Protest Email – Christians must Deny faith or No Water & Firewood

Help Christian Adivasis Stopped from Taking Water & Firewood
– Please Send SOS Petition for Protection & Representation –
Maharashtra Persecution Rises – After Malvan, its Palghar

If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him: if we deny Him, HE also will deny us – 2 Timothy 2:12

MAHARASHTRA STOP PRESS: After the attack on Christians in Malvan, we now have Christians in Manohar targeted. No Sunday worship has taken place since the attack on New Year’s eve. Even worse, today we received information that Christian adivasis (tribals)have been refused water and firewood by the non-Christian villagers. How do they survive?

The authorities seem to have left them to fend for themselves. The police are callous. And we can’t even visit them, as Hindutvas turn on us. We need you to urgently send this SOS email petition calling for action and for the state government to nominate Christian representatives on various commissions, corporations, councils, boards, etc. to help. Please find below, a brief report of what has happened.

By God’s Grace – Your emails in every instance have been successful & provided succor to the suffering. And we are confident, the LORD will bless this one will be no different. This email from you can bring relief to persecuted Christians in Maharashtra….

Email Below SOS Towards Zero Tolerance on Persecution in Maharashtra – Model State

Email to: sharadpawar.sp@gmail.com, rrpatilindia@gmail.com, acs.home@maharashtra.gov.in, csfpost@gmail.com, cs-maharashtra@nic.in, acs.minorities@maharashtra.gov.in

Dear Decision-maker,

Request: Act on The CSF Recommendations & Nominate Christians, ASAP

We have been given to understand that The CSF has presented to you police inaction in Malvan and now in Manohar, Palghar, where Christians are being targeted. ICAN has increasing reports of such attacks by fundamentalists, which can be offset by due Christian representation on various commissions, corporations, councils, boards, police, etc.

However, it seems that the term minority is some to mean just one community or groups that take to the streets. We therefore call upon you to assist Christians prevent attacks on the community and fill in the vacancies, recommendations for which have already been made. This is the least we would expect in a state ruled by ‘secular’ parties – Congress, NCP and others.

Looking forward to your earliest corrective action – bro. Joseph Dias, The CSF general secretary will follow-up with you in this regard.

Me & My Loved Ones

(YOUR NAME)

New Year Eve Attack

The CSF expresses its shock at the behaviour of the Manohar police station officers, in Kaspada, village Tamsai, Palghar taluka of Thane Rural district in Maharashtra state. I met with some of the victims, who even produced photographic evidence, which is surprising because we are ruled by the Congress-NCP combine. Soon after the Malwan incident, this is an even more severe attack, which happened on 30th December, 2012 by a mob of 400 to 500 Hindutva fundamentalists. Around 25 Christian adivasis had gathered for Sunday worship service, in the house church of one Halya Patil, as they had been doing so for the last almost 2 years. Suddenly the mob surrounded the place and asked the Christian villagers to stop the prayer service. Then about a dozen of the began beating the believers, which included many women and children, who were not spared. The musical instruments were broken and bibles were torn or desecrated. About 25 of the worshipers sustained injuries and had to be treated.

Other Christians Warned

Since early that day morning, believers who came to the house church from near-by places (Amban, Gharatpada, Durvesh, Embur, etc.) where accosted on the road by the Hindutva communalists and asked not to attend the prayer service or were threatened with danger. Many turned back out of fear, or the number of casualties would have been more. When the Christian adivasis went to the Manohar police station, the officers were hostile and refused to entertain them. Instead in front of the police that Hindutva fundamentalists openly threatened to attack the Christians and kill any pastor that came to lead the worship. They also threatened to deny the Christians ration and government benefits, if they continued to pray in the village. The group panchayat (local self-governing agency) of the Pochade and Tamsai villages called for meeting to impose economic sanctions, social boycott and restrictions on practicing of Christianity in the area.

Women & Children Not Spared

Of those hurt, about 10 were women, 5 were children and 14 were male believers. Most injuries were internal and x-rays / CT scans have been advised, but the Christians are too poor to afford any such medicare. No action was taken against the 14 main culprits, rather the Christians were given a warning notice by the police not to give any cause for trouble or action would be taken against them. The Christian advasis being given no protection or even hope of assistance from the police are mortally afraid of them and had this Sunday’s worship in Vikramgad, Voice of Holy Spirit House Church, which is about 20 kilometers away from their homes. Some of the victims visited The CSF office in Mumbai to record their complaints. The Hindutva fundamentalists are reported to have said that they have orders from their seniors to prevent any practice of Christianity in the region.

Police Inaction Emboldens Hindutvas

The area has been simmering since the last over 2 years, with Christians being targeted and the police looking the other way. Instead the police have been saying it would cost the Christians, Rs.2,000 per constable, if they needed protection. The Christians are fearful of the police with The CSF receiving complaints from believers of the neighbouring villages of Nandgaon, Talauli, Savarkhand… For Christian adivasis from the Palghar and Vikramgad talukas of the Thane district, the Constitutional Right to Freedom of Religion, certainly has no meaning. In these talukas, there is no cremation ground too, with Christian believers, being forced to cremate bodies, denying their faith or burying dead bodies in their own land. The affected Christians however, are putting up a heroic fight and refuse to stop praying or converting back, though there are a few reports of believers secretly worshiping and not publicly.

In view of the above, you are urged to pray and act to protect the Christians from a bloodbath in Kaspada, village Tamsai, Palghar and also the neighbouring Vikramgad talukas.

You may get in touch with the undersigned for confidential information about the incidents, as the Christian adivasis are afraid for their lives and hence no names are mentioned.

– Joseph Dias +91 9769555657