Hindu extremists beat Lal Mani Prasad on Oct. 14, 2012.
NEW DELHI (Morning Star News) – Hindu extremists attacked a pastor and his family at their home in North West Delhi on Sunday morning (Oct. 14), continuing to beat him even after he fell unconscious, according to area Christians.
Samuel Prasad said about 10 extremists began by hurling stones and woodblocksat the house of his father, pastor Lal Mani Prasad of Immanuel Believers Fellowship, at about 7 a.m. in the Naya Bans area of Narela. Two men then broke into the house and started to verbally abuse them for their faith in Christ, before beating both father and son.
“They used a steel water bucket to hit my father on his head,” Samuel Prasad, 21, who suffered a broken hand, told Morning Star News. “They continued beating my father even after he passed out, and he was soaked in blood.”
The attack lasted about 30 minutes.
The pastor received 18 stitches on his head, said the Rev. Rajesh Jonathan Singh, a Christian leader in the area.
“For several times in the past six months, the extremist Hindus have threatened to kill the pastor if he continued Christian activities in the area,” Singh said.
Another eight people then joined the extremists, among them four women who were brought to beat the female Christians. One of the pastor’s daughters, Glory Prasad, suffered an abrasion on her chest and has had a high fever. Pastor Prasad’s wife and two other daughters have bruises and abrasions.
The family called police after the extremists left, and Pastor Prasad was immediately taken to Maharishai Valmiki Hospital, about six kilometers (nearly four miles) from their house, where he received emergency treatment.
Police in Shahbad Dairy, an area of Delhi, initially refused to accept a complaint submitted by Pastor Prasad.
“I heard from people that the police took money from the extremists to harass me, and I was summoned to the police station about seven times on Monday [Oct. 15],” Pastor Prasad said, adding that the was unable to go because of his injuries.
Area Christian leaders and personnel from national television channel Aaj Tak intervened, and police registered a First Information Report against the extremists on Sunday (Oct. 14). No arrests had been made at press time.
“The attackers are roaming freeing in the area, and they continued to hurled verbal abuse and mock Pastor Prasad and his family,” Pastor Singh said.
The Christian family has faced discrimination and harassment from others because of their faith.
“Our next-door neighbor blocked one passage so that we cannot go pass his house, and people have mocked me and my sisters whenever they found the opportunities,” Samuel Prasad said.
He told how the family was attacked in Shahbad Dairy, Delhi, in 2006, when he was 14 years old. During the Hindu Holi festival of colors, a Hindu extremist ran after the oldest daughter of Pastor Prasad, Gracie Prasad, and threw coloredpowder at her. Suddenly a mob of about 200 extremists amassed, surrounded their house, dragged the family out and began beating them.
“The extremists beat, kicked and punched us mercilessly with their hands, legs and slippers,” Samuel Prasad said, “and hurled at us all kinds of verbal abuse, telling us that we should stop worshipping Jesus. We all were so scared that we cried out for help. But nobody come to our rescue. We moved out immediately from that area.”
During Holi, Hindus sprinkle colored powder or colored water on each other to celebrate brotherhood and friendship and to break down barriers and discrimination.
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- Hindu extremists beat Lal Mani Prasad on Oct. 14, 2012.
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