On August 10, a mob of Hindu radicals attacked a pastor in Dalki, Odisha, following which, a social boycott was initiated against the Christian community of the village until they left the village or reconverted to Hinduism.
For the past six years, pastor Hemant Meher has been leading his ministry in Jaipur by regularly visiting Dalki and nearby village to preach the gospel. Through listening the Christian messages, many Dalki villagers came to accept Christ and stopped visiting the Hindu temples and participating in Hindu festivals.
On August 10, RSS members attacked pastor Meher while he was returning from a prayer meet in Dalki and started beating him. But the pastor escaped the attack. Frustrated by the pastor's escape, the radicals showed their fury on the local Christian community and attacked the house that hosted the prayer meet. Local sources said the radicals smacked the Christians one by one and kept them in their custody for some time.
Following the attack, the radicals said, "It will be good for you to re-convert to Hinduism otherwise you will be boycotted from the village. You will not even get drinking water."
Pastor Meher told International Christian Concern (ICC) that the extremists have given one month for the believers to either leave Christianity or the village. "They have already started boycotting them and not allowing them to take water from the village source of water," he said.
