Hindu extremists attack believers in Maharashtra, causes public outrage

Two pastors were beaten up by supporters of the Hindu extremist outfits, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its youth wing, Bajrang Dal in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, creating public outrage with high officials demanding that the guilty be brought to justice.

The attack, May 7, is suspected to be premeditated and took place before TV cameramen.

The victims, Rev. Ramesh D. Gopargode, 34, and Rev. Ajit Belavi, 35, of the Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB) are pastors at a small congregation in Ichalkaranji, Kolhapur District. In the last six months they have organized several prayer meetings with residents from local villagers.

On Monday, following a baptism service, they were surrounded by 60–65 Hindu extremists who began accusing them of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity and, shouting anti–Christian slogans and using abusive language, the activists began brutally beating them in front of TV cameras. Television footages showed that the pastors were kicked in the groin, stomach and head.

"They [the pastors] had a small congregation [where] seven believers expressed a great desire to embrace Jesus as a Savior out of their own freewill," during a baptism service, said Sajan George, president, Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). But while the seven were returning from the baptism in a local river, they were threatened by the Hindu militants, George added.

According to George, the "extremists questioned the believers and pastors" of their activities and that the "terrified and poor newly baptized" Christians were persuaded by the Hindu activists to admit that they were forcibly baptized.

The injured believers were then dragged to a nearby police station where they were arrested and formally charged under Section 295–A of the India Penal Code (IPC), which punishes anyone who, "with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the religious feelings of any class [. . .], insults or attempts to insult the religion or the religious beliefs of that class."

The Hindu fundamentalists were, however, let scot–free.

Outraged by the audacity of the attackers, many political leaders and human rights activists condemned the police for failing in their duty of protecting the innocent.

"It's highly shameful. It's as if the Bajrang Dal does just not understand the concept of law and order," said local Congress leader Rajiv Shukla, reacting sharply to the incident.

Maharashtra Home Minister, R.R. Patil has promised a "high–level probe [. . .] into the incident" adding that the "guilty will get the strongest possible punishment."

"Such incidents should not occur in a country like India where citizens have freedom to practice their religion," Patil said.

Deputy chairman of Maharashtra Minority Commission, Abraham Mathai has condemned the incident and warned that anti–Christian persecutions were on the rise and the persecutors were attempting to provoke mass hysteria and strike fear in the hearts of the Christians across the nation.

"The premeditated and brutal attack on two pastors at Ichalkaranji in Kolhapur which was orchestrated in the presence of the electronic media must be strongly condemned," Mathai said, adding that often the police acted in collusion with the Hindu fundamentalists allowing the latter to unleash a reign of terror with impunity. And even "when they [the attackers] are arrested they are held for at best 24 hours and then released on bail," Mathai lamented.

"[It] is a sad day in India's secular history, when minorities are targeted and victimized...in the full view of the nation and no help coming from the so called 'keepers' of the law," he said.

"This strategy of the Bajrang Dal and the VHP of perpetrating such heinous attacks in full view of national television channels promotes the culture of fear aimed at terrorizing the vulnerable Christian communities nationwide," he added.

"The point is whether it was forced conversion or not is subject to a police investigation and is not to be judged by a mob," said Dolphy D'Souza, president of Bombay Catholic Sabha, noting that the attackers had accused the believers of converting Hindus.

Several Christian leaders have appealed to both central and state governments to do something to stop this new and shameful wave of terror against their community.

Meanwhile, Kolhapur's Superintendent of Police (SP), Sukhwinder Singh, said that "a complaint has also been registered" against the attackers and assured that the guilty would be punished.

Investigations were underway to find those responsible, he said, adding that several VHP activists have been rounded up and detained for questioning.

On Tuesday, May 8, police arrested 11 people in connection with the attack and charged them with rioting and causing bodily harm, said area Police Commissioner K.K. Pathak.

News agency, The Press Trust of India (PTI) said the 11 arrested belonged to the Bajrang Dal and the Shiv Sena, two right–wing Hindu groups leading a campaign against Christian missionaries.

"Please pray that the evangelists would be granted bail and that they would recover from their injuries soon," said Rev. Richard Howell, general secretary, Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI).

Hindus form 84 percent of India's more than 1.2 billion population while Muslims form 13 percent and Christians 2.3 percent.

Hardline Hindu groups some linked to India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have accused Christian priests of bribing poor tribesmen and lower caste Hindus to change their faith. Several states ruled by the BJP have passed anti–conversion laws.

In response, Christian groups have maintained that lower–caste Hindus convert willingly to escape the highly stratified and oppressive Hindu caste system.