Hindu Group Calls for Government Crackdown on Christians

INDIA-- A Hindu group is calling for a government crackdown to stop other Western Christians from entering the country to teach at conferences and churches, following an attack on a visiting American preacher

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is preparing a list of missionaries "who are on tourist visas but go on an evangelization spree" once in India, Kerala state organizing secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan told the Indian Internet site rediff.com. "They are often speakers at Bible conventions and religious gatherings."

Under Indian law, foreign visitors granted tourist visas are allowed to sightsee and visit relatives, but are prohibited from preaching. Joseph Cooper, 67, from New Castle, Pa., was asked to leave the country last week for speaking at a Bible convention at Trivandrum, the Kerala state capital

He was seriously injured Jan. 15 in an attack by Hindu extremists wielding swords, sticks and crowbars. According to "The (Pittsburgh) Post-Gazette," Cooper entered India on a tourist visa 11 times in the last 10 years. He denied claims that he spoke critically of Hinduism

Rajasekharan told rediff.com that the VHP launched a countrywide campaign to find out how many missionaries on tourist visas were involved in preaching and evangelism. Fifty had already been identified in Kerala alone. "We will submit our list of these illegal preachers...We want the government to issue them 'quit India' notices," he said

(Source: Charisma News Service)