HYDERABAD, India (Morning Star News) A Christian in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state is in hiding after hard-line Hindu neighbors beat him unconscious with iron rods last month, sources said.
Santosh Kumar, 35, left his home on Aug. 1 shortly after a church elder visited him in Kamaraj Nagar, Karur District. A Hindu neighbor who saw the elder visit him intercepted Kumar on the road shortly thereafter.
“He started shouting at me, ‘Are you a Christian? Why are Christians visiting you?’” Kumar told Morning Star News.
Kumar said the neighbor was drunk, and that he asked him, “What is your problem?” before going on his way, but the Hindu stopped him again and began shouting more loudly. Telling Kumar that India was a Hindu country, he asked the Christian why he still lived there, as Kumar asked him to please let him go on his way.
“He threatened that he would murder me if I did not vacate my rented house immediately,” Kumar said.
Soon two other area Hindus arrived on motorcycles and dragged him to bushes far from the road, he said.