Christian Pastor Ramesh Pargi attacked, beaten in India’s Gujarat state
Morning Star News reports that a pastor in India’s Gujarat state has suffered severe injuries after he was beaten unconscious by a mob of radical Hindu nationalists. According to the victim, the radicals attacked because he had visited their village to pray with a local Christian.
Pastor Ramesh Pargi
“They broke my body completely,” Pastor Ramesh Pargi told Morning Star News from his hospital bed. “As they beat me, they were repeating, ‘Do not come to our village either to visit or to preach – we do not want Christians to enter our village.’”
According to Morning Star News, Pastor Pargi, Pastor Shantilal Virabhai Kalaswa, and Malika Kalaswa, Pastor Shantilal’s wife, were attacked by eight radicals as they left Jamboti village, located in the Dahod district of India’s Gujarat state. The attack took place on Tuesday, October 22.
The three Christians traveled to Jamboti to visit and pray with a local Christian. As the three left the village, at about 8 p.m., they were confronted and attacked by a group of eight radicals.
“The last thing I remember was that Pastor Shantilal’s wife was beaten by wooden sticks on her back,” Pastor Pragi told Morning Star News. “I was being beaten from all sides by wooden sticks.”
“I am completely shaken after what happened to my husband,” Pastor Pargi’s wife told Morning Star News. “I have never seen or heard anybody beat someone to death for just visiting the sick and praying for them.”
According to Morning Star News, the assault has been reported to local police and a First Information Report (FIR #1/39/2019) has been registered against the assailants. However, local pastors claim the police have bowed to political pressure from Hindu nationalists and they have stopped investigating the matter.
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