07/25/2020 India (International Christian Concern) – Six Christian families have received an ultimatum from the Latehar District Police of Jharkhand state to either renounce their Christian faith or prepare to leave the village. The police have given the Christians a single month to respond to this demand.
The police issued the ultimatum after the six Christian families went to the police station in response to a brutal attack by radical Hindu nationalists on July 5.
“They tied our hands and legs with a rope,” Joginder Bhuya told International Christian Concern (ICC). The Christians were then ruthlessly beaten by fanatics, including women and children.
According to Joginder, a village meeting was convened to discuss the six Christian families who refused to give up their Christian faith. As a result of this meeting, the village leaders decided that they would chase the Christians out of their homes and the village if they didn’t “re-convert” to Hinduism. When the Christians refused this order, villagers attacked the Christian families gathered at the meeting.
“All the men’s hands and legs were tied with the rope,” Joginder reported. “That way they might have thought that we cannot defend ourselves. They also misbehaved with our women and kicked them all over their body. They punched us on our faces and back. It was a very pathetic and helpless situation for us.”
With help, Joginder escaped and ran to the police station. There, he informed police about the grave situation of the Christians in the village. As Joginder was reporting the incident, the villagers also reached the police station.
“I thought the police are there to protect and serve justice, but the police spoke exactly what the religious fanatics have been telling us,” Joginder said. “It was disheartening that we had to come out of the police station with a heavy heart.”
