India’s hidden ugly face: persecution of Christians in Bangalore

When Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier visits the south-Indian city of Bangalore in the course of his visit to India the development of economic relations with the centre of the Indian IT industry will be in the forefront. „There scarcely any hope that Foreign Minister Steinmeier will speak about the increasingly difficult situation of the Indian Christians in this large city”, said the GfbV Asia consultant, Ulrich Delius, of the Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) on Friday. „In the federal state, which is ruled by Hindu nationalists basic human rights are being trampled on.” It was just on 12th November 2008 when three Christians were arbitrarily arrested in a suburb of the city of eight million people. They are charged with proselytizing Hindus. Bangalore is an important centre of commerce. Steinmeier is meeting representatives of German firms and is opening a German general consulate.

The most recent attack on Christians in Bangalore makes it clear just how much members of the religious minority in India, and above all in federal states with nationalist Hindu governments, are in danger, said Delius. The three persons arrested – Mr. Chandrashekhar, Ms. Kamlamma and Ms. Sandhya – had visited the house of a relative to pray for the recovery of a family member who was sick. When they left the house they were beaten by 15 extremist supporters of the paramilitary youth movement Bajrang Dal and handed over to the police. The three Christians are still in custody today.

Since the victory of the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the federal state of Karnataka in May 2008 the violence against Christians has noticeably increased there. On 14th September 13 churches were attacked by Bajrang Dal supporters. Four of the churches were Catholic churches, most of the rest belonging to the Pentacostal movement. Two Protestant pastors and a Catholic nun were injured in the attacks. The „World Council of Indian Christians”, centred in Bangalore, has accused the police of beating Christians without any reason and desecrating churches. The Christian organisation also called for the resignation of the minister of the interior of the federal state.