Posted by on April 08, 19102 at 12:53:35:
The US State Department's 1999 human rights report slammed New Delhi for encouraging "increasing societal violence against Christians.'' The report also singled out the BJP and allied Hindu-fascist groups for instigating mob violence, attacks on priests, missionaries, and Christian pilgrims. And things aren't getting any better: the recent declaration by Bajrang Dal, a Hindu group associated with the BJP, announced that "Christians [are] now bigger enemies than Muslims." Dharmendra Sharma, the Bajrang Dal's fuehrer, "declared that his organization was ready to fight wherever church institutions were active," according to the Times of India. "We are prepared to use violence," said Mr. Sharma. "There is no limit."
The Indian government itself acknowledges the problem, although not it's severity – indeed, the BJP and its allies in the governing coalition downplay the increasingly numerous attacks, although that is getting harder to do. According to Vijayesha Lal, who monitors human rights abuses against Christians in India:
"In some areas, it's out in the open – sometimes it's very subtle. Persecution in India is at different levels. Sometimes, it's direct persecution, mob violence, breaking of churches, burning of Bibles, physical violence, even murders. On the other hand there is persecution by the official machinery. Using laws, regulations that are against Christians