Nuova Delh, India (Thursday, 10/25/2018, Gaudium Press) In Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in the North of India, and considered the most populous administrative division in the world, there is violence against Christians that reaches a very high peak. “We are a minority in the Indian population, but it seems that our presence in this state is considered a threat to the hidden agenda of extremist groups”, says to Agenzia Fides Fr. Manoj Nayak a Catholic priest from Uttar Pradesh.
The state is led by a high-ranking Hindu priest who has chosen a political
career, Prime Minister Yogi Aditya Nath
“Violence occurs especially in the district that is a parliamentary constituency of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi: Jaunpur has a tiny Christian population, 0.11% out of a total population of over 180 thousand inhabitants”, notes A.C. Michael, Christian leader, former member of the
Commission for Minorities.
Protestant Christian leaders are taken into custody by the police on the basis of false charges of forced conversion. Christians in Jaunpur now live in terror, and do not even organize prayers in their homes. In September alone, Uttar Pradesh witnessed 25 anti-Christian incidents, of which 20 in Jaunpur. Overall, since January 2018, 59 out of 190 incidents of violence against Christians in India have occurred in the state.
The attacks continue to intimidate the Christian population of the country that loves peace. “It is worrying because this violence attacks the the democratic pillars of India, government institutions and the mass media ignore these systematic attacks on Christians”, says the activist.
“And the judiciary has failed as there are pending judgments for over 200 cases of false conversion charges in various Indian courts”, concludes Michael.
Source: Agenzia Fides
