'Four cases of Christian persecution a week in 2007'

"At least four cases of Christian persecution a week in 2007," revealed the latest statistics by Dr. John Dayal, member of National Integration Council and others actively monitoring the situation.

Dayal who is presently the president of the All India Catholic Union, is a renowned journalist who has been with several media houses in senior positions.

The statistics is a report from the month of January to November 16, which asserts –– the number of atrocities against Christians this year, 190, has crossed the record in 2006 and 2005.

The victims include members of almost every Church denomination in the country, Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals. They include Catholic Fathers, Catholic Nuns, Priests, independent Pastors, wives of Pastors, believers, Seminarians and Bible School students, and ordinary folks."

Violence includes attempted murder, armed assault, sexual molestation, illegal confinement and grievous injury.

According to the statement, “These figures do not include cases that have not come to the notice of the All India Christian Council, the All India Catholic Union, the GCIC, the Evangelical Fellowship of India and the Christian Legal Association.”

However, adds Dr Dayal, the list does not include widespread incidents which is categorised as “violence” but which certainly are indices of religious intolerance, bigotry, social discrimination and ostracisation.

This list also does not include anti Christian hate crimes. Nor does it include violence in which Christians are the victim together with others, such as the police actions in Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and other places, the displacement of Tribals because of government action, added the statement.

In fact, leaders of the Bharatiya Janata party and its mother organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh, continue an almost daily harangue against the Church while militant frontal organisations such as the Bajrang Dal, the Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and others peak the hate campaign at a feverish pitch, said Dayal.

The Evangelical Fellowship of India held a National Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church on Sunday, November 18.