THE National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) has said that
attacks on Christians in India are "increasing".
A statement issued by the NCCI last month said: "Worship places
are being vandalised, pastors and evangelists attacked, false
allegations of forceful conversion are levelled against them,
Christian believers are threatened, authorities of Christian
service institutions are forced to follow dictates, burial right is
denied."
It said that such incidents were particularly prevalent "in
the
states of Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Orissa and Assam".
The General Secretary of the NCCI, the Revd Roger Gaikwad,
told Ecumenical News International (ENI): "The attacks are
increasing, and it is becoming a major concern for us."
The Bishop in Karnataka South, in the Church of South India, the
Rt Revd J. S. Sadananda, criticised the state government of
Karnataka last week for awarding 170 million rupees ($3 million) to
Hindu temples at which it had been agreed to pray for rain during
the monsoon season, in which the rains have been weak.
Bishop Sadananda told ENI: "Lack of rain is a worry for
everyone. . . Let everyone pray for rain. But we cannot approve of
the Government spending money to conduct prayers in temples. . .
The Government should have spent that money to help farmers."
Churches and Christian schools in the Indian state of Assam have
given shelter to Muslims who have been involved in clashes with
Bodo tribal people. Violence broke out after it was alleged that
four Bodo youths were killed by Muslims last month. The Bodo
Baptist Church Association has sent a goodwill mission to the
area.