New Delhi (AsiaNews) – In the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh, 36 tribal villagers were beaten and driven away from their homes for embracing Christianity, this according Mgr Simon Stock Palathra, Bishop of Jagdalpur, a diocese in Chhattisgarh. Speaking to AsiaNews, Bishop Palathra said that on Wednesday, December 1, “there was a Pentecostal convention in the village of Markabeda and the entire village was invited. But this enraged a local rebel group, the Naxalites”. According to the Bishop, the Naxalites are suspicious of missionary activity and make no distinction between Catholics, Protestants or Pentecostals.At the Pentecostal convention, 36, largely poor and illiterate Dalit and Adivasi men and women from 15 different families embraced Christianity. “Conversion,” Bishop Palathra said, “was met with beatings and torture by Naxalite rebels, including Naxalite women”. Naxalite women beat up the newly converted women whilst Naxalite men tortured male converts. It is a disturbing situation because women were both victim and victimiser.
