June 23, 2008
KARNATAKA, INDIA -- On June 17, a Christian training meeting attended by about 70 pastors from all over Karnataka was attacked by Hindu radicals.
The series of meetings between June 16-18 were organized in Varna village near Mysore, by Rev. Paul, a South Korean missionary. On June 16, a Hindu radical group named Bajrang Dal (Monkey Brigade) learned about the meeting, and about 100 members went to where the pastors were having lunch together.
The pastors asked the Hindus why they had come, and were told that there were illegal conversions occurring at the meetings. They then verbally abused meeting attendees, and demanded that the event and the alleged forced conversions be stopped.
A story on the website www.persecution.in reported that the radical Hindus then became violent, resulting in two pastors being injured. The meetings then stopped. Fearing for their lives, some pastors ran to get a bus to take them back to their homes.
Superintendent of Police Mr. Ramsubbu told ANS, “There was no report of any attack on the pastors' meeting ... There was a meeting conducted, but the organizers failed to (ask ... police, so our (officers) went to the venue, and asked (them) to stop the meeting.”
Following the attack, a few pastors remained to pray. Police arrived, and the ministers were reportedly ordered not to pray or have any sort of Christian gathering. The police seized a Bible, a song book and an English Devotional book from the meeting hall, and wrote down the names of the pastors who were at the meeting.
The police inspector told his staff to seize all the vehicles and other items from the meeting place. However, a report given to a senior police official later on said there was no evidence of any conversion activity occurring, and it was just a casual Christian meeting.
A pastor speaking on condition of anonymity told ANS, “The Korean missionary bribed the Police with ($ 250) to close the case, as (he) did not have proper travel documents of his visit to India.”
When asked about his visa to India, Rev. Paul told ANS, “I am on a business visa, and I will be here for a few weeks.”
Some of the pastors were taken to the police station. Others asked the asked the district superintendent of police to intervene in the situation.
The superintendent of police said he had no comment, other than that the meeting organizers did not ask permission to hold the event.
Copyright 2008 ASSIST News Service
