In the village of Bodiguda a crowd of 300 Hindu radicals devastated the homes of three Christian families who refused to convert. The police refuse to file the report.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - Attacks on Christians resumed in India in the aftermath of the 2019 general elections. The last incident took place in a Chhattisgarh village on May 23, but the news was released yesterday. A crowd of about 300 people looted and devastated the homes of three Christian families "guilty" of not wanting to renounce their faith.
The violence took place in the village of Bodiguda, in the district of Sukma. According to witnesses, the village council was summoned on the day of the attack to deliberate on the fate of the minority faithful. Faced with the refusal to renounce Christianity, a crowd of 300 Hindu radicals turned the houses upside down and demolished the roofs. Then the fathers of the three family - Sariyam Irma, Urma Deta and Padam Supa - were ordered to leave the village, under threat of worse consequences.
Speaking to AsiaNews New Delhi activist and director of development at ADF India (Alliance Defending Freedom), AC Michael, said that Son Singh Jhali, a lawyer who follows the case, "helped the Christians to compile the complaint, but the police refused the registration of a formal complaint. The agents wanted to force the Christians to find a compromise with the persecutors ". Finally, he adds, the lawyer "accompanied them to the office of the district magistrate, where they were able to register the case. The official promised appropriate actions".
This year's election was marked by numerous episodes of violence and intimidation against religious minorities: not only Christians, but also Muslims. The incident is not a good sign in view of the creation of that "inclusive" India that Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about as soon as he was re-elected. In fact, just under his first term, activists and religious leaders have reported a surge of abuse against those who do not profess the majority Hindu religion.