Wave of attack on Christians in India: Statues of Jesus vandalized, churches vandalized and Christmas events banned

Various Christmas events were targeted by Hindu nationalists in India, Amid a wave of intolerance and violence against the country’s religious minorities under the Prime Minister’s rule Narendra Modi.

In the state Haryana, The day after Christmas, The statue of Jesus was broken And this Church Of the Holy Redeemer in Ambala In the first hour it was destroyed.

In the same state, belonging to a group of Hindus They disrupted a school celebration in Pataudi on Christmas Eve. They entered the school chanting nationalist slogans and said the event would feature Christmas songs, dances and teachings from the Bible. “Religious conversion under the guise of celebrating Christmas” Said “Brainstorming children with drama and speech to convert to Christianity.”

In Agra, In the state of Uttar Pradesh, belonging to extreme right-wing Hindu groups Christmas grandfather figurines were burned outside schools Led by missionaries, religious Christians have been accused of using Christmas celebrations to convert Hindus.

“When December comes, Christian missionaries act in the name of Christmas, Santa Claus and New Year. Santa’s been up all night – delivering Christmas presents to millions of children across the world, “said David Cook, chief of The Christian Science Monitor’s Washington bureau. Defender.

Another Christmas event that takes place every year Model Ashram, Also in Uttar Pradesh, was targeted by a group of Hindu activists who raised slogans such as “Stop proselytizing”. “Death to Missionaries.”

In Assam, Two Hindu protesters entered the Presbyterian church on Christmas night and disrupted the celebrations. All Hindus are demanding to leave the building.

“It simply came to our notice then“In the video shot during the interruption, someone said, ‘We oppose the participation of Hindu boys and girls in the Christmas festivities … it hurts our feelings. They dress up in church and everyone sings Merry Christmas. How can our religion survive? “. Police arrested the two involved.

In the last few weeks, Christian missionaries also set fire to their Bibles and Christian schools were destroyed by right-wing groups They accuse Christians of forcing Hindus to convert by giving them money and gifts.

In mid-December, authorities in the western state of Gujarat began an investigation Missionaries of Charity, Established by the Foundation Calcutta Mother Teresa, They accused the girls in their dormitory of forcing them to wear the cross and read the Bible.

Activists say religious minorities in India face high levels of discrimination and violence Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014.

By 2020, this will include the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom For the first time since 2004, India is a “country of special interest”.

The Modi government rejects the radical “Hindutva” (Hindu supremacy) agenda and insists that all religions have the same rights.

Although only representative about Christians 2 percent of the population Of the more than 1 billion people in India, Christmas is a national holiday that is celebrated with much fanfare in the country.

But despite that, Activists say there have been more than 300 anti-Christian incidents this year alone.

In mid-December, A Hindu mob of 200 to 300 people attacked a student at a Christian school in Madhya Pradesh while he was writing an exam.Said the school principal.

“We moved the children from the auditorium to another section of the school. We put them on the first site and gave them extra time to finish the exam. But the students could not write, they cried and trembled ”, Said the school principal Anthony Dynamkal.

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