ICC Note:

Hindu radical groups continue to attack Christians and their places of worship unchecked and unpunished by India’s government. In 2015, the Catholic Secular Forum reported that Christians were attacked 365 times making last year the worst year for Christians in India’s independent history. Recently, a Christian gathering in Uttar Pradesh was attacked by a group of Hindu radicals who severely beat the Christians gathered at the church. Following the attack, local police refused to file a case on behalf of the Christians, once again allowing the Hindu radicals to attack Christians with impunity. 

3/31/2016 India (Morning Star News) – Hindu extremists have vandalized his shop, threatened to kill him, attacked his wife and daughter, forced him to bow to Hindu idols and broken his hand, but a pastor in northern India is holding fast to Christ.

“The best thing that has happened to me is Jesus,” the 55-year-old pastor, who goes by the single name of Rampal, told Morning Star News. “I am joyful that I am chased and beaten up for His name’s sake. And we will continue to carry the banner of Christ, and one day the attackers will also see Christ.”

Pastor Rampal put his trust in Christ only 18 months ago. In the latest attack, Hindu extremists on Feb. 19 stormed his home in Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, where about 80 members of a house church led by five pastors from Kanpur were worshipping. One of the pastors, 80-year-old Santosh Kumar, sustained bone fractures on both hands, abrasions all over his body and cuts on his head; he later fell unconscious from the beating.

“Manu Tiwari, the village head, asked me who is Pastor Santosh Kumar, then he headed straight to him and started beating him with a stick all over his body,” Pastor Rampal said.

Throughout the thrashing, the Hindu extremists threatened to kill those gathered if they continued to worship Jesus, said the pastor. The assailants also destroyed Pastor Kumar’s vehicle. Police took Pastor Kumar and others to a local hospital for treatment, and later the pastor was transferred to a hospital in Kanpur for further treatment.

Police refused to register a complaint by church members after about 200 Hindu extremists gathered at the area police station to protest against the Christians.

“The police refused to take the complaint of the Christians and advised them to settle the matter with the other party and not to conduct worship meetings for their safety,” area Christian leader Simon Shivpuri told Morning Star News.

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