Federation of Indian Christian Organizations in North America is deeply troubled by the increasing number of incidents of violence against Christians in India. Especially notable are the states of Karnataka and Orissa. Karnataka has had 143 incidents of violence against Christians but the following incident puts the modern day India to shame. According to ASSIST News Service and www. persecution.in, on August 11, 2008, at Davangere, Karnataka State, India, a gruesome incident took place in full daylight. Two pastors, Rajendra Gowda and Kumaran were praying in a village called Emmanabettur. More than twenty alleged Hindu radicals from the Shivasainya (Army of Shiva) Youth Association charged into the peaceful prayer meeting, attacked the pastors, stripped them, tied them to a car, and drove them half naked from Emmanabettur village to the Anagi Police outpost, a distance of about seven kilometers. Later, the pastors were taken in the same car to Davangere Rural Police station about twenty kilometers from Anagi Police outpost, and again the pastors were viciously assaulted. Thereafter, the alleged Hindu radicals filed a complaint with the police against the pastors, alleging that the pastors were involved in forced conversion activities. Acting on the complaint, the police thereafter arrested the two peace loving pastors, who by now were badly beaten and humiliated by the alleged Hindu radicals. Later that evening, after appearing before a magistrate, the pastors were freed the next day. According to media reports another barbaric and inhuman incident occurred at Belampilly, Andhra Pradesh. On Saturday, Father Thomas Pandippallyil, 37, a member of Carmelite of Mary Immaculate, offered a Mass at Burgida village, where he stayed and started for another village to say Sunday Mass. On his way, he visited an FCC convent in Lingapetta and had his supper. On Sunday the sisters were waiting for the priest for the mass in Yellareddy, and not finding him there initiated a search. They found his dead body on a deserted way side in Yallardy, with his legs and hands crushed with severe beatings, his eyes pierced probably with a sharp weapon, and multiple injuries on his head and other parts of his body. His motorbike was found abandoned about a kilometer from his dead body. It is believed that he may have been killed on Saturday night. A postmortem was conducted and the burial will be at the Balampilly Provincial House on Wednesday morning. Father Thomas Pandippallyil was a notable educationist and had joined the Chanda Mission of the CMI on 24th June, 1987. He was ordained as a priest in 2002. He was also the Rector for the Chanda Mission province of the CMI, and served the community as Hospital Administrator, School Manager, and Mission Center Director. He was a peace loving, God fearing man and did not believe in violence of any kind. FIACONA condemns the murder and brutal treatment of the Pastors in strongest possible terms. The attitude of the current government in Karnataka and at the Central towards these types of acts against the Christian minority is unacceptable. Government should intervene to protect the rights of the minorities and the freedom of religion. Heinous crimes of this magnitude cannot be ignored. Both the above incidents highlight the plight of the Christian missionaries. FIACONA demands an immediate investigation into thess matters by the respective authorities.