Jaipur, a Missionary Is Beaten In Front Of His Family and Television Cameras

ICC Note: Hindu extremists call local television stations to come film their attack on a missionary, who is now in the hospital as a result of the beating he received.

4/30/07 India (AsiaNews/Icns) – A few hundred metres from the Rajasthan’s Prime Minister’s home, a group of fanatics attacked a Christian missionary in front of his family and local television yesterday. The police who intervened after the assailers had left the scene say they have “no suspects” in the case.

The fanatics belong to Vishwa Hindu Parishad [VHP, made up of Hindu nationalist’s ndr]: before descending on the missionary’s home, they had called local television stations to film their actions, and once finished, left undisturbed.

Walter Massey, who runs a small congregation called Masihi Sanghti, is now in the emergency ward of the Sawai Man Singh Medical College Hospital in Jaipur.

According to his wife and other witnesses, three youngsters came and knocked on Massey’s house in Nandpuri Bazar, saying they wanted to meet Walter. When he opened the door, they began talking to him, but within seconds the entire group pounced on him. They beat him up mercilessly with rods, and ransacked their home.

The group, numbering about 20, carried out the entire terror in front of Massey’s wife Joyce and their terrified child.

Rajasthan is one of the most integralist States in the Indian Union. Here – where Christians make up about 0.11 % of the population, Muslims 8 % and Hindus 89 % – violent attacks against minorities are becoming increasingly frequent, and the perpetrators hardly ever punished.