Thousands of Christians formed a 12-mile human chain in the state of Jharkhand in India, after Church services Sunday, July 22, 2018, protesting against the persecution of members of the Christian community from the state.
About 10,000 Christians gathered together to participate in a demonstration in the Ranch, Gumla, Simdega, Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Kunti, protesting against the arrest of local Christian leaders and denigration of their reputation, as well as against political decisions that, in their opinion, can lead to the fact that they will be deprived of privileges, rights and land, reports The Christian Post .
“Catholic nuns, priests, pastors are attacked, they are put in jail. Their companies searched. They are accused of all the troubles that occur in the state,” said event organizer Prabhakar Terk, President of the Ecumenical Christian forum, the Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh, writes the Week.
One of the cases that have affected Christians, is associated with the based nun from mother Teresa missionary of the women’s shelter at the Ranch. This month, after it emerged that four children are sold from the shelter, was arrested and charged in the incident, one of the nuns. Currently, the government intends to freeze the Bank accounts of the organization and to check all the missionaries of charity care for children.
Although a nun, as reported by the authorities, allegedly confessed to the sale of four babies from a shelter, the Secretary General of the Catholic bishops Conference of India Theodore Mascarenhas claims that she told the advocate charitable organizations that did not participate in the sale of children and wrote a statement about his guilt under pressure from the police. The missionaries of charity also denied that the babies were sold.
The other case concerned a Jesuit priest Alfonso and Director of the school in a remote village. The priest was arrested June 22 on charges of aiding and abetting the abduction and gang rape of five social activists. However, Church leaders claim that the allegations against the priest to be fabricated.
Prabhakar Tirc and other Christian leaders believe that the arrest of Christians — is part of a government-sponsored campaign to discredit Christian leaders and missionaries.
“It’s part of an organized plan, which aims to keep the common people away from the Christian institutions and missionaries,” said Tirc in an interview with Uca News .
Bishop Joseph D’souza, President of all India Christian Council, said in an interview with The Christian Post that although he does not know all the details of the cases against religious leaders who was arrested, he confirmed that targeted attacks against Christians in Jharkhand.
India currently ranks eleventh in the list of countries that persecute Christians (World Watch List), prepared by the Christian charity “Open Doors”(USA) in 2018, most of the persecution, according to “Open Doors”, by the representatives of right-wing Hindu organizations.