Officials and police in Tamil Nadu state, India, ordered ten churches to discontinue worship services in mid-October.
Hindu extremists compelled state officials and police to issue orders to the churches in Coimbatore District to stop worship unless they obtain permission from the collector’s office. It was reported that the extremists intend to target 20 others in the same way.
‘It is a well-planned conspiracy against the Christian community, as the Hindu extremists know that it is not easy to approach the collector’s office for such permissions,’ Pastor Johnson Sathyanathan, President of the Synod of Pentecostal Churches of Coimbatore said. ‘The time to get such approvals can stretch from a year and a half to many more years.’
Complaints from Hindu groups
The district revenue officer (Tehsildar) told church leaders that orders against six churches were issued on the complaint of members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist paramilitary organisation, widely regarded as the parent organisation of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Orders were issued in one case based on a complaint by the Hanuman Sena, a fairly new Hindu extremist group.
A Christian delegation met the minister of Internal Affairs of Tamil Nadu and expressed concern and fear about the notices. The state minister called on the deputy superintendent of police and the local Member of the Legislative Assembly of Sulur to look into the matter and take steps to ensure that the worship services can resume, Pastor Sathyanathan said.
‘Altogether there are ten churches that have been directly affected,’ he said. ‘They are all residents of the area, and people have never had trouble with these churches before. These pastors have been doing ministry for many years now.’
Holiday Bible School
Besides the six churches, another congregation, an Assemblies of God Church in Thennampalayam, was first targeted during its Vacation Bible School in the summer, when the members of RSS attacked its van transporting children, assaulting three young people. The revenue officer closed down the church based on a complaint by the RSS, saying the pastor must secure permission from the collector to continue worshipping.
The pastor has been leading the church at its present location for more than five years.
In Myleripalayam, a police inspector called the pastor of an independent fellowship, Solomon Raja, following a complaint by members of the Hanuman Sena, and forced him to sign documents stating that he would ‘obtain proper permission’ to continue worship services. No worship service has taken place since this incident.
In Kalampalayam, police accompanied by 20 RSS members approached a church leader identified only as Pastor Charles and ordered him to close down services until he obtained permission from the collector, Pastor Sathyanathan said.
In Sulur, Pastor Selva Singh of Sultanpet has filed a case with police against the notice the revenue officer issued to him. A court granted him one month’s permission to continue the regular church service, but with a condition that there should be no use of amplifiers during the service. The permission would be made void if there were complaints.
No help from the police
Nearly 500 protesting Christians approached the district sub-collector and the superintendent of police and submitted a memorandum demanding protection and appealing for the churches to be re-opened. Pastor Sathyanathan, who participated in the protest, said the city superintendent of police flatly refused any support or action. ‘They said they can do nothing about it, and why should we create unnecessary trouble, that instead we should go ahead and get legal permission for our churches,’ he said. ‘We had organised a day of silent protest, but we were denied permission to carry it out, as they stated that it was a law-and-order situation.’
20 more under threat
Clarifying reports that 30 churches had been targeted, Pastor Sathyanathan said Hindu extremists had yet to take action against 20 of them. ‘The Hindu extremists have openly threatened Christians that they are going to do the same in 20 more churches of the area that they have done to these ten,’ he said.
Extremists have been emboldened since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took power in May 2014, due to the hostile tone of his National Democratic Alliance government.
