Photo: Flickr / Ramesh Lalwani (cc)
On May 21st, Christians who had gathered together for worship at the Sukhpal Rana Ministries Church in Rajewal, Punjab, were viciously attacked by a mob dressed as traditional Sikh warriors. Members of this armed Sikh order, known as "the Nihangs," are distinguishable by their blue robes and large turbans.
According to local sources, members of the mob forced their way into the place of worship and proceeded to tear apart Bibles, attack those present with sticks, vandalize the building, and damage vehicles parked outside. Eventually, the incident escalated to the point of retaliation, with both sides throwing stones at each other.
Since the attack, the congregation has held a protest to demand that action be taken against those responsible. However, the Nihangs have denied any involvement in the incident. The state of Punjab has had a recent wave of evangelism, and the Nihangs have previously accused Christian missionaries of conducting forcible conversions. In August 2022, four masked men from the Nihang group vandalized a Catholic church in Punjab and set the priest's car on fire.
While India is a predominantly Hindu nation, the followers of Sikhism make up more than half of Punjab's population. To learn further about the challenges Christians in India are facing, go to our country report.
Pray that the members of this church will be free to continue practising their faith without fear of more harassment and violence. May the Lord provide spiritual guidance and strength to these believers, helping each one to demonstrate the character of Christ in their daily interactions with those around them. Additionally, pray that the perpetrators responsible for the attack would not take any further action against this Christian community, but that their hearts would be radically transformed by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
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