A pastor in India has been attacked and humiliated by Hindu nationalists who accused him of forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity.
The attack took place in the Dhenkanal district of Odisha and saw Bipin Bihari Naik, who was leading a prayer meeting at a house church in Parjang village, subjected to hours of cruelty at the hands of people believed to be linked to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist movement.
The attackers interrupted the prayer meeting and beat several of those in attendance before dragging Naik outside. He was then beaten with sticks, red vermilion (coloured powder) was put on his face and sandals were hung around his neck, before he was forced to walk around the village for almost two hours, persecution.org reported.
Unfortunately for Naik, this was not deemed sufficient humiliation. He was then taken to a Hindu temple and his hands were tied to a metal rod. He was forced to eat cow dung and drink sewer water. He refused to chant Hindu phrases when instructed to do so.
Naik’s wife and children had initially fled from the attackers and reported the incident to the police. However, two hours passed before they arrived in the area to intervene. Nine alleged attackers have since been arrested, but Naik has also been formally accused of forced conversions.
