02/02/2019 India (International Christian Concern) – On January 29, some 3,500 Christians in the city of Kolhapur, located in India’s Maharashtra state, held a silent rally against an attack on a Christian school. The rally was used to highlight both the attack on the school as well as the growing number of attacks on Christians across the nation.
On January 22, members of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Hindu radical group Shiv Sena, attacked Holy Cross Convent High School. The radicals broke into the school chanting slogans against the school and its management. They then ransacked the school’s office, breaking windows and any Christian symbols they found.
Participants in the silent rally called on local authorities to take action against the individuals who attacked the school. They also expressed concern over the increasing number of attacks on Christians and their institutions across India.
Since 2014, attacks on Christians, Christian institutions, and Christian places of worship have dramatically increased. In 2014, the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) documented 147 violent attacks against the Christian community of India. In 2017, EFI documented 351 violent attacks, more than doubling the 2014 report.
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