In the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, more than sixty new believers are being threatened with death if they refuse to return to Hinduism. On November 4, Pastor Feroz Masih was traveling to a nearby village when he was stopped by approximately ten members of the World Hindu Council (Vishwa Hindu Parishad or VHP) and its youth wing Bajrang Dal. They accused him of being involved in the forced conversion of Hindus. According to a November 14 report from Compass Direct, Ramesh was then severely beaten and suffered serious internal injuries. He was forced to sign a statement that he was willing to reconvert to Hinduism. The VHP members then said they would be coming to his home on November 20 to conduct a puja (reconversion ritual) for Masih and the sixty members of his church. Those who refuse will be burned to death.
Masih and his son reported the beating and death threats to the police. The police refused to press charges for the beating and called it a "minor incident." They have not yet responded to the death threats.
(Sources: Gospel for Asia, Compass Direct)
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