Persecuted Christians in India Call on the Government for Fair Treatment
- Updated Feb 24, 2016
Christians in India have called on the government to intervene in the increasing tension and persecution they are experiencing from Hindu extremists.
Christian Today reports that the Tirunelveli District Pentecostal Churches Federation in the state of Tamil Nadu has called on India’s government to address the “steadily increasing attacks on Christians.”
Although India is supposedly a secular state, the Christians claim that they are being targeted by “Hindutva” adherents who are antagonistic toward Christianity and attack Christian churches.
“Though we're being targeted, we've never retaliated and done anything that would undermine the tranquillity of society as Christianity is all about love, compassion and brotherhood. Without breaching the limits and encroaching upon others' religious rights, we're following and practising our religion,” said R. Babu Paul Dinakaran, district secretary of the Federation.
"However,” Dinakaran continued, “heads of a few Hindutva outfits are encouraging their cadres to orchestrate attacks against us.”
The state of Tamil Nadu is the second most dangerous Indian state for Christians, after the central state of Madhya Pradesh, according to the Catholic Secular Forum.
Although India is ostensibly a secular state, the ruling BJP party adheres to fundamentalist Hindu ideology.
Publication date: February 24, 2016
