Christian families attacked in their homes while asleep

Three Christian families had their homes broken into in Kokkar Pal Panchayat, Sukma District, Chhattisgarh, India, by a group of Hindu nationalists on 20 May.

The incident took place at about 9pm when approximately 15 attackers entered the families’ homes while they were asleep and beat them, causing serious injuries, including head injuries, to at least four people. The injured were taken to Sukma District Hospital for immediate treatment. The families had to flee for their lives into a jungle not far from their homes. According to local sources, their assailants had warned them never return to the village again.

One week before the incident, the families had been threatened with violence and pressured to abandon their faith by a group of nationalists. The families, comprising fourteen people including five children, have now taken refuge in a church leader’s home Chindgarh, Sukma District, and are afraid to return to their homes due to fear of further attacks.

According to one local source, three First Information Reports, which are required for police to open up an investigation, have been registered against the perpetrators, but no one has been arrested. This has raised serious concerns about local police’s reliability and willingness to take action.

India was recently recommended to be listed as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent body dedicated to protecting freedom of religion or belief. Additionally, international concerns over a growing trend of violence towards religious minorities have been raised by the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and more recently by the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide.

CSW’s Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said: “It is deeply concerning that far-right Hindu nationalist groups feel emboldened to break into people’s homes, to threaten and harm them in the name of religion, and not fear the consequences. Such intolerance towards the freedom of others to choose and practice their religion will only result in the division of communities and propagate deeper fear and animosity, with minorities becoming more disenfranchised. We urge the authorities to investigate this matter urgently, ensuring that the families are free to live in a safe environment where they are able continue their livelihoods and practice the religion of their choice without further harassment, intimidation or violence.”