12/08/2023 India (International Christian Concern) — Several congregants were injured, including two critically, after a violent mob attacked a Christian community in Chhattisgarh, India, last week.  

The attack was conducted by a group of radical Hindu nationalists, who stormed into an active church service on the morning of Sunday, Dec. 3. Mob participants carried weapons into the service, seemingly determined to leave as much property damage and personal injury in their wake as possible.   

Pastor Rajendra has been serving this congregation for many years. The instances of violence and pressure from Hindu nationalists to stop hosting worship services are not new to him. These groups want him to shut down his church due to “conversion activities,” and the same pressure has been mounting for other congregations in the area as well. 

Until the attack, they had not been forced to close. The pastor says that serving a church body in this area is becoming more and more difficult.  

“It is going to be all the more difficult for Christians to live safely in the state,” an anonymous Christian leader from the area stated. “As the pro-Hindu political party returns to the government in the state in the recent elections, Christians are worried.”   

This incident is one of more than 100 instances of violence against Christians in Chhattisgarh this year – and there are no signs of attacks slowing down. Pastor Rajendra attempted to file a written complaint to authorities after the most recent attack, but the complaint was not even registered. No action was taken against the aggressors. Unfortunately, this lack of attention is commonplace in India’s current political state.   

In 2023, there have been more than 143 incidents of violence against Christians in Chhattisgarh, with more than 35 incidents of social boycotting and 20 incidents of not allowing Christians to bury the dead bodies of their family members. Chhattisgarh ranked second in the most persecuted states in India after Uttar Pradesh.  

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