Karnataka, July 10 (Compass Direct News) – About 10 extremists from a newly formed Hindu militant group, Ram Sena, on July 8 beat two Christian workers and paraded them half-naked to a police station for what an advocacy group called false charges of “hurting religious feelings” in Bangalore, Karnataka state. The extremists dragged the victims, identified as G. Mohan and M.G. John, out of the house of a Christian, Nanda Gopal, in the Wilson Garden area, and assaulted them, Dr. Sajan K. George of the Bangalore-based Global Council of Indian Christians told Compass. Police arrested the Christians for “hurting religious feelings” and “creating enmity between religious communities,” while the extremists went free. The Christians were later released on bail. The two independent workers meet in Gopal’s house every Sunday for worship.
Karnataka – Subhas Chalawadi, allegedly a member of the Hindu extremist Bajrang Dal, and 15 others beat Dyamappa Chalawadi and his wife Geetha on July 4 in Baloga village, Khanapur taluk, Belgaum district, Karnataka, according to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). Evangelist Santosh Basappa and a pastor from Trinity Church in Baloga were visiting the couple when the group led by Subhas Chalawadi barged into their home and dragged Dyamappa Chalawadi out. They kicked him and hit him with wooden sticks on the palms of his hands and soles of his feet. Some of the assailants pulled his wife by the hair and pushed her against the wall, and Basappa told Compass they grabbed her arm, hit her on the shoulders and back and told her, “We will kill you and your husband if you continue your Christian prayers.” Khanapur police refused to register a complaint from the couple, saying “there are no bleeding injuries,” said Dr. Sajan K. George of the GCIC. Dyamappa Chalawadi became a Christian in April, while his wife Geetha received Christ a year ago.
Karnataka – Hindu extremists allegedly belonging to the Bajrang Dal attacked Christians identified as C.J. Samuel and Pastor Moses on July 4 at Belthur, near Kadugodi, Bangalore, Karnataka, according to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC). Pastors of the independent Pentecostal Atmanesar Church, Samuel and Moses were returning home from a Bible meeting in Belthur when a group of around 15 Hindu extremists waylaid them on a lonely dark stretch of road, the GCIC’s Dr. Sajan K. George told Compass. The extremists slapped and punched their heads, arms and legs and cursed their Christian faith, accusing the pastors of converting poor villagers to a foreign religion. More than 50 others joined the kicking and punching as the pastors writhed in pain on the ground. Local sources told Compass the assault lasted for nearly an hour, ending with the extremists threatening to kill them if they visited Belthur again. The pastors were admitted to Baptist Hospital for treatment of their injures. “The pastors are too terrified to lodge a complaint against the extremists for fear of reprisals, as the extremists made threats to their life,” George said.
Karnataka – “There is a great threat to the country owing to conversion initiated by Christians in the name of social service,” Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, a leader of the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said on July 2, according to the Daijiworld News Network (DNN). Bhat was speaking at “an anti-conversion awareness” meeting organized by the Hindu extremist Hindu Janajagruti Vedike and Bajrang Dal in Kundapur. He claimed bias in newspaper reports by a journalist of Kundapur about an attack on priest Sylvester Pereira on June 25. “In the last 250 years, Christian missionaries have indulged in conversion through schools, orphanages, hospitals, etcetera,” Bhat said. “Hence, there is a great threat to Indian culture and thoughts.” The RSS leader also defended Ramanna Shetty, who assaulted Fr. Pereira. DNN quoted Krishna Prasad Adyantaya, managing trustee of Kollur temple in Karnataka, as praising Bajrang Dal leaders for foiling anti-Hindu acts of Christians. “Dara Singh, who burned Christian missionary [Graham] Staines [to death] at Orissa a few years ago, is a role model to us,” Adyantaya reportedly said. “There are many Dara Singhs in Kundapur who can foil the attempt to convert.” Hindu extremist Sangh Parivar leaders were also present on the dais.
Karnataka – Police in Mangalore region of Karnataka state’s Dakshina Kannada district disrupted the Sunday worship of an independent church, Jehovah Rapha Divine Centre, in Hosabetta area on July 1. They told the pastor, T.V. Chacko, to obtain permission to hold worship services from district authorities, Dr. Sajan K. George of the Global Council of Indian Christians told Compass. “The authorities are harassing Christians by misusing an order passed by it earlier this year,” George said. The Regulation of Public Gatherings (Dakshina Kannada) Order, implemented on March 20, 2007, requires prior permission for any “public gathering,” the definition of which includes worship services, from district authorities. The application for permission must be signed by at least three persons no fewer than three days prior to the proposed public gathering. But the order does not mention if the permission for a recurring gathering can be sought through a single, one-time application. The order was passed because “public gatherings were leading to law-and-order problems,” according to the district head, Maheshwar Rao. “Pastor Chacko has applied for permission to hold the worship service,” George added.
Karnataka – Hindu extremists on June 29 attacked a pastor involved in social developmental work and later filed a false police complaint against him in Sunderplaya village in Karnataka state’s Kolar district. The assailants beat the Rev. P. Ravi, pastor of an independent Pentecostal church who was assisting people in the Kolar Gold Field area, leaving him with internal injuries, said Dr. Sajan K. George of the Global Council of Indian Christians. “A day later, the extremists lodged a police complaint against the pastor, alleging that he was converting Hindus by ‘force’ and insulting Hindu gods,” George said. Police promptly arrested Rev. Ravi, and the extremists prevented his lawyers from contacting him. The pastor was finally released on bail the following day. George said police showed a “visible bias” in arresting Rev. Ravi and letting the attackers go free without charges.