By Jeremy Reynalds
Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service
NEW DELHI, INDIA (ANS) -- Even in a state with no "anti-conversion" law, Hindu extremists in Andhra Pradesh this month leveled the accusation of forceful conversion at pastors as they belted the Christian leaders with iron bars.
According to a story by
Morning Star News, at their monthly prayer gathering in Thukkugudu,
Hyderabad, on June 4 about 20 pastors from various denominations were
stunned when a mob of Hindu extremists approached with clubs and iron
rods. They accused the ethnic Telegu clergy of forceful conversion.
Lack of such a law in Andhra Pradesh, on India's southeastern coast, did not stop Hindu nationalists from shouting the accusation as they attacked. The assault was notable for its scope and intensity. Morning Star News said members of the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh struck with fury, uttering obscenities as they denigrated the pastors' faith and low-caste status.
Hindu nationalists claim that people in India are Hindu by birth,
and conversion to another faith amounts to national betrayal.
"They suddenly intruded into the meeting at about 1 p.m. while we were having our lunch and started to beat up pastors who were standing outside the room," said the Rev. B. Robert of the Bethel Saron Assembly of God Church.
Seven Christians received hospital treatment, including a 73-year-old pastor who goes by the single name of Krupiah.
"Pastor Krupiah was bleeding profusely when they took him to the hospital," Robert told Morning Star News. "There was blood everywhere, as many pastors were beaten on the head."
The pastor required five stitches on his left eyebrow. Four of seven pastors receiving hospital care were admitted for treatment of serious injuries, Robert said.
"They suddenly intruded into the meeting at about 1 p.m. while we were having our lunch and started to beat up pastors who were standing outside the room," said the Rev. B. Robert of the Bethel Saron Assembly of God Church.
Seven Christians received hospital treatment, including a 73-year-old pastor who goes by the single name of Krupiah.
"Pastor Krupiah was bleeding profusely when they took him to the hospital," Robert told Morning Star News. "There was blood everywhere, as many pastors were beaten on the head."
The pastor required five stitches on his left eyebrow. Four of seven pastors receiving hospital care were admitted for treatment of serious injuries, Robert said.
The
assailants, led by Venkat Reddy, shouted anti-Christian slogans,
over-turned chairs and tables, and seized and destroyed some pastors'
cell phones and cameras, he added.
"Some pastors even wore their (motorcycle) helmets in order to protect their heads, " Morning Star News reported Robert said.
"Some pastors even wore their (motorcycle) helmets in order to protect their heads, " Morning Star News reported Robert said.
He added, "However, the angry extremists beat them with iron rods and broke their helmets."
The mob prevented the pastors from escaping the assault.
"The attackers pulled me and my friend Pastor Bhagati Timothy back inside the room," Morning Star News reported Robert said.
The mob prevented the pastors from escaping the assault.
"The attackers pulled me and my friend Pastor Bhagati Timothy back inside the room," Morning Star News reported Robert said.
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Hindu extremists severely beat
Pastor Bhagati Timothy. (Morning Star News photo). |
Morning Star News said Robert was able to get to his motorbike and took Timothy to the hospital.
The All India Christian Council representative in Hyderabad, Moses Vattipalli, told Morning Star News that accusations that the pastors were forcing people to convert to Christianity were untrue.
"There was no case of forceful conversion - the pastors were having their monthly prayer meeting as usual," Morning Star News reported Vattipalli said.
Also injured was Ganugapati Kumar, with broken bones in both hands, and V. Timothy, who hurt his leg.
Morning Star News said police at the Pahadi Sheerif police station registered a First Information Report against the attackers, but no arrests had been made at press time.
Local Christians planned a protest against the assault but postponed it on counsel o f police.
Morning Star News said Christian leaders have submitted a memorandum to the Mandal Revenue Officer, who has promised to take action.
In Gutta Begumpet, Rangareddy District, also in Andhra Pradesh state, Hindu extremists along with a government official from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) on June 10 demolished the church building of Kresthu Mandiram (Christ Church), Vatipalli said.
Morning Star News said the extremists had threatened pastor Paul Viswas, telling him to stop leading worship meetings in the area or face violence.
Morning Star News said the AICC reported that the official from the GHMC, Dhanjiv Reddy, planned the destruction with local Hindu extremists. They had been threatening Viswas for a year.
Andhra Pradesh has the fourth-highest rate of attacks against Christians, according to the 2012 Yearly Report of the Evangelical Fellowship of India. Morning Star News said it is one of the more populated states in India, with about 90 million people, of whi ch about 2.3 percent are Christians, according to the 2011 census.
Five states - Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh - have passed "anti-conversion" laws, resulting in widespread harassment of Christians.
Morning
Star News said Arunachal Pradesh has not formally passed similar
legislation, and the Rajasthan chief minister has yet to sign into law
an anti-conversion law passed by the state assembly.
For more information visit Morning Star News at http://morningstarnews.org
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