New Delhi: Hindu extremists attacked members of the independent Pentecostal Church in Kohkameta in the state of Chhattisgarh, causing several injuries.
The faithful were dragged out of the church and beaten with sticks, while the attackers asked them to reconvert to Hinduism. Other villagers were forced to sign statements in which they expressed the renunciation to Christianity.
As reported to Fides by the Indian Christian Activist Network, the attack intended to put an end to all Christian activities in the village. Despite death threats, the Christians attacked reported the incident to the police and the media.
In a note sent to Fides, His Exc. Mgr. Felix Machado, Bishop of Vasai and President of the Office for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue in the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), noted with regret that “in India murders, burning of sacred sites, fires of religious institutions occur “in the name of an ideology, Hindutva, which is pursuing “the project of India as a Hindu nation”, while conversions to other religions “are seen as a threat to India’s national integrity and a key factor for the alleged decline of Hinduism”.
“The issue of religious freedom in India – observes the Bishop – has become extremely complex in recent years. Several Indian States have enacted anti-conversion laws, measures which effectively limit religious freedom”.