Christian family attacked, pressured to renounce faith in West Bengal
Repeated attacks and conversion pressure raise concerns over minority safety in India
Kolkata: A Christian family in West Bengal’s Howrah district was subjected to repeated attacks and intimidation by Hindu mobs for three consecutive days and pressured to renounce Christianity and adopt Hinduism, renewing concerns among Christian groups over the protection of religious freedom and the safety of minority communities in India.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Putul Manna and her husband Kanchan Manna said in their complaint that they had been hosting prayer meetings at their home in Ghoraberia Dakshin Bhatora village, under the Bhatora Outpost of Joypur Police Station in Amta when the incidents occurred.
The family said that the first incident took place on September 16, when a group of nearly 200 people entered their home and demanded that they renounce Christianity and convert to Sanatan Hinduism. The following night, the family was surrounded again and subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault in front of their minor children. On September 17, around 40 people attacked the house again and threw household belongings outside, which the family described as an attempt to force them out of their home.
The complaint said Putul Manna was dragged by her hair and beaten, while her husband was also assaulted. The family further said that the attackers attempted to force the couple to sign a document stating that they had disowned their children.
Putul Manna submitted a written complaint at the Bhatora Outpost, seeking strict legal action against those named in connection with the attacks. She requested that a case be registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sought the immediate arrest of those accused. The family also sought police protection for Putul, her husband and their two minor children, saying they fear further attacks.
The complaint further called for the family’s constitutional and religious rights to be protected and for them to be allowed to live peacefully in their home without harassment or coercion.
The incident comes amid wider concerns raised by Christian organizations over disruptions of prayer meetings harassment of Christians in parts of West Bengal. The Bangiya Christiya Pariseba has separately told authorities that it had documented 26 incidents involving Christians, churches and prayer gatherings over the preceding three months.
