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India

• Large Mob Attacked Church in Chhattisgarh

  

  Around 60 Christians were gathered for worship on the morning of Sunday, August 29th, when a mob of over 100 people barged into the facility and began shouting Hindu slogans. The perpetrators proceeded to physically assault all of the attending church members, destroy their musical instruments, and tear apart a Bible before trampling it underfoot. The invading militants then placed Hindu idols in the building and began worshipping them.

• Christian Teen Severely Injured in Acid Attack

  

  Nitish Kumar, 16, a resident of northern India's Bihar state, was attacked with acid in late August, leaving him with burns covering 60 percent of his body. According to the victim's sister, Raja Davabi, the incident happened at 6:30 a.m. as he left the house to go to the market.

• Brutal Attack for Not Denying Christ

  

  On August 15th, the chief of Adnadhi, a village in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, led a mob of around 250 people against several Christians who refused to give up their faith in Christ. According to witness statements, the chief summoned the Christians to a place where the mob had assembled. When eleven of the believers arrived, they were given two options: abandon their faith or leave the village. When they refused, stones were thrown at them. Four of the attacked victims required hospitalization due to internal injuries.

• Pastor Killed for Sharing Faith

  

  In the village of Sangoi, which is located in northern India, Pastor Vinod Kumar had been sharing his faith for over two months with a man who was recently released from prison on bail. The Hindu man, Sonu Kashyap, had even been to the pastor's home for prayer. However, Sonu had rejected any call to faith in Christ.

• Christians in Three Villages Forced to Flee

  

  Tribal animists have forced more than 50 Christians to flee their homes and seek shelter in the jungles of Odisha. These believers represent several families that are now stranded without proper shelter, food and water.

  The conflict began within the past two months in the village of Sikapai where opposing villagers destroyed the roofs of homes belonging to as many as eight Christian families. Not only had the belongings of the targeted Christians been looted, these victims were also subjected to physical beatings and consequently driven into the jungle. When five Christian families in the nearby village of Kotlanga received similar threats, they remembered what had happened in Sikapai and likewise fled their homes, joining the other displaced families in the jungle.

• Christian Shot by Hindu Nationalists

  

  A 52-year-old believer was shot dead during an attack on a Christian family by militant Hindu nationalists in India's Rajasthan state on May 18th. According to local sources, three other members of the family were seriously injured after being beaten with a gun, swords and sickles.

• Pastor's Wife Rescued from Forced Prostitution

  

  Pastor Ramdrash and his wife Sunita have been ministering in a small church since 2001. Over the years, they've endured frequent threats from members of the surrounding community. On February 21st, Sunita was approached by someone in the village who asked if she would come pray for someone who had allegedly been ill. She innocently went with the villager, and then all of a sudden disappeared.

• Persecution Sanctioned by Authorities

  

  Persecution in India comes from many sources. Religious disagreements among family or neighbours can escalate to violence, or Hindu leaders may openly oppose the spread of the Gospel in a community. While such incidents may be reported to the police, legal assistance does not always result. In many instances, police may even join in the harassment of Christians.

• Increasing Pressure from Hindu Nationalists

  

  For many years, the Hindu Nationalist organization RSS has been an influential factor in Indian politics, particularly within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). One of the goals of the RSS is to change India from a secular democracy to a nation governed by Hindu polity. One way this is being achieved is through the passing of anti-conversion laws to prevent people from converting from Hinduism.

• Intervention Rescues Captured Pastor

  

  Pastor Shelton Vishwanathan was sharing his faith in the village of Tiryani on October 5th when six Hindu militants demanded that he stop. He agreed and was about to leave the area when they grabbed the keys to his scooter, along with his cell phone, and began to beat him. The last thing he remembered was the threat to offer him as a sacrifice to their god. When he regained consciousness, he found himself locked in a dark room.