[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 12 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E112-E114]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      LIST OF INCIDENTS TARGETING THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN INDIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSEPH R. PITTS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 26, 2015

  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the following list of incidents of religious 
persecution targeting the Christian community in India was compiled by 
the Evangelical Fellowship of India, a charter member of the World 
Evangelical Alliance and an accredited NGO with the Economic and Social 
Council of the United Nations.

       The Evangelical Fellowship of India expresses concern at 
     the alarming rate at which the Christian community is being 
     targeted in India. The EFI's Religious Liberty Commission 
     recorded more than 38 incidents targeting the Christian 
     community in November-December 2014, with 31 incidents taking 
     place in December alone. The incidents range from physical 
     violence, false accusations, disruption of church services/

[[Page E113]]

     Christmas functions, to the hate campaigns and the pressure 
     to convert to Hinduism that the Christian community is facing 
     almost on a daily basis in India.


                      List of Incidents State wise

       Uttar Pradesh--13 incidents
       Madhya Pradesh--8 incidents
       Chhattisgarh--4 incidents
       Delhi--4 incidents
       Punjab--2 incidents
       Bihar--2 incidents
       Tamil Nadu--1 incident
       Karnataka--1 incident
       Assam--1 incident
       Andhra Pradesh--1 incident
       Gujarat--1 incident


               Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh (4th November 2014)

       Members of Bajrang Dal attacked 7 Christians including one 
     Pastor from Mumbai, beat them up and got them arrested in 
     Bhopal. The Christians were stripped and beaten mercilessly 
     by fists and belts, causing internal injuries.


               Indore, Madhya Pradesh (7th November 2014)

       A Christian was falsely accused, detained and later 
     arrested on allegations of forced conversions in Indore. 
     According to reports from local sources, Hindu extremists 
     threw cross necklaces in the house where the Christians had 
     gathered and then stormed inside alleging forced conversions. 
     A police complaint alleging that the Christian was forcing 
     them to wear cross necklaces and hence converting them was 
     filed at the local police complaint. The Christian was 
     detained for over four hours at the Chandan Nagar Police 
     Station post the incident and was released later.


               Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu (16th November 2014)

       Over 100 Hindu extremists attacked a Christian community in 
     Udumalpet, Tamil Nadu. The community was attacked when they 
     were participating in a prayer service. The attackers not 
     only beat the Christians present but also burnt more than 20 
     vehicles belonging to the Christians. They desecrated Bibles, 
     burnt the altar of the Church and destroyed Church property 
     including musical instruments. The Christians were threatened 
     even when they were being treated for injuries at the local 
     hospital.


             Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh (16th November 2014)

       Members of the VHP and the Bajrang Dal stormed the Sunday 
     worship service of the Masihi Aradhna Church in Rajnandgaon, 
     Chhattisgarh and beat the Church members up. The attackers 
     were looking for the Pastor who was hidden by the Church 
     members as there was a threat to his life.


                 Kolar, Karnataka (23rd November 2014)

       Hindu extremists attacked the Calvary Apostolic Church in 
     Bangarapet, Karnataka. They beat up Church members resulting 
     in eight church members seriously injured. Two members among 
     the eight injured suffered broken legs.


              Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh (26th November 2014)

       Media reports carried the news that under pressure from the 
     VHF, the Catholic missionaries in Bastar area of Chhattisgarh 
     state have agreed that the principals in their schools. 
     normally referred to as ``Father'', would now be addressed as 
     ``Pracharya'', or ``Up-pracharya''. or ``Sir''. The reports 
     also mentioned that the missionaries have also agreed to put 
     up photographs of ``Maa Saraswati'' and ``great personalities 
     who have worked for national interest'' in their educational 
     institutions. Local Catholic sources have denied such an 
     agreement and complained of pressure from the VHP.


                       Assam (26th November 2014)

       Pastor of the Believers Church in Moran Amguri, Sivasagar 
     District of Assam received threats from local Hindu leaders 
     to vacate the building that the congregation uses for Church 
     services in one months time or face the consequences.


                       Delhi (1st December 2014)

       A Catholic church in East Delhi's Dilshad Garden area, St 
     Sebastian's Church, was completely gutted in a fire, in the 
     early hours of 1st December 2014. Later, Christians took to 
     the streets to protest the burning, and demanded a judicial 
     enquiry as foul play is suspected. The Governor of Delhi has 
     instituted a Special Investigation Team to probe into the 
     matter.


                       Delhi (2nd December 2014)

       Four unidentified men broke into the Catholic convent in 
     Rohini area of Delhi. The CCTV captured the images when the 
     break in happened.


                       Delhi (6th December 2014)

       Unidentified people pelted Our Lady of Fatema Church with 
     stones during mass at about 6 p.m in the Jasola area of New 
     Delhi damaging windows and causing the Syro-Malabar Catholic 
     congregation to rush out in alarm.


               Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh (9th December 2014)

       The RSS and the Dharma Jagran Manch announced that they 
     planned to convert 4000 Christian and 1000 Muslim families in 
     Aligarh on Christmas Day. BJP MP Yogi Adityanath supported 
     the event visibly among others. The organizers said that 
     Christmas was chosen as the day for conversion because the 
     event is a ``shakti pariksha'' (test of strength) for both 
     religions.


                 Ludhiana, Punjab (11th December 2014)

       Members of the Shiv Sena attacked the Kalvari Church, 
     Ludhiana prompting the police to deploy heavy security to 
     protect the Church building. Shiv Sena members later 
     surrounded the local police station alleging forced 
     conversion.


              Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh (12th December 2014)

       Newspapers reported that the Dharam Jagran Samiti (DJS), an 
     RSS offshoot, distributed pamphlets in Aligarh seeking 
     donations for converting Christians and Muslims to Hinduism. 
     The pamphlet said that it costs Rs 2 lakh to convert a 
     Christian and Rs 5 lakh to convert a Muslim. The DJS had set 
     December 25 as the date for a major conversion ceremony and 
     put down an annual target of 2 lakh conversions--1 lakh 
     Muslims and 1 lakh Christians in the area.


              Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh (12th December 2014)

       Members of the Bajrang Dal stormed a Christian meeting in 
     Ratlam. Madhya Pradesh along with the media and the police 
     forcing the organizers to cancel the meeting. The organizers 
     and the speakers of the meeting were taken to the police 
     station but were later released. CSP P S Ranawat told the 
     media that no evidence about the alleged conversions, forced 
     or otherwise. was found in the initial probe by the police.


               Bastar, Chhattisgarh (13th December 2014)

       NDTV and other national media organizations reported that 
     the BJP Lok Sabha MP from Bastar, Dinesh Kashyap presided 
     over a ceremony that saw 33 Christian families being 
     converted to Hinduism. The local Christians had complained of 
     pressure from VHP and BJP earlier asking them to convert to 
     Hinduism.


             Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh (13th December 2014)

       Christians were attacked and beaten by Hindu extremists for 
     singing Christmas carols in Hyderabad, seriously injuring a 
     pastor and four others. The violence occurred while Pastor 
     Bhim Nayak of Banjara Baptist Church and fifteen church 
     members sang Christmas carols and visited Christian families 
     in the city's Singareny Colony. Local reports say that some 
     thirty ``Hindu extremists'' attacked the Christians and a 
     vehicle they had hired for the evening festivities.


              Pipraich, Uttar Pradesh (16th December 2014)

       Christians including 4 women were arrested from a Christmas 
     function at Navipur village, Pipraich, Uttar Pradesh and were 
     kept in custody for more than 20 hours before being released. 
     They were accused by Hindu groups of indulging in forced 
     conversion but the police let them go after a detailed 
     investigation.


              Behraich, Uttar Pradesh (16th December 2014)

       Pastor Mahendra Kumar from Behraich, Uttar Pradesh was 
     arrested and kept in custody for two days before being 
     released without any charges. He was arrested following 
     complaints of local Hindu groups. The Hindu groups are also 
     targeting a Christian social service organization working in 
     the area, according to local reports.


                 Bhagalpur, Bihar (18th December 2014)

       Three Christians who had recently converted to Christianity 
     were forced to re-convert to Hinduism. According to media 
     reports the three converts returned to the Hindu fold after 
     they were threatened with a social boycott.


                   Uttar Pradesh (18th December 2014)

       Dharm Jagran Manch leader Rajeshwar Singh told media that 
     his organization plans to root out Christianity and Islam 
     from India by December 31, 2021, adding that Christians and 
     Muslims essentially have no right to live in the country.


              Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (19th December 2014)

       Hindu extremists disrupted a Christian prayer meeting and 
     beat up Christians in Varanasi on December 19, 2014. Pastor 
     Shobhnath and local Christians were participating in prayer 
     and fasting in a village in Chiraigaon Block, Varanasi, when 
     10-12 people came in a Bolero (SUV), entered the house 
     forcefully, and started beating the Christians. They took 
     away Bible and other literature and also destroyed household 
     furniture. According to local sources the attackers are 
     office bearers of RSS and BJP. The matter was reported to the 
     local police.


                  Valsad, Gujarat (19th December 2014)

       According to media reports. Vishwa Hindu Parishad 
     ``officially brought back to the Hindu fold'' some 100 
     Christian tribals who had ``embraced Hinduism earlier'' in 
     south Gujarat. VHP activists later claimed as many as 900 had 
     been ``reconverted''. The 'zhar wapsi' ceremony was conducted 
     this afternoon at Arnai, a village in Kaprada taluka of 
     Valsad district. A news website called scroll.in later 
     investigated the issue and did not find a single convert in 
     the area, a far cry from what was claimed by the VHP.


              Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh (19th December 2014)

       A week after insisting that there was no evidence of 
     conversion, forced or otherwise, the Ratlam Police booked 
     Pastor Jose Mathews, the organiser of a Christian convention 
     under the state's anti-conversion law. The convention 
     organised by the Indian Pentecostal Church of God and the 
     United Christian Council (UCC) on December 12, at Ratlam was 
     attended by Christians and was stormed by Bajrang Dal people 
     alleging conversions.


                   Chhattisgarh (20th December 2014)

       Media reports said that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) 
     is getting ready to clear

[[Page E114]]

     the controversial anti-conversion Bill passed by the 
     Chhattisgarh Assembly in 2006. The Dharma Swatantraya 
     Adhiniyam Act, 2006, brought by BJP's Raman Singh government 
     in the state says the return of a person to his ancestor's 
     religion or own original religion shall not be construed as 
     ``conversion.'' The Bill also says that a district magistrate 
     will have to be intimated 30 days prior to the conversion and 
     he will be the final authority on the subject.


                      Punjab (21st December 2014)

       In media reports, the RSS and its affiliates claimed that 
     they are engaged in a massive reconversion or ``ghar wapsi'' 
     programme to get Christians back--not just to Hinduism, but 
     also to Sikhism, in Punjab. The organizations claim to have 
     helped some 8,000 people `return home' in the last three 
     years, some 3,500 of them over the last one year.


                      Delhim (21st December 2014)

       RSS announced that it will organize a reconversion rally at 
     Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on Christmas day with at least 
     25000 people in attendance.


             Khargone, Madhya Pradesh (24th December 2014)

       A Christian couple, Wilson and Rashmita, was taken into 
     custody under the state's anti-conversion law from a village 
     near district headquarters Khargone, Madhya Pradesh. The 
     couple were a part of a Christmas program held on 24th 
     December at Nayanagar, about 28 kilometres from Khargone, 
     where they live. Members of a Hindu group who alleged 
     conversions disrupted the Christmas program and called the 
     police who then arrested the couple. According to local 
     sources, the Hindu groups produced false witnesses against 
     the couple alleging that they had offered 5000 Rupees every 
     month to a woman if she converts to Christianity.


              Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh (24th December 2014)

       Akash Sisodia from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh was attacked by 
     members of the Bajrang Dal while he was leading a Christmas 
     prayer service in Ujjain Madhya Pradesh. According to 
     reports, the Bajrang Dal people who were accompanied by the 
     police and media people produced false witnesses and got 
     Sisodia arrested. He was kept in custody for three days 
     before being released, as charges against him could not be 
     substantiated.


                   Uttar Pradesh (25th December 2014)

       Seven people including two pastors were arrested on 
     Christmas day from Urai. Raibareily and Kushinagar areas of 
     Uttar Pradesh. The Christians were arrested on after BJP 
     members complained of forcible conversions. However according 
     to media reports no such conversions could be verified.


            Barloi, Mau, Uttar Pradesh (25th December 2014)

       Police stopped a Christmas function in Barloi village of 
     Uttar Pradesh following objections by Hindu groups. Local BJP 
     leader Dr. Alka Roy was also accompanying the police as they 
     forced the Christians to stop the Christmas function.


              Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh (25th December 2014)

       Police in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, stopped a Christmas 
     celebration following complaints by Hindu groups alleging 
     conversions. However according to media reports, no evidence 
     of any conversion was found after investigation. The 
     Christmas celebrations were organized at the home of one 
     Shankar Lal Verma in Kharagjeet Nagar, Mainpuri. After Hindu 
     groups complained the police reached the spot, stopped the 
     celebrations, dispersed the gathered people and arrested 
     Shankar Lal. He was later released as the charges against him 
     were not proved true.


              Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh (26th December 2014)

       Christians were attacked during a Christmas celebration in 
     village Coloni near Khandwa. The mob cornered the Christians 
     just about they were going to have lunch and threw stones at 
     them. Later the police came and arrested 13 Christians 
     including three very young children, 8 months, 4 years and 7 
     years and took them to Borgaon police station where they were 
     charged under IP 295 A. The Christians including the children 
     were in police custody till 31st December 2014 till their 
     bail was secured. Earlier Hindu groups in the district court 
     also roughed up a lawyer who appeared for the Christians. The 
     groups told the lawyer to get off the case and not represent 
     the Christians anymore.


              Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (27th December 2014)

       Police arrested Pastor Ashok Prajapati from Varanasi 
     following allegations of forcible conversions. According to 
     reports, Hindu groups as well as the police threatened him 
     and asked him to stop holding prayer meetings in the area. He 
     was released in the evening the same day.


               Amethi, Uttar Pradesh (27th December 2014)

       BJP leaders and Bajrang Dal people threatened Pastor 
     Ramchand from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh of dire consequences if 
     he carries on with worship services in the area. The pastor 
     left the village keeping in mind his own security and has 
     approached the local police for protection.


             Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh (27th December 2014)

       More than 25 members of the Youth wing of the BJP and other 
     Hindu groups stormed into the Sam Higginbottom university 
     alleging conversions. The attackers tore banners with Bible 
     verses written on them, shouted anti-Christian slogans, burnt 
     the effigy of the vice chancellor of the University, Dr. R B 
     Lall, and entered into a fight with the security personnel. 
     Two of them were caught and handed over to the police.


                    Gaya, Bihar (28th December 2014)

       Christians in Gaya, Bihar sought police protection after 
     several outfits of the Hindu right-wing threatened them of 
     dire consequences if they do not convert to Hinduism. In a 
     petition containing two pages of signatures, given to the 
     police, the Christians accused the VHP, the RSS and the 
     Bajrang Dal of indulging in intimidation and force.


              Indore, Madhya Pradesh 128th December 2014)

       Hindu extremist groups forcibly took two Catholic 
     missionaries to police station after disrupting an interfaith 
     meeting organized at the Geeta Bhavan. Indore. Madhya 
     Pradesh. The activists of Bajrang Dal and Dharma Jagran Manch 
     accused Father Prasad and Brother Sleeva of trying to convert 
     Hindus to Christianity. They demanded that the police arrest 
     the missionaries, after registering a First Information 
     Report against them. The missionaries were however, let off 
     as charges against them proved to be frivolous. The next day 
     the Hindu groups proceeded to purify Geeta Bhavan by pouring 
     milk and cow urine on the place where the missionaries had 
     been participating in the interfaith meeting.


               Deoria, Uttar Pradesh (28th December 2014)

       Members of Hindu Yuva Vahini and the police disrupted a 
     Christian worship service at Salempur, Deoria district, Uttar 
     Pradesh. Jaswant Masih and his wife Suman, who have been 
     conducting prayer services for many years in their own home, 
     were arrested and taken to the police station following 
     complaints by the Hindu groups that the couple were involved 
     in forcible conversions. Later, Police, denied any incident 
     of conversion. ``A Christian family has been organising 
     prayers for past many years and people go there. It is just a 
     matter of faith and nothing else,'' said inspector Ram Yadav.

                          ____________________