How laws against ‘magical healing’ are being used to target church workers in Assam
In some instances, the Assam police initiated complaints on their own, while in others they filed cases at the behest of Hindutva groups.
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In January 2021, Pranjal Bhuyan, a 38-year-old pastor in Assam’s Golaghat district received a “distress” call from a Hindu family in a neighbouring village.
One of the family members was ill and bed-ridden. They asked the pastor to visit them and pray for his recovery. “They had heard from someone that we Christians pray for the sick,” said Bhuyan, who is associated with the 126-year-old Golaghat Baptist Church.
Bhuyan travelled to Lothagoan village, a settlement of caste Assamese Hindus. “The patient was seriously ill,” he said.
Before he prayed for the sick man, Bhuyan said, he sought a go-ahead from the family members. “I asked them if other villagers would object to my praying as I am a Christian,” he said. “They said nothing will happen and asked me to proceed.”
In a few months, Bhuyan said the person recovered a little and was able to sit up. “It was a miracle,” he said. “I am not a doctor, I only prayed. This shows that God is there.”
Since then, Bhuyan kept going back to the home of the Assamese Hindu family. “A relationship was built and they also invited me during Bihu,” he said.
Even then, Bhuyan said, there were rumours that he had done “jhora-phuka” or black magic. Some villagers...
