Christians in a central Indian state say their lives have “become miserable” because their unbelieving neighbors have ostracized them from the community.
According to ChristianToday.com, the 15 Christian families in the predominantly animistic village in the state of Chhattisgarh stated, "we refused to succumb to the village body's pressure" to turn away from their faith. Because of their commitment to Christianity, their lives have “become miserable.”
Others in the village have “banned us from collecting firewood or grazing our animals in the forest,” said the leader of the 60 or so Christians in the village, Mohan Netam.
The animistic tribal people are also often persecuted by Hindu extremists who target Christians and other religious minorities.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has reported that persecution of Christians and other religious minorities is increasing in India.
The USCIRF report also said that persecution has worsened under the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party.
Because of the heightened persecution and the "systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom,” USCIRF is considering designating India as a “country of particular concern.”
Publication date: September 23, 2016
