WASHINGTON — Ransackings of three Pentecostal churches in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh are symptomatic of widespread anti-Christian persecution in India, International Christian Concern (ICC) (persecution.org) said today.
On July 13, a mob of approximately 50 men forced their way inside a church in Gopalpuri, ransacked the premises and attacked Pastor Tanuram Sahur. The pastor is now recovering in a hospital, his son Manish Sahu told UCA News. The mob was accompanied by three police personnel who did nothing to prevent the violence, Manish reported, and a complaint was filed with the district’s top official.
One month earlier, another mob attacked the roof of the Gopalpuri congregation, destroying the roof, a water tank and water-based air coolers.
A Pentecostal church was also attacked in Hatkeshwar, and another was threatened in Panchpedi Bakhara, UCA News reported, with protestors ordering the church to be permanently closed. Christians account for only 2 percent of the estimated 30 million people who live in Chhattisgarh state.
ICC President Jeff King responded to the reports with grave concern and resolve.
“Hindu extremists are waging a vicious campaign against India’s Christians, with pastors beaten and churches torched in Chhattisgarh, as mobs act with impunity under the shadow of BJP rhetoric,” King said. “This isn’t just vandalism — it’s a deliberate assault on religious freedom, and the world must wake up to India’s escalating persecution crisis before more believers pay with their lives.”
The attacks in Chhattisgarh state are not unique incidents: Some 165 anti-Christian incidents were recorded in the state last year, according to the United Christian Forum, an ecumenical group based in New Delhi.
“Narendra Modi’s deafening silence as radical Hindu mobs attack pastors and burn churches in Chhattisgarh and across India emboldens a culture of persecution that threatens India’s Christian minority. His inaction is intentional complicity and a cornerstone of the escalating violence against believers, and the world must hold him accountable before this crisis spirals further,” concluded King.
Jeff King has served as International Christian Concern (ICC) (persecution.org) president since 2003 and is one of the world’s top experts on religious persecution. He has advocated for the persecuted everywhere, testifying before the U.S. Congress on religious freedom. He has been interviewed by leading media outlets such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and The Washington Times. Jeff is also the host of “Faith Under Fire,” a podcast dedicated to sharing stories of the persecuted church from around the world. “Faith Under Fire” is available on LifeAudio, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever podcasts are available. Jeff King is available as a guest speaker. To learn more, go to Christian Persecution and Spiritual Growth Speaker | Jeff King Blog.
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