A Catholic community in India’s West Bengal state is facing down intense intimidation, including demands that that Claretian missionaries ministering to the faithful in Nazat village abandon their work and instruct their people to return to their ancestral religions.

The incidents follow a string of violent attacks on Christians and churches in the eastern Indian state over the past few months. Local Christian leaders say they believe the intimidation efforts are being coordinated.

Bishop Shyamal Bose of Baruipur in West Bengal told Crux Now the same group that threatened the Claretians also visited the parish church in Bamanpukur, a town roughly four hours northwest of Nazat by car.

“Following our advice,” Bose told Crux Now, “the priest did not meet them alone. Instead, he requested the presence of the members of the parish pastoral council.”

“Nearly 200 people gathered at the parish premises,” Bose said, “including persons from other Christian denominations.”

Bose told Crux Now local authorities responded “promptly” and warned the group not to disturb the peace.

“The officer-in-charge asked the priest whether he wished to lodge a formal complaint,” Bose also related, adding that the priest expressed only the desire to live peacefully with everyone and noted that no physical damage had been done.

The Claretians, meanwhile, have reported that a group of Hindu fundamentalists forcibly entered their mission premises in Nazat on July 31 and accused the missionaries of converting tribal people.

They accused the missionaries of using foreign money for their church construction and issued an ultimatum, giving the missionaries a week to quit their premises mission within seven days or else face forcible closure.

Three members of the same group visited the mission the following morning and repeated their threats.

Bose told Crux Now the August 3 incident in Bamanpukur arose from motivations similar to those that began on July 31 in Nazat.

“It appears that the intention may have been to intimidate the parish priest in Bamanpukur in the same manner as it happened in Nazat,” Bose said.

“However,” Bose also told Crux Now, “the Christian community in Bamanpukur was alert, and within a short time nearly 200 faithful had gathered at the parish.”

“The presence of such a large number of people may have influenced the interaction,” the bishop said.

The Claretian superior, Father Peter Johnson, also sent a note shared with Crux Now saying the parish priest in Bamanpukur, Fr. Anuj Hembrom, reported the incidents of July 31 and August 1 to the Bengal Christian Forum – Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP).

Hembrom provided video footage to the BCP, of one exchange allegedly showing the mob leader aggressively pointing a finger at him and issuing the 7-day ultimatum, threatening dire consequences if the demand is not met.

BCP spokesman Herod Mullick said the leader identified himself as an official of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, a Hindu nationalist group sharing deep ideological and organizational ties with India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

“From the available information,” Bose told Crux Now, “it appears that this Swamiji has been taking the lead in issuing these threats. However, it is difficult to believe that such actions are being undertaken entirely on his own.”

“There is reason to be concerned that he may be receiving support or encouragement from others,” Bose said.

This summer has seen an alarming number of attacks on Christians and Christian churches throughout West Bengal, where a Hindu nationalist government has recently come to power.

RELATED: Spate of violence, intimidation across Indian state has communities, leaders wary

The faithful of different denominations have been planning a series of events through the BCP, which has said the demonstrations would push for communal harmony, protection of constitutional rights, and a more robust response to the violence and intimidation.

Christians in neighboring Bangladesh have also rallied in support of the faithful in West Bengal.

RELATED: Bangladesh Christians protest attacks on churches, faithful in India

Last month, after one spate of attacks on churches and faithful in West Bengal, the Bangladesh Christian Association formed a human chain and held a protest rally in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka.

The protestors in Dhaka denounced Hindu nationalist groups for the attacks in India and called on the Indian government to protect the rights of religious minorities.

 

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