December 10, 2008
Approximately 20 Hindu militants attacked two pastors travelling home from a prayer meeting in Palasapara village, Meghasah Tehsil, Madhya Pradesh on December 5, according to a December 6 report from Evangelical Fellowship of India. At 3:00 p.m., Pastor Pangala Bhai and Pastor Limba Bhai were beaten, verbally abused, and accused of forceful conversion. Their bikes, cell phones, and money were also stolen.
Reports of village churches being destroyed and church leaders being threatened by local Hindus continue to be a daily reality in India. Other persecution faced by Christians is more subtle, as converts to Christianity are often cast out of their families and face poverty and ostracism.
The caste system is deeply entrenched in Indian society. Until the middle of the twentieth century, “The Untouchables” were for centuries regarded as the refuse of society. In 1950, their name was changed to “Dalits” and they were given a “Scheduled Caste” status. While most upper caste opinions remain the same to this day, the 1950 law guarantees a certain quota of Dalits in specific societal institutions. However, Dalit converts to other religions lose their Scheduled Caste status, thus denying them basic human rights in many cases. In August, 2005, Christian Dalits began revisiting a bill that had failed to reach legislative evaluation nine years before. If passed, the bill would allow them to maintain their special status so they could be assured a place in society. In the same month however, the Supreme Court actually rejected a plea from another religious group requesting minority status. The Supreme Court maintains that special status for a religious group of any sort only adds to tensions in society. They are, in fact, encouraging the National Commission for Minorities to help create a society in which notified minorities are gradually done away with completely, thus developing a unified society in which all person are considered equal.
Approximately 20 Hindu militants attacked two pastors travelling home from a prayer meeting in Palasapara village, Meghasah Tehsil, Madhya Pradesh on December 5, according to a December 6 report from Evangelical Fellowship of India. At 3:00 p.m., Pastor Pangala Bhai and Pastor Limba Bhai were beaten, verbally abused, and accused of forceful conversion. Their bikes, cell phones, and money were also stolen.
Reports of village churches being destroyed and church leaders being threatened by local Hindus continue to be a daily reality in India. Other persecution faced by Christians is more subtle, as converts to Christianity are often cast out of their families and face poverty and ostracism.
The caste system is deeply entrenched in Indian society. Until the middle of the twentieth century, “The Untouchables” were for centuries regarded as the refuse of society. In 1950, their name was changed to “Dalits” and they were given a “Scheduled Caste” status. While most upper caste opinions remain the same to this day, the 1950 law guarantees a certain quota of Dalits in specific societal institutions. However, Dalit converts to other religions lose their Scheduled Caste status, thus denying them basic human rights in many cases. In August, 2005, Christian Dalits began revisiting a bill that had failed to reach legislative evaluation nine years before. If passed, the bill would allow them to maintain their special status so they could be assured a place in society. In the same month however, the Supreme Court actually rejected a plea from another religious group requesting minority status. The Supreme Court maintains that special status for a religious group of any sort only adds to tensions in society. They are, in fact, encouraging the National Commission for Minorities to help create a society in which notified minorities are gradually done away with completely, thus developing a unified society in which all person are considered equal.
No comments:
Post a Comment