Christian Homes Vandalized in India
Six Christian homes were vandalized by a mob of radical Hindu nationalists for refusing to deny their Christian faith in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh late last month. The furious mob left the Christians homeless during the heavy monsoon season. The police are yet to register a first incident report on the attackers, despite the Christian victims having video evidence of the attacks against them.
According to Pastor Dharam Singh (leader of the Believers Church in Masabharas village where the incident took place), the unstoppable mob rushed towards Christian homes while chanting “Jai Sri Ram” (hail lord Ram). They pulled down the fences, compound walls, and roofs of the Christian houses, as well as broke the tiles some houses were made of. While the attack occurred, some Christians fled away to save themselves, while others pleaded to the mob to spare their homes.
Pastor Dharam Singh said, “The Christians in the village have threatened to leave the Christian faith and convert back to the Hindu religion. Otherwise, they said, they would chase Christians out of the village.” Singh continued, “There has been an increased climate of hate and violence in the entire region of Kanker district, and Christians everywhere are troubled. The authorities seldom help when we approach them”
One of the eyewitnesses told, “After the vandalism, the mob threatened the Christians publicly by saying that they would rape and abuse women and girls if they continued to refuse to deny Christ.” There is intense pressure on the Christian community in India. We pray for our resilient brothers and sisters during this challenging season.