Christian leaders in northern India’s Haryana state have raised alarm after a Hindu mob allegedly forced local Christians to renounce their faith and burn copies of the Bible, amid mounting concerns over intimidation and authorities’ inaction. Christian leaders approached police officials after a video circulating on social media showed a group of frightened Christians surrounded by a crowd shouting “traitors” and calling the Bible “dirt.”
The footage appears to show Christians being pressured to sign statements renouncing their faith before being handed inflammable liquid to burn religious texts, as the mob hails Hindu gods, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai.” Pradeep Mansi Gulati, president of the Christian group Bharatiya Masih Samaj, said he approached local police and the deputy superintendent of police in Rohtak district on Nov. 20 after learning of the incident, which he said occurred on Nov. 9. “Police assured us of help, but to date no complaint has been registered,” Gulati told UCA News on Nov. 21.
Hindu groups, including the Arya Samaj, have long accused Pastor Yahowa Das and his independent Protestant congregation of engaging in religious conversions in the district. Gulati said Das had visited a Christian family on Nov. 9 for a prayer service following the birth of a child when a mob arrived, accusing them of conducting a conversion ceremony. Local Christians say the family and the pastor were manhandled before being filmed renouncing their faith.
The video has triggered outrage online, with many users accusing hardline Hindu groups of acting with impunity under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which governs both Haryana state and the federal government. “What is surprising is that even after more than 10 days, the authorities have not even registered a complaint. This shows the government is not serious about justice,” said activist Minakshi Singh.
Singh said attacks and harassment of Christians and other minorities have increased in Haryana since the BJP came to power in 2014. The state enacted the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act in 2022, which criminalizes conversions by force, coercion, fraud, allurement, or marriage, and places the burden of proof on the accused. Convictions carry a jail term of one to five years and fines of at least 100,000 rupees (US$1,125). Christians make up just 0.20 percent of Haryana’s 25.4 million people, according to the 2011 national census.
Original Article – Christians forced to renounce faith, burn Bible in northern Indian state – UCA News
