On March 8, 30 Christians were attacked by a mob of 70 radical Hindus who were reportedly armed with weapons. The Christians were gathered at the house of Jaggu, also a believer, for their prayer meeting when the vicious assault happened.
According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the incident took place at the Surguda, Bastar District of India’s Chhattisgarh state. An eyewitness to the attack said that the mob surrounded Jaggu’s house while some of its members carried out the assault inside, burning Bibles and furniture, and totally ripping off the property. About six Christians were also seriously injured and had to be admitted to the hospital.
“This brutal attack on a prayer meeting is yet another example of the rise in crimes against religious minorities in several Indian states,” said CSW’s Chief Executive Scot Bower. “When private prayer gatherings are seen as soft targets for mob violence, it is evident that states are failing to uphold an individual’s right to manifest their faith, which is a central aspect of freedom of religion or belief and protected by the Indian constitution.”
This recent mob attack was linked to the newly approved anti-conversion law in India. Police in charge of the case said that they will open an investigation against the vandals and bullies.
After tagging India as the 10th most dangerous country to be a Christian, Open Doors noted that since 2014, “incidents against Christians have increased, and Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences.”
Chhattisgarh is one of the nine states in India where the controversial anti-conversion law was enforced. This is not surprising because according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India, Christianity has been present in the state for the last 200 years.
Culled from christianitydaily.com by Sarah Mae Saliong
Image – Claire Kelly, unspash
