W India is becoming violent with Christians. This situation affects as many as 23 of the 28 Indian states. The United Christian Forum (UCF) reported that 673 cases of force against Christ's followers were reported by the end of October.
The highest number of hatred crimes was reported in the Uttar Pradesh state (182 incidents), followed by Chhattisgarh (139 cases), where subsequent villages are cleaned out of Christians. If they want to stay in them, they must renounce their faith.
Leave the village or renounce Christ
Missionary agency AsiaNews, which papers the situation of the Church throughout Asia, reports that more and more Christians in India gotta face the choice imposed upon them by Hindus: to leave the village, or to renounce Christ. They are left at the mercy of destiny due to the fact that the police do not respond to their complaints and do not intervene even in cases of abuse of force.
In the state of Chhattisgarh, that was the destiny of a 100 Christians. On November 17, 8 local councils (panchayat) in Sukma territory adopted a resolution prohibiting Christians from staying in their territory. They were told that otherwise their homes and fields would be looted and destroyed. Furthermore, the head of Michwar village, 1 of the 8 from which Christians were exiled (Dabba, Doodhiras, Gonderas, Gurli, Jagadlanar, Kundanpal, Kunna), issued a decree that the decisions of local councils prevail over the constitution of India, which guarantees freedom of belief, religion and worship, under the 25 article of the Basic Law.
Police Passivity
The following day, Christians filed a complaint at the Gadiras police station, joining her with audio evidence documenting besides anti-constitutional statements of the village chief Michwar. However, the officers refused to registry the preliminary information study which is essential for the initiation of the investigation. Instead, they told Christians that they would go to the village to see their fields. By the time the crowd of about 1.5 1000 people arrived, however, they had already plundered the crops of Christ’s followers and their homes. Christians reported that the police had left the area, offering them no aid and no investigation.
Systematic refusal of rights
For the victims, the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum stood up officially with the authorities of Sukma district. The complaint was registered, but was not considered. Meanwhile, about 40 people forced to leave their villages, as their homes were looted, found shelter in the church in Michwar.
"These incidents happen not only in the Sukma region, but affect Christians in many areas," explained Fr Thomas Vadakumkara of Jagadalpur diocese. In an interview with AsiaNews, he said: “The fundamental rights of Christians are systematically denied: burying the dead, surviving on their own land, and increasing their own fields. This discrimination undermines human dignity and violates the principles laid down in the Indian Constitution." Christian activists complain of harassment under state anti-conversion laws, which they claim are frequently utilized to intimidate number groups. Bishops are alarmed that the aggressive form of Hinduism, supported by the ruling Indian People's organization and its leader, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, increasingly takes on anti-Christian form.
Source: KAI
