Mob sought to burn Alive Two Christian Families in Batala Church During Sangh Attack on 20 February 2010

PUNJAB, India – REPORT OF THE ALL INDIA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL FACT FINDING TEAM
ON INCIDENTS IN BATALA AND OTHER AREAS OF PUNJAB
18-21 FEBRUARY 2010

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ISSUED ON MARCH 2, 2010

NOTE: The full fact finding report is available from aicc Delhi
office: aiccdelhi@gmail.com

Attempted Murders
The Punjab police are hiding the fact that Sangh Parivar-led hoodlums
in Batala, Punjab tried to burn five Christians alive. The Christians
were from two families who live in the Church of North India’s
historic Church of the Epiphany compound built in 1865. Batala is a
small business town in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. On February 20th,
the CNI church was set on fire and all its furniture burnt. Attempts
were made to destroy a nearby Salvation Army church, raised in 1958,
where the pastor was seriously injured. “We pleaded with the police to
help, but they did not,” said the Pastor, Maj. Gurnam Singh.