Christianity has been in India since apostolic times, brought there by St. Thomas the Apostle in A.D. 52, as attested by St. Ephraim, St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian, among others. St. Thomas was martyred in India in A.D. 72. Today the Malankara Orthodox Church of the East still survives there, an apostolic Church that broke with Holy Orthodoxy over the Council of Chalcedon in 451. There also remains a small number of Orthodox Christians under the jurisdiction of the the Holy Metropolis of Singapore.
For previous ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in India, see here.
“Christian Families in Central India Attacked and Driven from Village,” International Christian Concern, October 30, 2021:
10/30/2021 India (International Christian Concern) – Earlier this month, eight Christian families from India’s Chhattisgarh state were driven out of their village after refusing to convert to Hinduism and participate in a Ghar Wapsi ceremony organized by Hindu nationalists. The Christian families now face a social boycott by Hindu villagers, denying them access to the village’s water well, agricultural fields, and social events.
On October 15, the Christian families of Mattadi village, located in the Dantewada District, were called to a village meeting by village elders. At this meeting, the Christians were asked to convert to Hinduism and participate in a Ghar Wapsi program organized by the VHP.
When the Christians refused, a mob of Hindu villagers became very angry and physically attacked Budram, a Christian man from Mattadi. Following this incident, the Christian families fled Mattadi village and took shelter in a church located in a nearby village for eight days.
Upon the advice of police and promises of protection, the Christian families returned to Mattadi village on October 24. However, local Christians report they are now subject to a social boycott in which they are denied access to the village’s water well, agricultural fields, and social events.
“This situation has not improved at all,” Sanju, a Christian from Mattadi village, told International Christian Concern (ICC). “Although the police promised protection, we are living in fear and holding our lives in our hands.”
“The harassment continues to grow,” Sanju continued. “Elders of the village have told us that we cannot use anything of the village including water and fields for the crops.”…
