It was a regular Sunday morning for the members of Bethesda Varthaiyin Jeba Veedu, the regular prayer was going on when a group men allegedly from the Hindu Munnani came and abused the pastor Jerome Jagadeshan and the devotees in the church.
Jerome Jagadeshan said, "At around 11 am that day when the prayer was about to be completed some people came and yelled at us to stop our prayer meeting. I requested them to wait for a few minutes, but they yelled at me in uncivilised manner. When I came out of the stage, as you had seen in the video they spoke to us in a very vulgar way. Then they asked me if I was born in Bethlehem or Vatican? This video was shot by them and the words they spoke after cutting the video is even worse. They were constantly provoking me to retaliate to hit them."
The prayer group members were caught off guard by the sudden hate speech by the alleged Hindu Munnani group. In the video, that has now gone viral, it can be seen the abuser telling the pastor, "I'm from Hindu Munnani. Gracefully go away. If you don't go, we'd make you run and slap you with slippers in public. Are you a born Christian? Were you born at Bethlehem or Vatican? I'd make you a proclaimed accused."
Priya, pastor Jarome's wife was all teary-eyed when she recollected the events of Sunday morning. She said, "Those people were very abusive, in front of me they were calling my husband an eunuch and it was hurting. How many times, and when they were abusing my husband I was coming in the front hoping things don't go bad, but then they continued to call my husband an eunuch. They asked me for proofs and documents and I couldn't move out of here. He was being disrespectful to the women here, to the young girls in the prayer gathering. My husband asked all the devotees to go in and said don't react."
In fact, one of the old ladies in the prayer meeting was also attacked. She was pushed down and few of the attackers even tried to strip her saree. Still in shock, Mercy, recalled the incident: "When I was trying to explain to them they pushed me and I fell, and all those present here came to help me. But they continued to say such bad words, and we didn't react. The pastor is like a father to us and he told only one thing let them say whatever they want and hit me (pastor) as well, but they shouldn't do anything to you."
Jerome's was one of the four prayer homes that had been attacked by alleged Hindu groups. In another prayer home, the pastor and his wife were attacked and Bibles were burnt by miscreants. Meanwhile, a case has been registered by the pastors with the Madurai Police.
The incidents have got a lot of attention now, with many politicians paying a visit to the affected people.
MDMK leader Vaiko, who was one of the first politicians to reach the site, said, "Everyone should live in harmony, some hooligans in the name of Hindu outfits have started this violence. These goons should be put behind the bars."
TTV Dinakaran, who had visited the location and met the affected pastors and devotees in Madurai after his announcing his party, said, "This is a barbaric act, people of Tamil Nadu will not accept communal or religious riots against the public. Here all are united. India is not a Hindu, Muslim or Christian country. Here all are living together whether it is majority or minority, we are all living like brothers and sisters.
Especially, in Tamil Nadu because of great leader like Periyar, because of the Dravidian movement, because of the social reform, people will never look into their community or religion. People will never accept these things and those who did this will never succeed in Tamil Nadu."
In five days if the prayer homes were not shut the pastors will be killed was the warning given by the alleged Hindu groups, "This is a very isolated place, it is kind of scary. I am not able to leave my wife and children alone here," said Jerome.
"Everyone comes and meets us, many come and click pictures with us and go, now after all this there is no one to protect us, no politician, no police, none except for god," said Priya.
As these believers continue their lives in the hope that God will protect them, the fear of an attack by haters is given them sleepless nights.