In India, Hindu nationalists proceed their anti-Christian hate campaigns

India, often dubbed ‘the world’s largest democracy’, continues to be a rustic of great concern in the case of anti-Christian persecution.

Currently ranked the eleventh worst persecutor of Christianity worldwide by Open Doors – above Communist China and Islamist Saudi Arabia – the actions of Hindu extremists within the country proceed to take their toll on believers.

In two recent incidents, a bus filled with missionaries was accosted by Hindus, while elsewhere a Christian community is being reduced to poverty by their neighbours resulting from their refusal to worship idols.

On 23 October, a bunch of missionaries were travelling to the village of Juthana, to which they’d been invited by local residents.

Screams of distress are audible on footage of the incident circulating online. According to 1 source the missionaries were attacked for “attempting religious conversions by offering money & insulting hindu gods”, reports Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW).  

Police initially did little to intervene, and while no-one was hurt, eight cops have been suspended for his or her failure to act properly.

CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said, “This brutal attack is a tragic reminder of the growing intolerance faced by peaceful religious minorities in regions already fraught with tension.

“We call on the authorities in Jammu and Kashmir to be certain that justice is served and to ensure the security of all minorities, no matter their religion or belief.”

In a small fishing village within the south of India, Christians are facing the third month of a social and economic boycott from their Hindu neighbours.

The boycott began when the Christians within the village refused to offer funding for a temple for the village goddess. Christians were denied access to communal fishing areas and never permitted to attend social gatherings or access essential goods and services, says Open Doors.

Even relatives of the Christians have refused to talk to them, as doing so will incur a positive. Around 100 families are victims of the boycott, which has forced them to travel great distances to perform even essentially the most basic economic functions.

An area Christian housewife told Open Doors, “We will not be capable of seek advice from people next to our door. If we accomplish that, we will probably be fined. When we go to the shop, they refused to sell items. Due to this, we struggle loads to steer our day by day lives.

“We feel very sad that we at the moment are treated as aliens within the place where we now have been living together for years.”

Typically, non-Hindus will not be required to contribute towards the development of temples or idols, nonetheless local Hindu nationalists made the demand. The police have suggested reconciliation talks, however the Hindu nationalists have refused such requests.