Pastor suffers ordeal in India
A Christian pastor in India has suffered dehumanising brutality at the hands of a nationalist mob, who tried to force him to worship a Hindu deity.
Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik was dragged out of his home, in a village in India’s Odisha state, forced to walk on thorns and then tied up at a Hindu temple. The attackers paraded him with a garland of footwear, tried to force him to drink water mixed with cow dung, and demanded that he chant a Hindu religious slogan. He was also beaten so badly it has affected his hearing in one ear.
But his wife Bandana said that when she rushed to the local police station to get help she was told she had to first provide a written report of the assault.
When the pastor was eventually found—two hours later—officers threatened to file a case against him, unless he stated that ‘the mob had misunderstood my activities and mistook me for a person carrying out illegal conversions,’ he later told Morning Star News.
Naik was eventually taken to hospital. He and his family have since moved to an undisclosed location more than 40 miles away. The pastor said his daughters have been traumatised by the attack and have been unable to sleep or eat properly.
Pray for Pastor Naik’s physical healing and God’s comfort and peace for him, his wife and daughters.
Pray the local authorities will take appropriate action against those who attacked him.
Pray for gospel ministry in that part of India; that many will be brought to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
(Source: Morning Star News)
