ICC Note: Christian families in India’s Madhya Pradesh state have refused to deny their faith despite the fact that they have been forced to stop attending church by Hindu radicals. Across India, Christians living in rural villages are targeted by Hindu radicals and told they can either deny their faith for face severe consequences. Often, the Christians that stand firm in are subjected to physical assault and social boycotts by the village’s Hindu community.

09/05/2018 India (Christian Post) – Christian families in India who were forced to stop attending church after Hindu radicals threatened to beat and kill them have vowed to continue worshiping Christ in secret.

Pastor Singh, who leads a congregation in India’s Madhya Pradesh State, told International Christian Concern that 15 families have stopped going to his church in recent months after facing persecution at the hands of Hindu radicals.

“The reason for this drop in the attendance is the threats from Hindu radicals,” Pastor Singh told the nonprofit persecution watchdog. “The radicals say they will beat and kill my church members if they continue to attend the services.”

“Prior to May this year, around 200 people used to worship regularly in my church,” he continued. “But now only 50 to 60 people attend my church on Sunday. They are under tremendous pressure from Hindu radicals.”

Shankar Damor, a 37-year-old from Kardubadi village near Jhabua, told ICC his family stopped attending church because they were under serious threat of physical attack.

“In a meeting last May in the village of Kardubadi, the Christians were told that we should not attend any church and should not even pray in our homes,” Shankar explained. “When we complained to the village diktat, the entire village stopped associating with us. No one attended our weddings and we were totally cut off from the people of the village.”

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