A 50-year-old Protestant Christian Pastor was murdered by a group of masked men in the district of Bijapur, in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. The episode of violence, which took place on March 17, was only recently confirmed to Agenzia Fides.
Newsroom (31/03/2022 6:55 pm Gaudium Press) Pastor Yallam Shankar was having dinner at his home around 7:00 pm on March 17 when a crowd of militants forced entry, dragged him out and stabbed him with a sharp weapon.
The attack took place while the Hindu festival of “Holika Dahan” (a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil) was celebrated in the village of Angampalli, where pastor Shankar lived.
Before starting to lead the small local Christian community, Pastor Shankar had served as head of the village council, where he had distinguished himself as an advocate for the rights of Christian minorities and helped those who suffered abuses and violations of rights to seek justice. Because of this commitment, Pastor Shankar had received several death threats, as well as the request, always rejected, to abandon Christianity and accept conversion to Hinduism.
On March 18, the day after, the crime was reported at the Madded Police Station, a necessary step to trigger an investigation. For now, the police have not released any official communiqué. However, there are several theories on the reason for the murder of the Pastor.
According to sources, a leaflet was found at the crime scene linking the murder to the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), a Maoist armed group that rages in the area. The leaflet accuses Pastor Shankar of being a police informant and announces the murder because he did not heed the warnings from the PLGA.
The police, however, deny that Shankar was an informant and are examining the hypothesis of the misdirection. On the other hand, the local clergy and members of the Christian community in the area believe that, despite the note, it is not clear whether Maoists carried out the attack or whether other elements with ideas that promote violence against Christians are involved.
In a statement sent to Fides, the organization “Christian Solidarity Worldwide,” which monitors worldwide violence against Christians, states: “Yallam Shankar was a man who served his village defending the rights of minorities and defending justice. Chhattisgarh is increasingly becoming a breeding ground for targeted attacks against Christians, and the authorities’ efforts to stop this violence have proved insufficient. We urge the authorities in Chhattisgarh to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into this murder and to bring the perpetrators to justice for their actions”.
According to data collected by the “United Christian Forum,” “in 2021, almost 500 cases of anti-Christian violence were reported in India”, recalls A.C. Michael, Catholic lay leader and UCF coordinator. This is only the tip of the iceberg because “numerous cases of attacks against Christians are not reported and are not documented,” noted Michael.
(Via Fides)
Compiled by Raju Hasmukh
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