Posted on 06/14/2007 5:57:53 AM PDT by kellynla
Laxmi Narayan Gowda, an independent pastor and representative of the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), was recovering in a hospital at press time with swelling and numerous bruises.
The incident took place at about 7 p.m. in Hessarghatta, about 30 kilometers from Bangalore, when a group of about 50 people barged into the pastor’s house and threatened him with violence unless he moved out of the area, said Sam Joseph, a Karnataka-based leader of the All India Christian Council (AICC).
The group returned with 100 more people shortly after, cornered Pastor Gowda in a room in his house, and began assaulting him in front of his wife and two small children.
Extremists of the Bajrang Dal, youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council), allegedly led the mob.
One of the assailants threw kerosene on the pastor, and others started burning Bibles. Someone tossed a burning Bible onto Pastor Gowda, but miraculously he did not catch fire, Joseph told Compass.
The extremists then stripped the pastor naked and hung a board around his neck that said, “I am the one who was converting people,” before parading him through the area.
“By this time, the mob had swollen to about 1,000, as more people joined in to harass and torture the pastor,” Joseph added.
Local police arrived about an hour later, after one of the pastor’s relatives called them by telephone.
The assailants burned at least 250 Bibles and also vandalized furniture and equipment.
Police had not registered a case against the attackers at press time. When Compass spoke to Inspector R. Malesh of the Soladevanhalli police station, he said the victim did not want to file a complaint.
“We have requested the Christians to give us a complaint in writing, but they do not want to press charges against the attackers,” he said.
Malesh claimed that the mob consisted of local people who did not belong to any Hindu extremist groups. Some of Pastor Gowda’s neighbors attacked, he said, because they do not want Christian prayers and meetings to take place in his house.
A local source, however, told Compass on condition of anonymity that the attack was pre-planned and directed by an unidentified lawyer. The lawyer suggested to the crowd that if they hit the pastor as a mob, then there would be no possibility of prosecution, said the source.
Before Pastor Gowda accepted Christ about 15 years ago, the source said, he was a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the parent organization of numerous Hindu extremist groups in India.
“The attackers seemingly wanted to punish Pastor Gowda for converting to Christianity from their Hindu nationalistic ideology, and warn others against dong so,” added the source.
Pastor Gowda has been working in the area for the last 12 years. The source also said the pastor was firm in his faith following the attack.
Dr. Sam Paul, AICC’s public affairs secretary, said that although Karnataka was known for anti-Christian attacks, the situation has become more volatile in the state since the Janata Dal-Secular party, in coalition with the Hindu nationalistic Bharatiya Janata Party, took power from the Congress Party in February 2006.
“Extremists in Karnataka are emboldened as the police usually turn up after the incident,” he said. “There are also times when the police encourage anti-social elements to harass Christians.”
Paul also stressed the need to educate India’s people about true conversion, in particular that it does not mean that one becomes anti-national.
Dr. Sajan K. George, national president of the GCIC, told Compass that he was thankful to God for saving the life of one of his organization’s representatives.
I’ve always pictured the Indian government as a kind of Mexican socialism. How far off am I?
I have always wondered why all such “persecution” stories appear only in some obscure “Christian” sites and never corroborated by any other mainstream news sites?
And some of their stories sound less credible then even commie propaganda.
And the only people they hate more than Hindus is the bloody Tripuran National Liberation Front. Splitters!
It seems that “secularist” Indians would swallow anything rather than be seen as politically incorrect”
Indians are secular in the sense that they accept all religions. They are not atheist or agnostic like Europe is. Religion plays a very important role in people’s lives.
India is actually a lot less politically correct than the West. You can say what you want and there is no desire to seen as PC that consumes the West. In a nation of 1 billion people there are of course fringe elements but in that part of the world, other than Israel it is the only functioning democracy with a growing economy and a high degree of freedom even for Muslims.
The constitution of India does say it is secular so as not to establish a state religion (not unlike the US constitution) but the nation is not a godless waste land like Europe is.
India, Israel and the USA are natural allies as we are the Infidels and the top 3 obstacles to the worldwide rule of ISLAM.
You are way off base. India is a thriving democracy with a far more educated population, much better work ethic and world class accomplishments. Although India did follow a socialist model for decades, since the 1990’s there has been huge privatization and there is now a pro-business, pro-growth environment.
There is still too much govt red tape, corruption and it is by no means a first world country but it is leaps and bounds better than Mexico in any measurable way. India is poised to be in the top 3 GDP nations of the world by 2050.
Mexico is a rotting hell hole that has outsourced their poverty to us and 100 families essentially run the nation.
“Local source”? That sounds like a weasel word.
India is the most pro-American country in the world, more than Canada, UK and Australia.
Heck it’s more pro-American than Massachusetts where I live.
“In a nation of 1 billion people there are of course fringe elements ......”
Yes there are such similar “fringe elements” from every religion (that includes both Christianity and Hinduism). Just that the “fringe elements” in Hinduism isnt half as bad as those from other religion.
I was waiting for this to come up. I am the pro-Christian person that is not a practising Christian. I have great admiration for what Christianity has done for the world and most of my friends are devout Christians and I have learnt a lot from the Bible.
The one issue I have is with the belief that “My god is the only god” and if you follow some other religion then you must be weird and your god cannot be a loving god. With that logic billions of people in the world will just go to hell and all of them are not good god fearing people. That is simply absurd, especially because people making this statement have no idea of what Hinduism teaches. You can be a devout Christian and even spread your faith peacefully but why trash all other religions in the process.
This same mindset magnified many times and added with violence produces the Taliban. I am NOT equating Christianity with ISLAM because clealry Christianity has been a force for good and has blessed the West whereas ISLAM only kills and maims.
India is actually a lot less politically correct than the West.
India's press is far worse than America's.
“Although it may not be as rooted in pure violence and evil as Islam, Hinduism definitely has its facets of weirdness, freakiness and violence. Ever hear of their goddess Kali? A real sweetheart... /s”
So better pray to a White God then a Black God eh?
You mean, like those people who ordered the Inquisition, drove away the Jews, many of them to India, where they were again persecuted by the said people when they opened colonies there, and the same people who parade and kiss dead bodies, jars of preserved blood and grotesque things of the like, as religious paraphernalia?
Please go on!
That may be true, and since you are a former resident or citizen of India I suppose you are correct in so far as you know the current situation over there. But since my conflicting information comes from a source that I believe to be scrupulously honest and truthful, I have to believe that perhaps the situation over there has changed since you lived there.
I am not saying that violence against Christian converts is anywhere near to being as common and widespread in India as it is in some Islamic nations, but I do believe it occurs all to often in certain areas of India for a modern day civilized nation such as India to tolerate.
Good riposte Carrot Top!
| Yet these great makings, Prince! involve Me not, | |
| Enchain Me not! I sit apart from them, | |
| Other, and Higher, and Free; nowise attached! | |
| Thus doth the stuff of worlds, moulded by Me, | |
| Bring forth all that which is, moving or still, | 40 |
| Living or lifeless! Thus the worlds go on! | |
| The minds untaught mistake Me, veiled in form;— | |
| Naught see they of My secret Presence, nought | |
| Of My hid Nature, ruling all which lives. | |
| Vain hopes pursuing, vain deeds doing; fed | 45 |
| On vainest knowledge, senselessly they seek | |
| An evil way, the way of brutes and fiends. | |
| But My Mahatmas, those of noble soul | |
| Who tread the path celestial, worship Me | |
| With hearts unwandering,—knowing Me the Source, | 50 |
| Th’ Eternal Source, of Life. Unendingly | |
| They glorify Me; seek Me; keep their vows | |
| Of reverence and love, with changeless faith | |
| Adoring Me. Yea, and those too adore, | |
| Who, offering sacrifice of wakened hearts, | 55 |
| Have sense of one pervading Spirit’s stress, | |
| One Force in every place, though manifold! | |
| I am the Sacrifice! I am the Prayer! | |
| I am the Funeral-Cake set for the dead! | |
| I am the healing herb! I am the ghee, | 60 |
| The Mantra, and the flame, and that which burns! | |
| I am—of all this boundless Universe— | |
| The Father, Mother, Ancestor, and Guard! | |
| The end of Learning! That which purifies | |
| In lustral water! I am OM! I am | 65 |
| Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Ved; | |
| The Way, the Fosterer, the Lord, the Judge, | |
| The Witness; the Abode, the Refuge-House, | |
| The Friend, the Fountain and the Sea of Life | |
| Which sends, and swallows up; Treasure of Worlds | 70 |
| And Treasure-Chamber! Seed and Seed-Sower, | |
| Whence endless harvests spring! Sun’s heat is mine; | |
| Heaven’s rain is mine to grant or to withhold; | |
| Death am I, and Immortal Life I am, | |
| Arjuna! SAT and ASAT, Visible Life, | 75 |
| And Life Invisible! | |
|
Chapter IX. of the Bhagavad-Gîtâ. |
Me no Baptist leftist. I belong to that religion of Kali ...my sweetheart ;)...... and love to revel in all the “freakiness” and “weirdness”.
More like the socialism of Brazil- somewhat more utopian and well-intentioned than that of Mexico, but even more socialistic than China is today. Cf. Chandigarh with Brasilia.
There is still not controvertibility between the Rupee and the US Dollar, and many enterprises are still state-owned. However, the material progress of the last decade has happened because of trade and markets, and the government there knows this, so a further opening of the economy is inevitable.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.