7/21/2024 India (International Christian Concern) — Three times this month, Hindu nationalists have threatened or attacked Christians in the same area of Central India. One of the incidents involved an International Christian Concern (ICC) staffer. 

In that incident, the ICC staffer was on his way home on the evening of July 10. A group of young people stopped him and surrounded him. They questioned him and made threats, claiming they had been watching him. Thankfully, he was able to leave without further incident.  

On July 13, a mob of more than 50 Hindutva activists attacked a gathering of Christians organized by a local church. Members of the mob beat those in attendance, including a 60-year-old woman who was punched in the face. Her face swelled up for more than three days. The mob also destroyed chairs and other items where the gathering occurred. Police eventually responded to the incident and dispersed the crowd that had gathered.  

On Sunday, June 23, about four miles from the previous attacks, a mob of radical Hindu nationalists brutally beat a pastor during a worship service. The mob burst into the church where the service was taking place and assaulted believers. According to eyewitnesses, the mob was prepared to kill the pastor, but a local man helped him escape after he was severely injured. The pastor is still healing from the serious internal injuries he sustained in the attack.   

“Christians are being targeted by extremists in the false claim of protecting the Hindu religion,” said a local Christian who wished to remain anonymous. “I have never seen this kind of fear and intimidation among the Christian community.”  

Police are investigating the attacks. Despite the violence, ICC will continue serving persecuted Christians in the region. 

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email press@persecution.org.