Hindu extremists plan violence against Christians

Hindu leaders in India have called on their followers to come out en masse on Saturday to attack Christians in three villages in central Chhattisgarh state. During a Hindu pilgrimage last month, religious leader Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand called on 1,000 Hindus to “slay those who slay our mother cow,” according to Genocide Watch. Adesh Soni, another Hindu nationalist religious leader, asked supporters to break the limbs of those who kill cows and to do whatever is needed to stop cow slaughtering. Soni later denied any call for violence and told UCA News that he was only planning for a peaceful rally on Saturday.

Hindus consider cows sacred, and accusations of cow killings in the past have often resulted in mob violence.

How have Christians responded? The Nagaland Baptist Church Council wrote to Chhattisgarh’s chief minister to express concern over the hate speech. In a public letter, Indian Christian activist Vishal Mangalwadi called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to not ignore the threats. Christian organizations and churches have also scheduled peaceful nationwide protests on Saturday. Modi’s Hindu-nationalist government has faced criticism for failing to respond to persistent attacks on Christians and Muslims in the country. India’s record on persecution did not come up during Modi’s visit to Washington, D.C., earlier this month to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s WORLD Magazine report on the latest edition of the Global Persecution Index.