Pastor Manju’s family faced strong opposition from the villagers when they tried to bury his body. The villagers insisted that the family must pay a fine of 200,000 Indian Rupees – the equivalent of $2,300 USD. They also coerced them to perform the ghar-wapsi – which meant they had to revert to their original religion, before allowing the funeral to take place. Soon the police arrived to the scene and they took the villagers’ side. Another ten pastors present, who offered condolences and assistance to the family, were requested to leave. They tried to convince authorities that the family had all the rights to arrange a funeral for Pastor Manju, but the police chased them away, arguing that everyone living in the same area must follow the rules of the village.

Pastor Manju had been an enthusiastic spokesperson for Christian rights. He led two churches in the Bastar region of India’s Chhattisgarh state. His mourning wife, sons and daughter had no option but to revert to their original religion and were forced to perform animalistic rituals. Pastor Manju did not receive a Christian burial.

Christians in India suffer constant hostility from religious extremists, especially Hindus. Many states run under anti-conversion laws, which puts more pressure on Christians. If they share their faith in public, they face intimidation, harassment and physical violence. Hindu nationalists have “homecoming” campaigns, where they coerce Christian converts to return to their previous religion under severe threats.

Source: https://www.persecution.org/