Christians live in fear amid claims of ‘forced conversions'

Hindu nationalist vigilantes terrorise minority over unproven rumours in an apparent political ploy by BJP

- Hannah Ellis-Petersen

It was a stifling July afternoon when the crowd moved into the small district of Lakholi, in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, and gathered outside the house of Tameshwar Sahu.

A 55-year-old volunteer with the home guard who had begun following Christianity more than five years previously, Sahu had never had issues with his neighbours.

But more than 100 people had descended from surrounding villages and were shouting Hindu nationalist slogans outside his door. As the men entered the house, they shouted death threats at Sahu’s wife and began tearing posters bearing Bible quotes down from the walls. Bibles were seized from the shelves and brought outside where they were set alight. “We will teach you a lesson,” some people were heard to shout. “This is what you get for forcing people into Christianity.”

Sahu’s family was not the only one attacked that day. Four other Christian households were also targeted by mobs, led by the Hindu nationalist vigilante group Bajrang Dal, known for its aggressive and hardline approach to “defending” Hinduism.

Since the beginning of the year there have been similar attacks across Chhattisgarh, already the Indian state with the second highest number of incidents against Christians. In some villages, churches have been vandalised, in others pastors have been beaten or abused. The police, too, stand accused of making threats to Christians.