'Attacks on India's Christians continue with disturbing regularity, despite the authorities' promises to do more to protect religious minorities after the Orissa riots.It is just over a year since Hindu militants in Orissa state launched a concerted campaign of violence against Christians, which spread into several other states. And, although the authorities have made strong claims about upholding religious freedom, attacks on Christians are frequent – and sometimes vicious.
On August 11, 30 Hindu militants attacked Christians at a teacher training meeting in Annigere, Karnataka, burning all their Bibles and ordering them to stop meeting. Instead of arresting the militants, police arrested eight pastors on the militants' baseless claims of 'forcible conversion'. They were later charged with 'unlawful assembly' and 'acts intended to outrage religious feelings', among other things, and sent to judicial custody until August 25.'
