LIFESITE NEWS-
A village church in central India’s Hindu-majority Madhya Pradesh state has suspended worship services following an attack on the congregation by Hindu extremists, according to sources cited by Morning Star News on July 15.
On June 1, members of the Hindu extremist Bajrang Dal led a group of around 20 assailants to the house of Indian pastor Madia Damor in Thuvadara village in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabua District. These attackers disrupted the ongoing worship service, assaulting 50 people who were assembled for prayer, including women and children, Morning Star News reported.
“There was all chaos,” Damor stated. “The children and women were crying, shouting, asking them to stop, but they forcefully dragged them out of my house,” the pastor added in comments to Morning Star News.
“When I tried to stop the mob from attacking the women and children, they pushed me off and threatened me that they would kill me if I conducted church prayers in the village again.”
Damor recounted that assailants grabbed a 54-year-old Christian identified as Noorji, and “started pelting stones” at him.
“He was isolated from the congregation, and they chased him away by a few meters and started pelting stones at him,” the pastor recalled.
Consequently, Noorji had to undergo medical treatment at a hospital. According to a report by LICAS News, Noorji’s medical expenses have beleaguered his family.
“The treatment has been very expensive for Noorji’s family. He is only a laborer and earns daily wages for his livelihood,” Damor lamented.
“His children and their spouses also have been baptized and stood boldly for Christian faith in this Thuvadara village,” the pastor said, as he elaborated on why assailants attacked Noorji. Continue reading…
