Systematic attacks against Christians in Karnataka
Nirmala Carvalho ("AsiaNews," December 7, 2010)
Mumbai, India - More attacks against Christians in Karnataka. On December 5
groups of Hindu extremists have made four different attacks against
Protestant Christians.
The first took place against the Gipsy Prayer Hall in Bangalore in the
Kenger Upanagara slum. Here, the extremists attacked a church while during
Sunday service, terrorizing and threatening about 50 participants. The
district
of Shimoga was the scene of two other incidents. The Hindu extremists beat
up and dragged four Christians out of their churches, and then had them
arrested by police on false charges of proselytism.
The fourth incident targeted the Christians of the Pentecostal Church of
Jyothinagar (Bangalore). A group of 40 extremists surrounded the building
during services, throwing stones and shouting anti-Christian slogans.
Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians, said:
"The four attacks on the same day in Karnataka is reflective of the
insecurity of the vulnerable minority Christian community and more importantly
this
is an indication of the climate of fear ,f persecution and harassment and
terror in which Christians must practice their faith in this Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP)-governed state". “The Bajrang Dal activists continue to
attack, beat and threaten the Christians. This is a real challenge to our
secular democracy. The situation could become worse if the authorities do not
intervene. "
"The allegations of proselytizing of the Sangh Parivar [Hindu extremists]
against Christians are baseless and false". "The law of Karnataka on freedom
of religion aims to avoid forced conversions, but it is often manipulated
and used to criminalize conversions in general and is used by Hindu
extremists with the complicity of local police to attack Christians."
"The sad thing - says Sajan - is that such laws were passed not only in PBJ
led states, but also in states led by the Congress Party [PC]. For
example, the Himachal Anti-Conversion Law was approved during the government
of
Pc. "
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