The father of one of the 20 pastors ambushed in eastern India last month was soaked in blood from the attack when he told his son, “I don’t think I’ll make it. I want you to know you’re with my maker, and you should not worry about me.” ”
He then collapsed unconsciously. Sukura Madi, 52, was one of 10 Christians who were hospitalized in the attack and 30 people injured in the attack as the pastor returned from the event to celebrate the farm crops in Kotamatel village in the Malkangiri district of Odisha on June 21.
Maddie is struggling to recover from attacks by 30 to 40 villagers who practice tribal religion, and his son, Pastor Mangle Maddy, said he tried to save him from the assailants armed with spades, shafts and wooden sticks.
“I was trying to get away, but I saw them catching my father. How can I abandon him?” Pastor Maddie told Morning Star News. “I somehow pulled him into a nearby house. Blood oozes out of his head, and his clothes get soaked.”
Local traditions call for chicken sacrifices each year to bless agricultural produce known as “seed blessings,” but 11 Christian families in Kotamatel instead chose to preserve the Christian form of the ceremony, blessings of about 15 village pastors and taking part in the meal.
They had verbal permission from the police, but the police have pledged to deal with potential troubles, Pastor Somru Mankaki said.
“Christian wanted to submit a written application, but the officers ensured that everything was in control,” he added.
That morning, the pastor arrived at the event on a motorcycle, and after worship, Bible teaching and prayer, they blessed the seeds and had a fellowship luncheon. They left for their respective villages around 12:30pm.
“It’s a remote area surrounded by jungle so we decided to leave together,” Pastor Maddie said.
As they passed a large neem tree near the church grounds, locals stopped them.
“They began to question our existence and opposed pastors coming from other villages,” Pastor Mudaki told Morningstar News. “We repeatedly explained that it was for the blessing of the seeds and lunch fellowship, but they didn’t listen. They accused us of converting us, even after explaining the purpose of our visit. Then they began attacking us. The attackers were locals and were clearly ready for violence.”
They reportedly watched villagers attack the pastor using wooden sticks, spades, shafts, knives and sickles. Seven of the 10 Christians who needed immediate hospitalization suffered serious head injuries requiring stitching.
“My brother-in-law cut his head deep in two places when he tried to protect me from the attack,” Pastor Muchaki said.
The remoteness of the village delayed the news of the attack, but one victim contacted a pastor near Markangiri and arranged for transport to be rushed to the district hospital.
Before the violence began, Pastor Muchaki had called local Christians warning the police. The police called out one of the assailants and mistakenly claimed that they had let go of the pastor, but after strolling around, the villagers became violent.
After another call to the police, the officers once again ordered the mob to dissolve, but the villagers ignored him and began an attack.
“They beat those caught with sticks, knives, spades and shafts while they lay on the ground,” Pastor Maddie said. “They beat those caught in brutal ways. Ten people threw Christians on the ground and climbed him. They slammed him with their legs, wooden sticks, knives, spades, shafts and more.”
As blood began to pool, Pastor Muaki called the police directly and told him that his orders had not been tracked and that the villagers would kill them all, he said. The police again scold the villagers and lied that Christian had already been released.
The assailants then demanded that they know who had called the police and after identifying the pastoral pastor, they mercilessly beat him.
“They caught me with my collar, took out their sandals, shoes and slippers, and they started hitting me with constant blows,” he said.
During the attack, his phone fell and broke to the ground.
His head was seriously injured in two places from a sharp weapon when his brother-in-law rushed to his aid.
“We could have defended ourselves. We were bigger than the attackers, but the Bible didn’t teach us to indulge in violence.
Eventually he fled into the jungle, and he and others fled in different directions. Unable to escape the attackers, Sukura Maddy was beaten until he became unconscious.
In all, 30 Christians were assaulted and 10 bleeding injuries from sharp weapons, while others suffered internal injuries from blunt instruments, Pastor Maddy said. Ten victims who were hospitalized were treated for five days before being discharged, but four Sukra Madi, Ganga Sodi, Podya Kowasi and Erma Madi – developed complications and had to be taken to Mimus Hospital in Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh on July 7th for further treatment.
“The doctors encouraged three of them to take the new medication they had prescribed and return for follow-up,” Pastor Maddie said. “But my father’s case is complicated and he needs surgery right away,” but there is no USD between $1,600 and $1,700. “I don’t know how to raise that money, so we’re just praying and pleading before God to heal my Father without medical surgery.”
One of the victims and village resident Laxman Kumar Beti filed a complaint with the Malkangiri Police Station on June 22nd, naming 16 perpetrators in First Information Report (FIR) 315/2025. The accusations include “illegal confinement,” “voluntarily causing wounds,” “using dangerous weapons,” “crime threats,” “common intent,” and Bharatiya nyaya sanhita (BNS) 2023.
“No arrests were made despite video evidence, medical proof of fatal injuries and formal complaints,” Bishop Parab Lima, executive director of state Rastoriya Christian Morcha, told Morning Star News.
At the same time, police pressured Christians to settle with attackers in a “compromise” agreement, avoiding legal proceedings, the pastor said.
“This was the third time a Christian has been attacked in this village since 2014, and every time the police wanted a compromise,” said the pastor, who suffered serious injuries to his head, ears, eyes and nose that year. “I was almost dead. It was just a miracle that saved me. I pray that another miracle will save my father this time.”
Forced “compromise”
On July 6, Christian was summoned to a local police station and “has been threatened and pressured” to agree to a compromise, Pastor Mudaki said.
“We had no intention of compromise, and it was very clear about that,” he said. “There was a huge language barrier that made the problem worse.”
The Christians and villagers belong to the Gondi tribe, but the police spoke Odia, he said. When police insisted on a compromise, the Christians didn’t understand and agreed to put the signature in a settlement.
If they knew they had signed a “compromise,” he said they would have insisted that the villagers would not object to their services and would give them in writing that they would never disturb them again.
The official told Christian that if the villagers plague them again, they should record a video clip of the police certainly acting, but the victims were very disappointed by their inaction.
“We had videos, photos, medical reports, blood squeals more eloquent than words.
Christian filed a petition with the District Collectors’ Office and said the authorities would act after receiving a medical report, but they never continued.
“I think the authorities are trying to curb our lawsuits and prevent legal action against the perpetrators,” Pastor Muchaki said.
protest
After 10 days of police inaction, Rashtriya Christian Morcha, Christian Munch, Malkangiri district and Odisha forces of Voices of Hate organized a peaceful protest on July 2nd calling for the immediate arrest of the assailants.
Over 7,000 people attended the rally.
Tensions erupted as the iconic protests saw Voice Again Hate’s president and political leaders attempted to chuckle at Garland inspector Ligan Kindo of the Markangiri Police Station, who had ironically “respectful” for having Christians beaten. Deeming this as public humiliation, Sub Inspector Prabhata Gouda submitted an FIR to 30 Christian leaders who accused him of “illegal restraints,” “illegal assembly,” “obstruction in public ways,” and “blocking public artisanal duties.”
Among those appointed in the FIR were Bishop Parab Lima and Manas Kumar Chodhari (Bhubaneswar), Behay Kara (Kalimera), Pastor Devendra Singh (Jaypoa), Rajesh Patra (Koraput), and Pastor Jitendra Kosura (Koraput).
Christian support organization Open Door ranks 11th in India on the 2025 global watch list where Christians face the toughest persecution. India came in 31st in 2013, but has steadily fallen in the rankings since Narendra Modi took power as prime minister.
Defenders of religious rights have denounced the increasingly hostile rhetoric of the National Democratic Alliance government led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, who said that since Modi came to power in May 2014, he has encouraged Hindu extremists in India.
