Police in India ban church, allow Hindu temple

ORISSA STATE, India — Police decided Jan. 3 to allow a makeshift Hindu temple but banned Christians from worshiping at a nearby house church following a conflict that led to Hindu fundamentalists attacking four people. Hindu extremists had set up the temple near the house church in Umarkote village, Orissa state, India, in October 2005. They then complained to police that the house church worship was disturbing their own rituals. On Dec. 30, the extremists attacked three women who had come to the house for a weekly prayer and fasting meeting and warned them to stop attending services.

They also slapped a church member, Samraj Rai, who had come to warn the women and damaged his motorbike. Police interrogated the pastor and other church members regarding accusations that they were forcibly converting Hindus but declined to register the Christians’ complaint about the assault.