Christians Beaten by Militants in India
by Staff
July 6, 2007
On June 25, a Carmelite priest and four other Christian men were attacked by a group of Hindu militants in Kundapurna, Karnataka state. Father Sylvester Pereira, Joyson Saldanha, John Pradeep, and Mukunk Bhandary were in the waiting room of the Surgeon General Hospital along with their neighbour, Valerian D'Silva, when the militants started to insult them and accuse them of forcibly converting Hindus. The attackers threw Fr. Pereira down a flight of stairs and beat him. When the four others came to his aid, they were also beaten. The Christians were then taken to the police station where the militants filed a complaint of forcible conversion against them. All five have been hospitalized for their injuries.
On June 21, Pastor John Peter M (30) was beaten by approximately twelve Hindu militants near the village of Medak, Andhra Pradesh. According to the All India Christian Council, Pastor John was on his way to Medak when the militants stopped his vehicle with their car. They took him to a temple in the village of Narayankede, approximately 100 km away and demanded that he worship an idol.
When he refused, they stripped him, shaved his head and beat him. As he lay unconscious, they robbed him and left him in a forest area. He was able to make his way home the next day. A month ago, Pastor John was reportedly warned by Hindu militants not to share the Gospel in the area.
Ask God to give strength and healing to these Christians. Pray that there would be many conversions as a result of their testimony. Pray that increased persecution in India will result in increased boldness among believers there (Acts 4:29-31).
For more information on persecution of Christians in India, go to www.persecution.net/country/india.htm. You can view video reports and testimonies of the Persecuted Church in India on VOMC's multimedia website, www.persecution.tv.
