Five tribal Christian families from Kullu village, in the Chanho Block of Ranchi district, Jharkhand have been forced to flee from their home following threats and extreme pressure from local Hindu right wing activists.
The exodus of the families started from June 4, 2015, when 4 families were banished from the village. The banished families have been Christians for more than 20 years and are part of the North Western Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church. On June 9, a family that had recently adopted Christianity was targeted by the same group and was beaten up brutally.
Pastor Moosa Minj, the local Pastor of the Kullu Church was also forced to flee his house on June 15, after he was threatened with death and his belongings were thrown out of his house according to reports available with EFI.
The Christians approached the local police station at Narkopi, first on June 13, and then again on June 15, but so far no action has been taken. A mass meeting (Panchayat) against Christians has been called on June 17, by the village head of Kullu and is supported by the village head of Sathari, the village next to Kullu. Christians from the Kullu village have told EFI that the local BJP MLA Gangotri Kujur from the Sarna community is behind the targeting of the Christians.
Kullu village has a total number of 197 families residing as per Census of 2011.
