Persecution of Christians Increases Sharply in Karnataka, India

Incidents of violence against Christians in India's Karnataka state have spiked since June, including hospitalization of a school helper this month after Hindu extremists beat her and marched her through the streets.

Church members visit Sannamma as police take her statement. (Morning Star News)

According to a story by Morning Star News, Hindu extremists kicked and punched the 50-year-old Christian woman, who goes by the name of Sannamma, after intercepting her in Chamrajnagar District on Sept. 13.

A resident of Kolipalya, Sannamma was in Nirayanpalya village to invite students back to school when a mob of about 40 Hindu nationalists stopped her and demanded she give money for a Hindu festival, a Christian leader said.

“Sannamma agreed to give them the money later, as she did not have any money with her at that time,” area pastor Vincent Dass told Morning Star News.

However, the Hindu extremists began beating her, calling her “pagan,” and accused her of forceful conversion. As they verbally abused Sannamma, the mob punched, kicked and shoved her around before dragging her to a Hindu temple. 


There they tried to forcefully convert her back to Hinduism by pouring water on her as a symbol of religious cleansing from Christianity and applied a red dot on her forehead as a symbol of reconversion, Christian leaders said.

Continued, here.