Ludhiana pastor’s killing prompts Christian leaders in India to seek government intervention

Punjab, July 19, 2017: Christian leaders in Punjab, India, now fear for their community’s safety and are seeking action from the government after a pastor in Ludhiana was shot dead by two attackers riding a motorbike on July 15.

On Saturday, Ludhiana pastor Sultan Masih, 50, was speaking to someone over the phone outside the Temple of God church when the incident happened. Two masked men riding a motorcycle appeared and shot him three times before escaping, the Hindustan Times reported.

Passersby brought Pastor Masih to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, but he died of his injuries there. He left behind his wife Sarbjit, son Ali Sharh, and daughter Hanok.

After Pastor Masih was shot dead last Saturday, Christian leaders in Punjab have expressed concern over their safety and the possibility that the peaceful environment in the area would be jeopardized. They are now calling on the government for help in bringing the perpetrators of the crime to justice, Times of India detailed.

“The killing of innocent people is certainly not a good sign for the hard-earned peace of Punjab,” Church of North India moderator P K Samantaroy told TOI on July 16.

Karam Masih, a former Bishop of Delhi and the Punjab Pardesh Congress Committee general secretary, echoed Samantaroy’s thoughts, saying the government should get to the bottom of the situation and put the criminals behind bars. He also promised to discuss the problem with chief minister Amarinder Singh in Punjab.

The day after Pastor Masih was killed, Christians stormed the Jalandhar Bypass Chowk on the National Highway and prevented vehicles from passing through for five hours. The Christian community blocked the road to demand that the men who shot the pastor be arrested,

Because of the traffic jam, police had to divert the vehicles to other routes. Some of the passengers were forced to disembark 2 kilometers from where the Christians were protesting and walked just to reach their respective destinations. The Christians only broke up the protest at around 3:30 pm when police commissioner RN Dhoke arrived and spoke to them.

– christian daily