‘They took the body out of the grave’: How mob attacks are silencing Bengal’s Christian prayers

In several districts of West Bengal, Christian groups have suspended house prayers and visits following a series of attacks on prayer meetings, including one in Uluberia in Howrah over a week ago, where police had to rescue the pastor and the congregation.

There have also been reports of disruption of a burial in Purba Bardhaman, and vandalization of an under-construction church in Subhasgram in South 24 Parganas on July 5. In a video that went viral, a mob entered a house in Uluberia on August 23 while Sunday prayers were on, and claiming “forced conversions”, beat up the gathering and ransacked the premises.

Pastor Mithun Hazra told The Indian Express that like every Sunday, they had “rented a house for a prayer meeting, where around 60 people, men and women, were gathered”. “Prayers started around 11 am. At around 3 pm, a mob chanting slogans barged in.

They assaulted me and others… ransacked the house, destroyed the sound system, podium, tables, chairs, and fans. They beat up men and women.” The pastor said police rescued them and took them to hospital. “After treatment, we went to the police station and filed a complaint.

Since that day, we have not held house prayers in the area.” Superintendent of Police, Howrah Rural, Amit Verma confirmed receiving a complaint. “An FIR has been registered. Investigation is on.” No arrests have been made in the case.

Herod Mullick, founder of the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (Bengal Christian Council), said what happened at Uluberia was “not a stray incident”. “There have been a series of such attacks recently… We are providing legal help to the victims, who are scared,” Mullick said, adding that last Sunday (August 30) too, incidents were reported during house prayers, at Jagatballavpur in Howrah and Hingalganj in North 24 Parganas.

On August 14, there was an attack on a gathering at the St Claret Church in Sahanagar, Purba Bardhaman district, with a funeral disrupted and mourners allegedly assaulted. Parish Priest-In-Charge Father Samuel Hembrom told The Indian Express that the mob demanded “to see the papers for the burial ground”.

“We said give us some time to get them from the church… we protested. But they did not allow the burial. The body had already been lowered into the grave, the mob took it out. The body had to be taken to another cemetery in Bardhaman town,” said Hembrom.

The Father said he sent a complaint to the Superintendent of Police and Block Development Officer by email. “Nothing happened.” The SP, Purba Bardhaman, Pushpa, told The Indian Express: “The woman who died did not belong to the area.

So people here objected and tried to prevent the burial. Locals also claimed the land where the burial was happening was not a cemetery but private land. We are checking the land records.” On mourners being roughed up, the officer said: “I don’t think there was an assault.

However, I will check with the local police station. There was a law and order problem and police priority was to control that.” On August 25, an attack was reported on a prayer meeting at a house in Ghusuri in Howrah. Father Suraj Saroj of Church of the Grace said: “Community members were beaten up and some people were injured.

I tried to reason with the mob, but they refused to understand.” Saroj alleged that police made them wait for hours at the station, and then “enquired about the church, funds and credentials”. “We did not file a complaint.

We have decided to suspend all house prayers, visits.” On August 26, a group gathered for a prayer meeting at a house in Check Milepost village in Purba Medinipur allegedly saw a similar incident, with the pastor and his wife beaten up and taken to the local police station.

“They were chanting slogans and said we were forcefully converting people… Our community members called up our lawyers, who came to the police station and had us released. Out of fear, we did not file a complaint,” Pastor Joy Sutradhar said over the phone.

Later, Herod Mullick said, they filed a police complaint through email. SP, Purba Medinipur, Angshuman Saha did not respond to calls. Debdutta Majhi, the president of the Hindu right-wing Singha Bahini, one of the groups blamed for the attacks, said: “In Uluberia and other places, forced conversions with the lure of money are rampant.

We are protesting against this. It cannot be allowed to continue.” Kshudiram Tudu, the West Bengal Minister for Tribal Development and Minority Affairs, told The Indian Express: “Praying is a religious choice, and our government doesn’t believe in disturbing anyone's personal beliefs.

But if forced conversions – not those by choice – are happening, then law will take its course. One has the right to file a complaint.”