Indian Pastor brutally beaten up while conducting a prayer meeting

By James Varghese, Special Correspondent in India for ASSIST News Service

KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) – An Indian pastor was brutally attacked by a group of Hindu radicals on Monday, March 8, 2010 at Mysore in Karnataka State. Read the rest of this entry »

Christian believer assaulted in Karnataka State, India

By James Varghese, Special Correspondent in India for ASSIST News Service

KARNATAKA, INDIA ANS — Nearly 20 members belonging to the Hindu radical group called Bajrang Dal attacked the house of a Christian believer and accused him of “forceful conversion” at Mangalore in Karnataka state on November 3. Read the rest of this entry »

Indian Believers asked to leave village for acceptance of Christian faith

By James Varghese, Special Correspondent in India for ASSIST News Service

KARNATAKA, INDIA- Around 20 believers have been asked to leave their village following their acceptance of the Christian faith in Afzalpur, Gulbarga District, Karnataka state, on Sunday, August 9.

According to news released by the All India Christian Council (aicc) on their website — www.christiancouncil.in — the plan to send these believers out from the village was plotted by the village elders along with members of the Hindu radical group called Sangh Parivar. Read the rest of this entry »

Hindu Extremists Attack Pastor and Manhadle Women

Compass Direct News reports:

MUMBAI, India – Hindu nationalist extremists attacked Christians attending teacher training in Dharwad district, Karnataka on Wednesday Aug. 12, but when one of the attendees escaped and went to police, officers arrested eight pastors on baseless claims of forcible conversion and – in a blow to free speech – for allegedly speaking ill of Hindu gods. Read the rest of this entry »

Pastors Attacked, Tied to a Car and Paraded Half Naked in Karnataka, India

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) — Two pastors were tortured and arrested by Hindu radicals.

The incident occurred on Aug. 11 in Davangere, Karnataka State, India.

According to a story on www.persecution.in, Pastors Rajendra Gowda and Kumaran were praying in a village called Emmanabettur, and more than 20 Hindu radicals from the Shivasainya (Army of Shiva) Youth Association burst into the meeting and attacked the pastors.

It was reported in the story that the radicals stripped the pastors, tied them to a car and drove them half naked from Emmanabettur village to the Anagi Police Outpost. That is a distance of about seven kilometers.

The report said the pastors were then later taken in the same car to Davangere Rural Polic Station. That is about another 20 kilometers from Anagi Outpost. There the pastors were viciously assaulted.

Then the Hindu radicals filed a complaint with the police against the pastors, alleging they were engaging in forced conversion activities. As a result, the police arrested the pastors.

The website reported after appearing before a magistrate later that evening, the pastors were freed the next day.

The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), a Christian advocacy group, is concerned about the increasing violence against pastors and evangelists in the Karnataka

More specifically, GCIC said, there have been 42 incidences of torture and violence against Christian workers and pastors so far in 2008.