Morning Star News, December 8, 2020
Representatives of 8 village councils in central India first summoned a new Christian to give him an ultimatum in October when they interrupted a church service on Oct. 18 asking for Sattar Singh Markam.
At the joint meeting in Chhattisgarh state’s Gariaband District, they told Markam to renounce Christ or “leave with your Christian faith and never come back.”
Markham, who was suffering three epileptic seizures a day before he put his faith in Christ 12 years ago, told them the Lord had healed him and given him life and that he would never turn away from his Christian faith.
A week later, on Oct. 25, a tribal mob of about 300 people incited by radical Hindus attacked his house after his church, which meets there, had finished worship.
Markam told them how he was miraculously healed through Christ. They scoffed at him and began slapping and pushing him, he said. Markam fell to the ground, and the mob beat and kicked him. The mob left after beating him.
The next day he filed a complaint with the police station for criminal intimidation, destruction, damage, or defilement of a place of worship, but police have made no arrests.
Arun Pannalal, president of the Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, said systematic, coordinated attacks on area tribal Christians began in the last six months.
“Outsiders and nontribal people are the ones instigating these attacks,” he said. “There is absolute political silence on them, and the inaction of the police is the only answer we get.”