A Hindu nationalist mob of about 150 villagers brutally assaulted Pastor Bipin Bihari Naik, 35, during a house church service in Odisha, India, on Jan. 4, 2026, while police failed to intervene in time. The attackers dragged him from his home, beat him with bamboo sticks, forced him to walk barefoot on thorns, tied him to a Hindu temple, and attempted to coerce him into worshiping a Hindu deity. “When my ordeal wasn’t stopped, and police showed no intention of rescuing me, I surrendered my spirit to Jesus, knowing they would kill me,” Naik said.
The mob accused him of converting villagers to Christianity, paraded him through the village with a garland of slippers, smeared his face with saffron powder, and demanded he chant Hindu slogans. Naik instead responded, “Jai Yeshu,” which led to further beatings. His wife waited more than two hours at a police station while officers delayed action, and police later refused proper medical assistance and pressured Naik to sign statements minimizing the attack.
Naik suffered lasting injuries, including hearing damage, and his children were traumatized by witnessing the violence. After sustained threats and police inaction, the family fled their village permanently. “Jesus bore so much suffering for us; my suffering is nothing compared to my Lord’s suffering,” Naik said, expressing gratitude to God for surviving.
The incident reflects a broader rise in anti-Christian violence in India under Hindu nationalist influence, with India now ranked 12th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most persecution.
Please pray for him and his family.
#India #ChristianPersecution #ReligiousFreedom #HinduNationalism #HouseChurch
