Horrific attacks on Christians in India

Fanatic Hindus tried to set Christopher Morris and his daughter Daisy on fire. But the matchbox had also been soaked in the petrol and despite three attempts to strike a match; the matchsticks would not ignite saving the family from being burnt alive.

Attempted Murders of Christians and Pastors in India:

The Punjab (North India) police are hiding the fact that Sangh Parivar-led hoodlums in Batala, Punjab tried to burn five Christians alive. The Christians were from two families who live in the Church of North India’s historic Church of the Epiphany compound built in 1865. Batala is a small business town in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. On February 20th, the CNI church was set on fire and all its furniture burnt. Attempts were made to destroy a nearby Salvation Army church, raised in 1958, where the pastor was seriously injured. “We pleaded with the police to help, but they did not,” said the Pastor, Maj. Gurnam Singh.

Even as the larger group of attackers focused on burning the church, a group of men armed with sticks and rods, and came to the Deacon’s house. The deacon, Victor Gill, and his wife Parveen, hid themselves under the bed. The assailants damaged the doors, tried to enter the room forcibly, and told the couple they would be burnt alive if they did not come out. Meanwhile, at a second house, the group overturned a scooter, took out the petrol, and doused teacher Christopher Morris and his daughter Daisy with the fuel while the mother, Usha, cringed in their home. They tried to set the two on fire, but the matchbox had also been soaked in the petrol and despite three attempts to strike a match, the matchsticks would not ignite saving the family from being burnt alive. The police were watching. The fire brigade came later but was blocked by a mob for quite some time.

No police report has been filed on the attempted murders even as the top police and administrative officers enforced a one sided “peace accord” on the local Christian leadership. Christians were instructed not to press for charges immediately so that a number of Christian youth who were arrested – together with a few Hindu men – could be released. The strategy of the assailants was eerily reminiscent of what was practiced and perfected against churches in Orissa in 2008.

Police forcibly cleaned up the Church of the Epiphany. They removed burnt furniture and made the presbyter whitewash the walls to remove traces of fuel oil used in the blaze. This was done before a formal enquiry could be conducted by the government.

Please pray for India and missionaries working in India. These are very difficult days for missionaries, pastors, evangelists and all those preaching the gospel. But with God’s divine protection and courage from the Holy Spirit, they will continue to evangelize India and plant churches where there are none.

Urgent prayer and help needed

Harvest NOW has many missionaries working in Orissa, pioneering to establish churches, schools and orphanages.

Please pray for this tense situation in Orissa, India. Pray that God will give the Christians boldness to overcome this situation.
Please help the brothers and sisters in India those that are being persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. For Hundreds of believers, their houses are burnt and destroyed. A recent flood in the state of Bihar has killed few hundred people and three million people homeless.