ORISSA, INDIA – (ANS)- Several incidents of
recent anti-Christian violence have been reported by the Global Council of
Indian Christians (GCIC) and the All India Christian Council (AICC) and
forwarded in an e-mail report through Compass Direct News to ANS. The following
reports show both a continuing trend and an uptick in violence against
Christians and churches.

Karnataka – About a dozen Hindu extremists in North Kanara forced
their way into a New Year’s Eve prayer service, ordered Christians to stop
praying and beat them. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported
that extremists led by Biju Nair and a friend identified only as Venkatesh
accused the Christians of fraudulent and forcible conversions. The extremists
informed police, and two police constables arrived and joined in harassing the
Christians, threatening to harm them. The officers ordered the pastor to go to
the police station the next morning, and on that day Christians filed a police
complaint against the extremists and the two constables for trespassing on
church property and for their heavy-handed tactics, according to the GCIC.
Later, the Christians met with Ramnagar Police Sub-Inspector Babu Madar and
briefed him about the incident. The sub-inspector reprimanded the two
constables and advised the pastor to continue the prayer services without fear.

Karnataka- Hindu extremists from the Bajrang Dal on Jan. 1 attacked
a New Year’s prayer service and accused a pastor of forceful conversion in
Humnoor, Bagalkot. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that
the extremists stormed into the prayer meeting led by Pastor Siddu Seemanth
Gunike of Blessing Youth Mission Church, ordered it to stop and beat the
pastor, alleging that he was involved in fraudulent and forced conversions.
After manhandling the pastor and other Christians, the extremists sent for
Jamkhandi police, according to the GCIC. The sub-inspector and a few other
officers arrived and began questioning those present. Area Christian leaders
intervened, and police took a written statement from the extremists that they
would not disturb the Christians again; officers advised the Christians to
continue their prayer services.

Orissa – Raikia police on Jan. 9 arrested Pastor Sukadeb Digal from
his home in Sipainju (or Sipainjari) village, Tiangia, G-Udayagiri Block, in
Kandhamal district on false charges of forced or fraudulent conversion. The
Global Council of Indian Christians reported that police incarcerated him. Digal,
pastor of Danekbadi Baptist Church at Daringbadi, remained in jail at press
time.

Karnataka – Armed Hindu extremists on Jan. 9 beat Christians at a prayer
service in Anekal, Bangalore, seriously injuring a pastor and others and
accusing them of forceful conversion. The Global Council of Indian Christians
(GCIC) reported that a pastor identified only as Shanthakumar had organized the
service at the home of another Christian where about 20 people had gathered in
the Coogur area. At about 10:30 p.m. some 20 Hindu extremists attacked with
huge clubs and iron rods, ranting in foul language and accusing them of
fraudulent and forcible conversion, according to the GCIC. In the beatings,
Pastor Shanthakumar lost one finger, and a church member identified only as
Yashodamma received treatment for head and nerve injuries at Anekal Government
Hospital. Another church member identified only as Vijay suffered a serious leg
injury. The Christians reported the matter to the police; officials have held
an inquiry and registered a First Information Report against the extremists,
but no arre sts have been made.

Andhra Pradesh- Hindu extremists from the Bajrang Dal on Jan. 17
beat a pastor and another church member in Yadagirgutta, accusing them of
forceful conversion. The All India Christian Council (AICC) reported that the
pastor, identified only as Kiran, and another Christian were on their way to
visit a church member who works with the tourism department in Yadagirigutta,
Bhogri, a Hindu pilgrimage town, when the extremists took notice and gathered a
mob to attack them. As is customary in India, police arrived and arrested the
victims. After area Christian leaders’ intervention, the accusations against
the two Christians were found to be baseless, and they were released without
charges, according to the AICC.

Karnataka – Hindu extremists from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on
Jan. 23 barged into a prayer meeting led by Pastor Chandrakanth Chavan of New
Life Fellowship in Haliyal, Kanara, beat him and stripped him naked. The Global
Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that the extremists shouted at the
Christians in coarse language as they started beating and kicking Pastor Chavan
and Kishore Kavalekar before parading the naked pastor in a procession throughout
the village. At about midnight they tied the pastor to a tree near a temple and
sent for police. Haliyal Police Sub-Inspector Umesh Shet and a dozen officers
took Pastor Chavan and Kavalekar into custody for questioning, according to the
GCIC. Both were charged and locked up but were released the same night.

Kandhamal– A Hindu extremist in Adigar, Phulbani, Kandhamal
district on Jan. 25 attacked a pastor’s hut and harassed his family, according
to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). Jaleshwar Pradhan threw
stones at the home of Pastor Patiba Mohan Kota while he was away, verbally
abused his wife and pushed his daughters, shouting, “You Christians must
not live here – it is not your land; the last time your houses were only
damaged, this time all of you will be buried here,” the GCIC reported.
Though damage to the house was minimal, the pastor and his family were
anguishing in fear as Hindu extremists have previously tortured him physically,
causing partial loss of eyesight and hearing, reported the GCIC. The pastor was
among those whose houses were destroyed during anti-Christian violence in 2008.
Pradhan was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, reported
the GCIC.

For more information, log-on to www.compassdirect.org

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About Michael Ireland

Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia.

Michael has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael’s volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department — ‘Michael Ireland Media Missionary’ (MIMM) — of A.C.T.
International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International
where you can donate online to support his stated mission of ‘Truth Through Christian Journalism.’ If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Chief Reporter

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