ICC Note:

According to reports, 20 Christmas carolers were attacked and beaten by suspected Hindu radicals in India. The Christian victims were also accused of participating in forced conversions. Attacks on Christians and their places of worship have dramatically increased in recent years. During the Christmas holiday, Christians are more visible and for that reason, often report more attacks and harassment. Will this Christmas be another holiday marked by violence in India? 

12/16/2016 India (Asia News) – A group of Catholics were savagely beaten and accused of carrying out forced conversions for holding a caroling service in private homes. The episode took place in the village of Tikariya, near the city of Banswara, in Rajasthan. The Christian victims belong to the Church of St. Peter and Paul, in the diocese of Udaipur. Among them, the parish priest, Fr. Stephen Rawat, told Asia News, “I have no enemies, I was beaten because of my Christian faith.”

Fr. Rawat reported that there is a hostel of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), near the scene of the attack “where the ideology of [Hindutva] is imparted to young people. It is not improbable that they were behind this attack against Christians.”

Like every year, the Tikariya parish organizes Christmas carol services in Catholic homes. This year the group consisted of 20 worshipers, including three nuns, women and children. The visit in the homes started on December 11, but yesterday, December 14, the tradition was interrupted by the brutal beating.

About 30 attackers armed with sticks and batons, awaited the group and hurled themselves upon the group after the service, while Catholics were heading toward the parked cars.

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