Two busloads of Christians that had embarked on a Lenten pilgrimage tour were stopped by members of a Hindu nationalist group on March 31st and subsequently handed over to police. The incident led to the physical and verbal assault of some Christian leaders.
The believers were travelling by bus to visit various churches in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh as part of a "Jubilee Year" celebration. However, several Hindu members of the Bajrang Dal group intercepted the buses and forced them to stop. The pilgrims were forcibly taken to a police station where they were soon released and permitted to continue their journey. As they were travelling to visit another church, the buses were stopped once again; this time, the believers were detained for questioning at the Jabalpur police station. When a group of Catholic leaders, including the Vicar General of the local diocese, came to assist the believers, the militants then turned on the church leaders, physically assaulting them at the police station.
The Bajrang Dal activists alleged that the individuals on the buses were Hindus from tribal communities who had been gathered for the tour with the intention of forcibly converting them to Christianity. However, the individuals in question insisted that they were followers of Jesus who had paid to be part of the bus tour. The believers were ordered by the militants to show identity cards proving that they are Christians, despite the fact that Indian identity cards do not indicate one's religious affiliation.
When the police found no evidence of illegal religious conversions, they instead registered a complaint against the attackers. In India, false accusations of coercive conversions are commonly used against Christians in many parts of the country. For additional reports on the challenges encountered by our Indian brothers and sisters in Christ, see our country profile.
- Please pray for the complete healing of all those who were injured and traumatized in this recent attack.
- As special days on the Christian calendar are commonly used as an impetus for violence and opposition, pray that believers in India and throughout the world will be able to peacefully celebrate the death and resurrection of their Saviour this Easter season.
- May those who oppose the "Good News" of the Gospel in India be convicted of their own need for eternal salvation, come to a point of sincere repentance, and ultimately acknowledge Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour.
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