they had received complaints from villagers, the matter would be investigated. Police said no FIR had been filed yet.
Meanwhile, protests outside the police station reflected the growing communal tension in the area.
Reverend Wilson Joseph, president of the Calvary Ashram Seva Sangh, has been working in Uttar Pradesh since 1992 and has been in Greater Noida for the past 12 years.
“I have never seen this kind of communal tension. We are not even being able to get close to Surajpur police station. Some members of our church, who went there, were beaten up. We will file a complaint once the mob clears,” he alleged.
Joseph alleged that members of the RSS had incited villagers at Kulesra village through false allegations of forced conversions.
Sources indicated that police initially intended to let the pastors go after questioning, but the protests outside the police station made that difficult.
Police denied that the incident had sparked off communal tension in the area. “There were allegations made that these Christian pastors were forcing people to convert. Police brought them in for questioning. We will be investigating the matter,” Singh said.
Police sources said tension had been brewing in the area for the past few months, with rumours doing the rounds that Hindus, especially
Dalits, were being converted forcibly. But, police said they had no evidence to corroborate the rumours.
“The allegations of conversions are primarily regarding the Dalit community, which is the poorest. Many convert because they think that they will be able to escape caste-based biases. Others think that there will be financial benefits of such a conversion,” Singh said.
However, minority activists alleged that rumours of “forced conversions” were being spread with the intent of spreading communal tension to reap political dividends. “Hindu organisations connected to the RSS and VHP are spreading tension based on the propagation of their ideology that Christianity is inherently alien,” John Dayal, civil rights activist, alleged.
Villagers allege ‘forced conversions’ in Greater Noida, pastors questioned | The Indian Express
Another village in Chhattisgarh outlaws ‘Non-Hindu’ religions
Despite the outcry by Christian organizations over the misuse of theChhattisgarh Panchayati Raj Act section 129 (G) and despite assurances from the administration that these resolutions that are basically against the spirit of the constitution, will be revoked, the Gram Sabha of Parapur yesterday passed a resolution under the same section to outlaw any non-Hindu presence or worship from the village. Parapur lies in the Lohandiguda block of Bastar District.
What is notable that in all these meetings where these resolutions are passed people from the Vishawa Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal and the BJP are also present who then make the usual allegations of conversions against Christians. So it is not hard to see who is behind these community resolutions.
Suresh Yadav of the VHP has been quoted in the past as well that he and his organization are behind this exercise in order to counter Christian missionaries.
However last Sunday i.e. 13th July 2014 people from the VHP had visited Christians in Parapur and Gadiya village and had threatened the Christian families living in these villages to leave the village i.e. make it Christian free, by 20th July 2014 or face the consequences.
Because this matter was taken up by some Christian organizations with the administration, the Churches in Gadiya and Parapur received police protection on Sunday the 20th July 2014. Suresh Yadav of the VHP called this protection of Churches unnecessary and raised questions on the security forces provided for by the administration.
So far more than 60 Gram Sabhas have taken this decision and the state government has not moved to intervene in the matter in a major way.
Christian organizations like EFI and Chhattisgarh Christian Forum have said that they will approach the court if need be.
What is also worthy of mention is that the VHP itself has taken a huge conversion project and are busy converting the Tribals to Hinduism. The tribals are not Hindus but animists originally worshipping ancestors (bada dev and budha dev) but the huge flow of money along with administrative support to the VHP and Bajrang Dal has resulted in many old tribal worship places being deserted and the coming up of hanuman, ram and durga temples. Tribals are being given money to celebrate Ganesh Utsav and other functions. Historically there is no record of tribals celebrating either these festivals or identifying themselves as Hindus.
Church Locked Up, Christians attacked in Bihar
Hindu extremists locked up a church on June 5 after they beat up a Christian family in Balwanazir, Kaliyanganj, Bihar.
According to our correspondent, Pastor A. Abraham, the extremists repeatedly beat up Sadanandan Singh and his family for their faith in Christ on May and June and finally locked up the church of the Indian Evangelical Team.
Singh and his family were dragged on the road and the entire family including two minor girls were beaten up mercilessly.
"The extremists have locked up the church and told Singh that he is not allowed to pray in the future in the village." area pastor Laxmi Prasad told EFI News.
Singh and his family were socially boycotted ever since they decided to follow Christ in 2010.
Police complaint was submitted. However no action has been taken at press time.
Christian couple hacked to death in Bengal's Kalimpong
Siliguri: A Christian couple was hacked to death and their 12-year-old daughter's eye gouged out by masked assailants in Kalimpong sub division of West Bengal's Darjeeling district, police said Thursday.The incident at the Geetdubling slum in remote Budhwar area, about two hours drive from Kalimpong town, Tuesday-Wednesday midnight, has left the young girl fighting in a serious condition first at Kalimpong Hospital, and now at north Bengal Medical College and Hospital. Her left eye has been severely affected after being slashed with a sharp weapon.
The couple's four-year-old younger daughter escaped the assailants by fleeing from home.
One person has been detained in connection with the incident, said Darjeeling's Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Chaturvedi
Kalimpong Additional Superintendent of Police Anjali Singh said the husband Dominik Bhutia worked with a cable operator.
Locals saw the victims lying in a pool of blood in their house Thursday morning and informed police. The bodies have been sent for post mortem.
Chaturvedi said the Tibetan couple had converted to Christianity. He hoped the case would be solved soon.
Himalayan Buddhist Association general secretary and Tibetan Support Group's north east India core committee convenor Sonam Londrup Lama has condemned the incident and demaned exemplary punishment of the culprits.
Various other organisations in Kalimpong have also raised their voice against the attack.
Christians discriminated, beaten up and hospitalized in Chhattisgarh
10 Christians were attacked and beaten mercilessly by a mob of 200 plus people in village Sirsiguda, Bastar District in Chhattisgarh state of India on 16th June 2014.
The village has a long track record of discrimination against Christians and the attack was a retaliation to the complaint raised by the Christian community to that effect.
Eight men and two women, mostly from the Believers Church were beaten up including the Pastor, Ramdhar Mandavi. The beating was so severe that all of the Christians had to seek urgent medical help. One Christian Aitu Mandavi is still admitted in the nearby Jagdalpur hospital with serious injuries in the back and the head.
For some months the Christians in the village (50 plus families) had been denied ration from the government ration shop at the orders of the Sarpanch (Village council head). The Christians then approached the district food inspector and asked him to intervene and according to reports received, he and his colleague did speak to the village head and to the other villagers, which caused anger and a backlash against Christians. The food inspector and his colleague were chased away from the village and the fundamentalist Hindus registered a false complaint in the local police station of Badanji, accusing Christians of beating up Hindus. The beating of the Christians followed this accusation and the ten were seriously injured.
The Christians had to wait for hours together before their complaint was entertained in the local police station on 18th June 2014. Even medical facilities were denied initially to the injured Christians.
“At the moment one Christian, Aitu Mandavi, is still admitted in the hospital while the rest have been discharged even without proper treatment,” said a local Christian leader while speaking to us.
It is reported that the women were also misbehaved with and beaten up.
The pew research forum in its report on religious hostility ranks India on very top as far as social restrictions to religion is concerned and this is a stark example of that fact, where social restriction and backlash is provided protection and sanction by the authorities (in this case the village council head).
