Hindu mob attacks Christian family in Assam

A Hindu mob attacked a Christian family in Assam giving rise to concerns about the safety of the minority communities in a state already beleaguered with law and order problems.

According to information obtained by the Christian Legal Association of India (CLAI), the family has been facing social boycott for converting to Christianity and the latest attack demonstrates the religious intolerance in the community.

Sources close to the development said that one Rabindra Narzaree, a resident of Bashbari village under Beshmuri outpost of Kokrajhar district, Assam, converted to Christianity from Hinduism after getting married to a Christian Bodo lady two years ago. Villagers subsequently pressurized him to return to Hinduism, which he did but he reconverted to Christianity again. On February 6, at a village council meeting, he was again pressurized to return to Hinduism. This time he refused, however, and enraged, a section of the villagers attacked his house with sticks and demolished a section of it.

Terrified, Narzaree and his wife fled and took refuge at the Bishmuri outpost under Kokrajhar police station.

The Superintendent of Police (SP) has informed CLAI that they were carrying out investigations into the incident but no arrests have been made so far as the accused are absconding from the village.

The police have posted a team of police officials outside Narzaree's brother's home where the family is presently taking refuge.

The village is also being patrolled by a police team.

"This is the work of fundamentalist groups," said Fr. Tom Mangattuthazhe of the diocese of Diphu. "These groups claim that indigenous tribes in [India's] North–East are all Hindus. But this is not true. Their aim is to set community against community on irrelevant issues so as to better control them."

"Please pray for the continual protection of the Narzaree family and that tension would ease in this area soon," urged Rev. Richard Howell, general secretary, Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI).

The Narzaree family has two children, who are studying in a boarding school and were not present at the time of the incident.