India's prime minister opened a controversial temple Monday, dedicated to a Hindu deity, built on the ruins of a historic mosque. It's a big political statement for the populist leader who's seeking to transform the country from a secular democracy into a Hindu state. It comes as a surge in violence against Christians has flared up in India, where millions believe the country belongs to Hindus. Many think all other religions must be eliminated from society, and several states have already enacted laws to punish non-Hindus. It's all part of a troubling trend emerging in the world's largest democracy. Millions of Indians believe the country belongs only to Hindus and that all other religions, including Christianity and Islam, must be wiped out. Human rights groups have accused India's Prime Minister and his government of supporting the extremist view. In recent years, it has led to a surge in violence against Christians often with tacit approval from the central government. At 16 years old, "Paul" was instructed to target Christians by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or R.S.S., a radical Hindu paramilitary organization. "Since I was a Hindu and part of the R.S.S., I became a staunch follower of their Hindu principles, and because of that, killing Christians and pastors

Christians in a central Indian state have demanded action against Hindu activists who climbed on the top of crosses in four churches and placed their flags as thousands joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open a contentious temple. Right-wing Hindu activists climbed on top of churches and placed their saffron flags on Jan. 21 in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua district, inhabited predominantly by tribal communities. The state, a hotbed of anti-Christian violence, is run by Modi’s pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Hindu activists shouted Jai Shree Ram (hail Lord Ram) as they targeted three churches of the Protestant Shalom Church and a church managed by the Church of South India. They threatened the Church people who opposed their sacrilegious act. “We informed the police, but they refused to register our complaint,” said Auxiliary Bishop Paul Muniya of the Shalom Church. “The police are forcing us to reach a compromise,” Muniya told UCA News. The flag-placing should be seen as part of the festivities linked to the Jan. 22 opening of the Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh state’s Ayodhya town, considered the birthplace of Ram. The controversial temple is perceived as the Hindu triumph over foreign religions as it was erected after the demolition of a 16th-century mosque built by Muslim invader Babar. Modi has asked people to decorate their houses and light oil

Saffron flags and posters of religious deities and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are dotting streets across India to mark the January 22 consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh state. However, public euphoria around the ceremony has also raised fears of violence and discrimination against India’s religious minorities, particularly Muslims. The occasion is widely seen as a culmination of Hindu majoritarian and political demands led by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its affiliates. The temple was constructed around the site where the 16th century Babri Mosque stood until a Hindu mob demolished it in 1992. Many Hindus believe that the mosque had been built on the ruins of a previous temple marking the birthplace of the Hindu god Ram. Thousands died in religious clashes and riots across the country following the demolition, including deadly violence in Gujarat state in 2002. While the authorities secured the area during the ceremony, Ayodhya’s Muslim residents expressed concerns for their safety. One group wrote to the police requesting law enforcement remain vigilant as devotees from throughout India visit the city over the coming weeks. Some have sent their families away from the city. Many Indian Muslims on social media have also cautioned against impending violence and have called for community members to avoid traveling

Vijay Masih was embarrassed to welcome his guests in such uncomfortable conditions. He had borrowed his sister's cottage; his own being under construction. His wife, Preeti, prepared a chai to provide warmth in the icy atmosphere of late December. In the spring, the evangelical pastor and his family had moved to an informal village just outside Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India. There's no electricity, no sanitation, no asphalt. He sleeps on a makeshift mattress outside on the dirt. But at least he feels safe in this all-Christian community of over 300 people. For 12 years, Masih served the Evangelical Church of India 100 kilometers away in Fatehpur, a large rural town. He had a salary and a house, and his two children attended a private school. But an event suddenly interrupted the thread of this tranquil life: On April 14, 2022, the eve of Good Friday, as he and 70 other Christians were preparing for Easter celebrations in the village church, hostile chants were heard. This article is originally published on https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/01/06/hindu-extremists-ruthlessly-hunt-down-christians-in-india_6406265_4.html#

Police in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu have discovered the charred body of an Evangelical pastor who had been missing for about 10 days. The family identified the body by recognizing his belt, shoes and glasses. Pastor Abraham Parambil Thekkethil, of Vayalar Nagar Manthippara St. Thomas Evangelical Church, was found deceased near the Idukki-Tamil Nadu border, local media outlet Onmanorama reported, adding that his identity was confirmed by his son.Forensic experts have claimed the death might have been a suicide. The pastor is believed to have self-immolated using petrol. This theory is supported by the presence of an unburned arm, likely used to pour the inflammable liquid, and a nearby lighter. Tamil Nadu fingerprint experts also investigated the scene, according to the report. A missing person report for Abraham was filed last Monday by the church’s head priest, identified only as Jijo. Abraham had been missing since the previous Monday morning. Abraham, who leaves behind a wife and two sons, aged 27 and 24, had ventured into a business producing candles and frankincense, among other items, before the COVID-19 lockdowns. The pandemic severely impacted his business, leading to debts of nearly 2 million Indian rupees (roughly $24,000). Although he received some financial

Mrs. Chanda is a known Christian in Chhattisgarh, but she’s never forced her religion on anyone. However, this past November, in the early morning, villagers gathered and then barged into her home. She was dragged out of her house as the violent mob screamed at her, accusing her of following the Western God. Then the women in the mob began to beat her. After she was left bloodied and bruised, she was taken to the hospital. Months later, she is still undergoing treatment for her hands and lingering injuries in her back. And more mob violence continued. After Mrs. Chanda was beaten, the mob turned their focus to other families who follow Jesus. Two families were publicly attacked. The same two families owned 10 acres of land with paddy fields ready for harvest. The villagers looted their fields and stole farming tools. The families registered a case with the police, but the authorities refused to take action. 21 Christian families were then summoned to a village council meeting where they received a final warning: abandon Jesus or leave the village. If they didn’t abandon Christ, they were told they would face starvation, and that no locals would buy crops from them. Sadly, fearing

A tribal rights body has opposed a government move in India’s strife-torn Manipur state to review the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status enjoyed by Kuki-Zo tribal communities. The controversial move will “escalate the conflict” in the northeastern state where sectarian violence killed hundreds and displaced thousands since last May, the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) said in a Jan. 10 statement. The ST status is a constitutional recognition in India for socio-economically and politically backward ethnic groups. It entitles them to preferential treatment such as reservation in education, jobs and political representation. The tribal body's reaction came after Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh told reporters in the state capital Imphal, on Jan. 9 that a committee would be formed to look into the demand to take off Kuki-Zo from the list of Scheduled Tribes. This announcement came after the Federal government of the pro-Hindu Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Jan. 9 forwarded a representation from a political party demanding to delist Kuki-Zo tribals from the list of STs to the state government for its consideration. This move, “will only escalate the conflict, which will be ultimately detrimental to him [Singh] and the state,” ITLF said in the statement. Unprecedented ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May

Three churches in the village of Amdi, India, were forced to close last weekend after a mob of right-wing radicals stormed their regular Sunday morning services. The attackers ransacked the homes where congregants were gathered and warned them of further consequences should they continue to meet for worship. Christians in the village were left in a state of fear and intimidation, further worsened by the refusal of police to register a report against the attackers. In the aftermath of the attack, three pastors were arrested and falsely charged with alleged ‘forced conversion activities’ – a common charge levelled against Indian Christians by government officials when no true crimes have been committed. The three men were Pastor Santosh Sahu of Immanual Church, who has been conducting his services for the last 12 years, Pastor Thakur Ram of Church of God, and Pastor Bhagchand Dhibar of A.G. Church. They were later released on bail, but that did little to ease the concern caused by the mob. “There has been a sense of fear among the Christian believers, while witnessing increased anti-Christian sentiments,” said a Christian who requested anonymity. “We are worried and anxious about the mob attacks against

Two security personnel have been killed while three schools were set on fire in fresh violence reported from strife-torn Manipur state in northeast India. The clashes between armed miscreants and security personnel took place in the border town of Moreh in Tengnoupal district on Jan. 17. Miscreants also burnt three schools – Bethsaida Academy Moreh, Mount Moreh Public School, and Dr. Colvin Academy – aggravating the already tense situation in the area bordering Myanmar. “Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity working in the troubled town vacated their convent after bullets hit the building,” said a Church official who did not want to be named. He said fortunately there were no casualties or injuries as the priests, nuns and other staff working in the area had moved to safer places because of the escalating violence. The state government has sought assistance from the federal government including security reinforcements to deal with alleged armed Kuki miscreants active along the India- Myanmar border. Manipur authorities also sought the deployment of a helicopter for at least a week to “meet emergency requirements” given the fresh bout of violence. “The law-and-order situation at the border town of Moreh has become a matter of serious concern as there has been continuous exchange of

Christian leaders have hailed a 6,700-kilometer long walkathon by prominent Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, which he launched from sectarian violence-hit Manipur state, where tribal Christians are fighting for indigenous land rights. Gandhi, who belongs to the Congress Party, started his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra (India Justice-Unity March) on Jan. 14 in Manipur’s Thoubal district after the state's pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government refused permission for him to start from the state capital Imphal, citing security reasons. During his address, Gandhi said the march was “less about us [leaders] and more about you [citizens],” criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP for its divisive policies. The sectarian flare-up in Manipur, bordering civil war-hit Myanmar, has claimed the lives of at least 200 people, mostly tribal Kuki Christians, and displaced over 50,000. Modi has not yet visited Manipur nor has he initiated any action against his party's chief minister for failing to maintain law and order in the state. The violence began on May 3 when the All Tribal Students’ Union Manipur rallied across all hill districts in the state to protest a court order directing the government to grant tribal status to the already dominant Meitei community. This would get them reservations