On Sunday 20 November, a Christian church was attacked by radical Hindu nationalists in Chhattisgarh, India.
The mob burst into a newly built church hall in the Koshalnar village during the church’s Sunday service. The radicals mercilessly beat members of the congregation, resulting in the hospitalisation of nine Christians.
According to local sources, the mob surrounded the church during worship. They demanded that the pastor and his brother come outside.
The pastor came to faith in 2013 and has been faithfully practising and evangelising since. He founded the church in Koshalnar where the incident took place.
When the pastor and his brother obeyed the demands of the Hindus and ventured outside, the mob attacked them with clubs, cursing them and accusing them of abandoning the Hindu faith. The mob then burst into the church hall and beat the other Christians who had gathered for worship.
The violent attack led to several believers sustaining serious injuries. They were later rushed to the hospital for treatment by the Christian community.
The frequency and severity of persecution has increased in Chhattisgarh and surrounding areas. Another form of persecution inflicted on the Christian community is the targeting of Christian burials. The bodies of dead Christians have been taken out of their graves by the Hindu radicals in the area, who insist that Christian bodies can’t be buried in their village.
Chhattisgarh is one of the 11 states in India where anti-conversion laws are implemented. These laws are misused by radical Hindu nationalists to harass and intimidate Christians.
Source: International Christian Concern
Please Pray
Pray for the quick recovery of our Indian brothers and sisters.
Pray for Christian organisations, as many are being shut down by new government regulations.
Pray that God will touch the hearts of government officials trying to stop evangelical work.