07/06/2020 India (International Christian Concern) – Caravan News reports that, on May 20, the home of two Adivasi Christian families was attacked by a mob of radical Hindu nationalists in Kokkar Pal village located in Chhattisgarh, India.
Ravi Kumar, coordinator for Persecution Relief, confirmed, “The beatings started around 11 pm. The families hid in the jungle in the dark of the night. The women lost their way and got separated from their husbands. They were beaten so badly and crawled for three kilometres to reach us.”
Kumar told Caravan News, after leaving the hospital, the families could not return to their village. Caravan News also has possession of the First Information Report (FIR) filed by a local pastor on behalf of the families attacked by the radicals.
According to that pastor, members of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad had been leading a campaign to forcefully convert Christians, particularly Adivasi Christians, to Hinduism.
“Since November 2019, they have been facing attacks,” the local pastor told Caravan News. “The Adivasi families decided not to file an FIR hoping the persecution would stop. However, attacks continued in January 2020.”
The attack in Kokkar Pal village fits a pattern reported by foreign and Indian human-rights groups that have noted increased attacks during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second term and during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.
For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org.
