In the heart of India’s Chhattisgarh state, a young widow lives in constant fear.
Jime Kawasi witnessed the brutal murder of her husband, Kosa Kawasi, on May 4th in Bastar District.
“They killed my husband right before my eyes,” she recalls, her voice trembling with grief and terror.
Kosa, only 22 years old, was attacked for his unwavering Christian faith.
On that fateful day, Jime was also assaulted but managed to escape, her heart pounding with the fear that her husband’s killers might find her.
Fleeing her home in Kapanar village, she sought refuge far from the violence.
Five other Christian families from the village, including the elderly and children, also fled in terror.
Tensions had been simmering due to a village decree barring Christians from participating in the Ammajugani festival.
This festival, crucial to the local culture, involved offerings to tribal gods.
Kosa’s refusal to renounce his faith and partake in the festival offerings infuriated his relatives.
A mob of about 20 villagers, including Kosa’s uncle and cousin, stormed his house, demanding he abandon Christianity.
When Kosa stood firm, they attacked him and Jime with sticks, fists, and kicks.
The mob’s fury escalated when Kosa’s uncle and cousin stabbed him repeatedly in the stomach.
Jime and Kosa’s younger brother tried to save him, but the mob’s violence was relentless.
As they waited for an ambulance, the mob attempted to slit Kosa’s throat.
Despite their desperate efforts to protect him, Kosa’s uncle and cousin delivered a fatal blow with an axe to his head.
Police arrived too late, only to take Kosa’s lifeless body away.
Kosa’s brother, Hidma, a Christian, had previously fled the village, narrowly escaping the mob’s wrath.
Their house was destroyed by the attackers, leaving Hidma homeless.
Months of threats and intimidation had preceded this tragic event.
Despite Kosa’s complaints to the police, authorities failed to take action or provide protection.
After the murder, police finally arrested Kosa’s uncle and cousin, but no further arrests were made.
The incident has left the Christian community in Kapanar village shaken and in hiding.
Mandavi, a local Christian leader, described the police presence in the village and Jime’s condition in the hospital.
“She was extremely terrified,” he said, recounting her account of the brutal murder.
The village leaders’ decision to exclude Christians from the festival had ignited this violence.
In their rage, Kosa’s relatives set a terrifying precedent for attacking Christian family members.
The broader Christian community now lives in fear of similar reprisals.
The area, marked by deep cultural traditions, pressures individuals to conform, often violently.
Jime, despite her grief and fear, remains resolute in her faith.
“I want to continue to follow and serve Jesus,” she declares, determined to honor her husband’s sacrifice.
India, ranked 11th on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List, has seen increasing hostility toward Christians.
Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rise to power, attacks on non-Hindus have intensified.
Under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, religious violence has become more common.
Jime’s story is a stark reminder of the dangers faced by religious minorities in India.
Her prayer plea underscores the difficult journey of faith in a hostile environment.
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