NEW DELHI, 12 June 2003 — A church in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh was ransacked by a Hindu mob who alleged its leaders were forcibly converting local villagers, a news report said yesterday. “They made speeches against Hindus. We will not tolerate anything like this. It’s the decision of the entire village,” resident Kamta Thakur told New Delhi Television (NDTV).
Church officials denied the allegations as baseless. Angry Chaari villagers forced their way into the church, broke the cross and left after installing an idol of Hanuman, venerated by Hindus, the report said.
The allegations sparked protests from various Hindu organizations. Shiv Dayal of the Dharm Jagran Manch told NDTV, “We are not bothered if they are only involved with charity. But they cannot carry out conversions.”
Villagers who said they converted to Christianity of their own will are now scared they will also be targeted, the report said.
Hindu groups have in the past accused Christian missionaries of proselytizing those from economically and socially disadvantaged communities by offering them financial incentives.
Since December 1998, Christians have been targeted by Hindu fundamentalists, after churches were set ablaze in Gujarat’s Dangs district.
