Already at the third anti-Christian, incident in the first month of the year dozens of Hindu activists of the RSS (Rashtriya Sangh Savayansevak) attacked 20 Christians of the Fellowship of New Life in a private house, 3km from the town of Haliyal.

Accusing those present of proselytism and forced conversions, the ultranationalists have begun to beat Kishore Kavalekar, a faithful, and Rev. Kalappa Chandrakanth Chavan, 27, under the eyes of his wife Vandana, 24, and 3 year old daughter.

After tearing the clothes of the pastor, the activists dragged him in front of the whole village. Finally, attackers tied him to a tree near a Hindu temple and called the Haliyal police. The police arrested Rev. Chandrakanth and Kishore, imprisoning them for 24 hours, leaving the RSS activists to roam free.

“Christians – adds Sajan George – are treated as second class citizens not only by the ultra-nationalist forces, but also the authorities. With the approach of Republic Day, it is time that the State ensures the Christian minority of its constitutional rights. “ Full Story

An Afghan widow and three of her daughters, whose names cannot be disclosed for security reasons, received a deportation notice from the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs after their first application for asylum was rejected by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in October 2009.

When the mother reapplied in July 2011 with her three daughters and a fourth daughter, who is widowed with a child, only the widowed daughter and child were accepted. The others are no longer permitted to correspond with the UNHCR office and are currently living in India as illegal immigrants.

Aidan Clay, ICC Regional Manager for the Middle East, said, “In 2011, at least two Christians in Afghanistan were imprisoned by the Karzai administration, another was brutally beheaded by the Taliban, and nearly all Afghan Christians lived in fear of persecution. There is no evidence to suggest that the situation for Christians is improving, but every indication that it is only getting worse. Deporting the Christian widow and her three daughters back to Afghanistan will lead to inevitable hardship, if not imprisonment or even death. We urge the UNHCR to immediately reopen and approve this family’s applications for asylum.”   Full Story

Police in India’s Kashmir Valley detained and beat converts from Islam and were expected to arrest Christian workers after Muslim leaders alleged that Muslim youth were being “lured” to Christianity.

Police in the Muslim majority Kashmir Valley picked up seven converts who were recently baptized in All Saints Church in Srinagar. Some pastors there where also in hiding for fear to being arrested as well. Police got the names of the converts and pastors from a video recording of the baptism.

Ahmad alleged that Pastor Khanna, whose church is affiliated with the Church of North India, was converting young Muslim men and women by offering money, and that therefore he must be arrested.

The mufti told media that the video was definitive evidence that Muslims were being “lured” to Christianity, although it only shows the baptism ceremony. Pastor Khanna said the young men converted of their own will and without his persuasion. Full Story

Four Pentecostal pastors in Madhya Pradesh were recently beaten and arrested on charges of forced conversion, spending a night in jail before making bail. It was the latest act of aggression by Hindu nationalists of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh against Christian ministers.

After Pastors Ramesh, Balu and Ashok baptised 11 Hindus according to the Pentecostal rite, RSS activists armed with sticks along with local police broke-up a prayer meeting following the baptism. After arresting the pastors for forced conversion, the police interogated the newly baptised, attempting to coerce them into filing false charges against the pastors. However, the new Christians flatly refused, stating that they wanted to be baptised.

“Madhya Pradesh is a rogue state that does not guarantee any rights of the Constitution in this community. The anti-conversion law of 1968 serves as a pretext to intimidate Christians,” said Sajan K. George.

Pratapgarh, Rajasthan India – Pastor Shantilal Ninama of Believers Church told Compass that Hindu extremists beat his 65-year-old father until he fell unconscious in an attack last month. On the evening of June 8, after agreeing to do no further harm to Pastor Ninama and his family in exchange for him dropping police charges he’d filed over a previous attack, the enraged Hindu extremists stormed into his home and began beating and stoning his father, sister, wife and three children, he said. As he sought police help, his father fell unconscious and his wife and two of his children ran out into the darkness.“The next day, I asked one Hindu extremist, Bhim Shankar Sharma, to give me a copy of our agreement,” Pastor Ninama said. “But he got angry with me, and verbally abused me and my faith, saying that I am an unclean person because Christianity is an unclean and foreign religion, and that Christians are not worthy to stay in India. He caught me by my collar and slapped my face.” Full Story

Pastor Ninama told Compass that he was visiting his daughter Galadh Mangiya Bujh in Ambarunda village when her neighbor, Lasiya Bujh, requested he pray for his sick child. Ambarunda is 17 kilometers (nearly 11 miles) from Pastor Ninama’s home village of Aamliya. “As I sat praying, a group of at least 10 men interrupted the prayer and started to beat me,” Pastor Ninama said. The pastor said they stripped him after taking him to the main road outside the village. “They hit me again and again mercilessly with wooden clubs and their hands, fists and legs,” he said. “They stole my mobile phone, diary, some documents, wristwatch and 500 rupees (US$11). Threatening to kill me if I continue to spread Christianity, they left me naked on the road and fled.”

Pastor Hari Shankar Ninama

A farmer, Pastor Ninama converted from Hinduism to Christianity 12 years ago. He and his wife have six daughters and two sons. He leads a house church in his home for about 40 people from his own and nearby villages, including the village where the attack took place. Though feeble, Pastor Ninama told Compass that he will continue to evangelize in area villages and pray for people wherever and whenever called. Full Story

A Pentecostal pastor in India’s state of Karnataka has been detained on charges of conducting “false religious conversions” after Hindu militants attacked him during  a church service. Pastor Shivanda Siddi, 45, was taken into police custody on September 26 under legislation dealing with conversions, while holding a worship service at the Gnanodaya AG Church. Global Council of Indian Christians said police arrived at the scene after “several Hindu extremists physically attacked Siddi” during the service. The group said the Hindu mob “beat Siddi in front of his congregation for nearly half an hour, and then called police at the Yellapur station.” Police arrested Siddi, five women and two girls. While in police custody, Siddi was allegedly beaten again by the Hindu militants “while in the presence of the police” before being charged at the regional Sirsi jail in Uttar Kannada. Full Story

International Christian Concern has learned that 13 Christians remain imprisoned after Indian police arrested them on April 5 in Verajpet, Karnataka. They were arrested after Hindu extremists falsely accused them of forcefully converting Hindus to Christianity. Vijay, Lakhama, Philomina Raji, John K.O., Peter, Satish, Macho, Baby, Wilson Mathew, Abraham, Mathew K.J., Freddy, and Johny K.A. were all arrested while holding a prayer meeting at a Christian house. The imprisonment is taking a toll on the Christians and their families as most of the prisoners are heads of families. John K.O. is also suffering from heart disease. The Christians have sought release on bail, but their requests have been refused by authorities four times. The state of Karnataka is ruled by the BJP, a Hindu nationalist party that is infamous for persecuting Christians. Last year, the highest number of attacks against Indian Christians tool place in Karnataka.

Pastor Paasu Ninama a 35-year-old resident of Pipal Kutta village said he was on his way back from his regular Sunday service in Malphalia at 4 p.m. when six men sitting outside a house invited him in for a glass of water. When he saw a picture of Jesus Christ in the house, he knew they had set a trap for him. “I immediately turned to escape when they all jumped on me and started to beat me, accusing me of luring people to convert,” he said. They beat him unconscious and chewed off part of his ear, after fainting from the pain the attackers started pelting the unconscious pastor with stones until villagers intervened. No stranger to persecution Paasu has been attacked and threatened many times for his work as a pastor. Pastor Ninama said he works as a day laborer in farm fields to sustain his wife and six children, and that he would continue to do the work of the Lord.

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