India is around 80% Hindu. 14.23% of the population is Muslim, and 2.3% are Christian. Many Hindus regard Christianity as a foreign faith, although it was brought to India by the Holy Apostle Saint Thomas.
“Hindu Extremist Attack Shuts Down Church’s Services in India,” Morning Star News, July 15, 2024:
HYDERABAD, India (Morning Star News) – Worship services at a church in a village in central India’s Madhya Pradesh state have been suspended since Hindu extremists attacked the congregation on June 1, sources said. The mob of about 20 villagers led by members of the Hindu extremist Bajrang Dal intruded into the house of Pastor Madia Damor in Thuvadara village, Jabua District, disrupting the worship service and beating the 50 people gathered for fasting prayer, including women and children. The assailants arrived at about 4 p.m., seized Bibles from children and began beating male and female members, Pastor Damor said. “There was all chaos,” he told Morning Star News. “The children and women were crying, shouting, asking them to stop, but they forcefully dragged them out of my house,” Pastor Damor told Morning Star News. “When I tried to stop the mob from attacking the women and children, they pushed me off and threatened me that they would kill me if I conducted church prayers in the village again.” Others also tried to protect the children and women as the mob seized a 54-year-old Christian identified only as Noorji and pushed him a few meters in front of the pastor’s premises. “The mob started pelting stones at Noorji. He was isolated from the congregation, and they chased him away by a few meters and started pelting stones at him,” Pastor Damor said. “Then they pointed at Noorji and warned the members that whoever gathers for prayers would be stoned to death. They scared the children also by pointing at Noorji, saying, ‘Look at him! This could be you if you come to prayers again.’” Noorji underwent treatment at a private hospital in Jabua for over a month. “He has not recovered fully yet” the pastor said. “The treatment has been very expensive for Noorji’s family. He is only a laborer and earns daily wages for his livelihood.” The Bajrang Dal mob targeted Noorji because his entire family had put their faith in Christ, he said….
