In two separate attacks, Hindu militants beat a Christian couple from Lakarpur in Haryana state and assaulted a Pastor in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, according to a December 21 report from Compass Direct.
On December 17, a group of fifty militants from the Dharam Raksha Sena (DRS or "Army for Religious Protection") beat an independent pastor, Philip Jagdalla, while he was returning from his church. The militants then dragged him to the police station where they accused him of forced conversions. The police arrested him on charges of "hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus." When representatives of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum (CCF) went to bail out Jagdalla, DRS militants were surrounding the station and shouting slogans against Christians.
The police sent Pastor Jagdalla to a hospital for medical examination and registered a counter complaint against the attackers -- actions which the CCF praised since Christian victims are rarely treated in this way. The CCF also condemned local newspapers for publishing false allegations against Jagdalla.
On December 20, about fifty members of the militant Bajrang Dal attacked a Christian couple, Rakesh Sen and Suman Sen, at approximately 8:00 a.m. The militants were angry at the couple for regularly holding Sunday worship in their home. They threatened to force all of the church members to chant the names of Hindu gods on December 24.
A police complaint was registered against the Bajrang Dal. According to the pastor of the New Life Fellowship, Cinderella Lal, the village head apologized for the attack and gave written assurance that there will be no further disturbances. The militants' plans for December 24 were also cancelled.
Thank the Lord for the agreements reached between the Christians and their persecutors. Pray that those who were injured or threatened will not be fearful but instead trust in God (1 Peter 3:14-17). Pray that all Indian Christians will echo Peter's sentiment and determine to obey God regardless of what man says (Acts 5:29).
For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India, click here.
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