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India

• Long-Time Missionary Ordered to Leave

  Jim Borst, has been serving with the UK-based Mill Hill Mission in Kashmir since 1963. According to a May 7 report from Compass Direct, Borst has been asked by the Foreigners' Registration Office to leave India, saying that his visa was not renewed.

  Borst is principal of Burn Hall School and St. Joseph's school in Srinagar. In November 2003, the Good Shepherd Mission School, which Borst founded, was attacked twice by unidentified assailants. In one incident, a grenade was thrown into the school, though no one was hurt in the attack. Police said the attacks were intended to frighten rather than injure. It is believed the attacks were related to Borst's evangelistic work in the area. Borst has also translated the New Testament and Psalms into modern Kashmiri.

  According to a letter from the Foreigners' Registration Office, his visa renewal was denied because he had left the country in December 2003 and later entered Kashmir "illegally and unauthorized." The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) has protested this "unwarranted harassment of Father Jim."

  Pakistan and India both claim control of the region of Kashmir and fighting continues in the region between the two countries. Along with the political battles, Christian missions in Kashmir have faced opposition from both Hindu and Muslim militants.

  Pray that Jim Borst will be allowed to continue his ministry in India. Also pray for the continued ministry of Mill Hill Mission in the areas of education, medical and evangelistic work. Pray for safety for Christian workers in Kashmir as they face threats from both Hindu and Muslim militants.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in India, click here.

• Couple Kidnapped Just Before Baptism

  In meetings with church leaders in northeastern India this week, The Voice of the Martyrs learned about a Hindu couple living in the village of Barobisa (near the Bhutan border) who had recently accepted Christ. They were about to be baptized when they were kidnapped by local Hindus and have not been heard from since. Church leaders expressed concern for their safety and believe that the kidnapping may be an attempt to pressure the couple to reconvert to Hinduism.

  The religious climate in India has grown markedly more hostile in recent years. The country's ruling BJP party has close connections with militant Hindu organizations intent on suppressing the growth of Christianity in the country.

  Pray for the safe release of this couple. Pray for church leaders as they face the difficult task of encouraging those who desire to follow Christ while facing community and family rejection and violence if they do. Pray for the elections in India later this month.

  For more information on persecution in India, click here.

• Catholic Priests Accused of Rape and Murder

  Hindu fundamentalists have accused Catholic priests of the rape and murder of a teenage girl in Madhya Pradesh on March 3, despite claims from the Catholics that the death was clearly a suicide. Geeta Devi Saket was a Dalit (low caste) student at Deosar Girls' Boarding School, run by the Catholic diocese of Satna. According to a report from Compass Direct, a maid found the girl's body hanging from an iron doorframe on the evening of March 3.

  VHP Logo

  Members of Bajrang Dal, the militant youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) blamed the Catholic priests, saying that the girl had been raped and then murdered. As workers from the school were taking the girl's body to a nearby hospital for an autopsy, they were attacked. Father Thomas Thelakkatt was beaten to unconsciousness while the others managed to escape, taking Father Thelakkatt back to the mission compound.

  According to AsiaNews, the autopsy later confirmed suicide as the reason for the death, but the mob surrounding the mission compound refused to acknowledge the finding. Police tried explaining it to the mass of as many as two thousand people protesting the death, but the mob leaders accused the police of complicity. At last report, police were warning the Catholic workers to remain in the compound.

  Christians in India fear further incidents of violence as the April 10 general elections approach. The ruling BJP party has increasingly supported Hindu groups opposed to the spread of Christianity in India.

  Pray for the family and friends of this young girl who died. Pray for a full recovery for Father Thelakkatt and safety for the workers in the boarding school. Pray for peaceful and fair elections in India.

  For more information on challenges facing Christians in India, click here.

• Believers Face Continuing Harassment

  On February 24, Gospel for Asia reported on a serious situation facing a pastor and his church in Rajasthan, India. Apparently the believers are being blamed for the death of a local Christian named Samuel. As the church was preparing to hold a funeral for him, a mob stopped the pastor and demanded that he raise Samuel from the dead or they would kill every Christian in the village. The mob then demanded that Samuel's brother perform a traditional funeral ritual which he refused to do. The pastor is asking for prayer for wisdom in this situation. Pray also for Samuel's family during this very difficult time.

  On February 18, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on eight women who were beaten and humiliated in an attempt to force them to deny their faith and return to Hinduism in Orissa, India. (see https://www.vomcanada.com/in-2004-02-18.htm). A February 20 press release from the All India Christian Council, states that their investigations showed that local police had not only witnessed the attacks, but had been active participants. The Council is calling for a Judicial Review of this situation, as well as four other recent incidents. Speaking of the eight women, the council said, "They are emotionally shattered.... The tears of the women cry out for justice. Not just the artificial peace that the police and administration are trying to enforce by further terrorizing the Christians, but also a peace where the villagers can all live together while practicing the religions of their choice, a right given them under the Constitution."

  Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Prime Minister of India

  Pray for emotional healing for these women: Sumtra Kandi, Umitra Kandi, Shanti Kandi, Nisha Samal, Sanjukta Kandi, Dolly Bhoi and Manjukta Kandi.

  Christians in India are concerned about the increasing pressure by Hindu groups, including the ruling BJP party. With elections expected in April 2004, the BJP is hoping to increase its grasp on power, aiming toward a two-thirds majority in order to change the country's constitution. Already the militant Hindu influence of their supporters has been increasing in areas such as the media, school curriculum and anti-conversion laws in several states.

  Pray that Christians and other religious minorities in India will be free to practice their religion in this country where eighty percent of the population is Hindu. Pray that international governments will put pressure on the Indian government to increase the protection of religious rights in the most populous democracy in the world.

  For more information on trials facing Christians in India, go to https://www.vomcanada.com/india.htm.

• Christian Women Beaten and Humiliated

  Eight Christian women, including two teenage girls, were beaten and humiliated in two villages in Orissa State, India on February 6 while the men of the homes were at work. According to a February 17 report from Compass Direct, a mob of over forty, including some of their own relatives, tried to persuade the women in Kilipala and Kanimul to renounce their faith in Christ. When they refused, they were beaten, stripped naked, and forced to walk through their villages before having their heads shaved. Despite calling for help, no one from the other homes in the village came to their aid. Dayal Gangwar, the district superintendent of police, said that the women were recent converts to Christianity.\

  These attacks come at a time when Christians have been increasingly harassed by militant Hindu activists determined to prevent conversions to Christianity. In five states in India, including Orissa, legislation has been passed to restrict religious conversions. In late January and early February, a series of articles were published in the weekly newspaper, Tehelka, claiming that missionary organizations are working for the CIA as part of a U.S. government "conversion agenda" for India. The All India Christian Council has called for a summit meeting of Christian leaders on February 28 to decide on an appropriate response to these allegations. Such accusations are not new. In February 2002, a member of the Hindu BJP party, G. Madhusudan, accused missionaries of spying for the CIA. However, the frequency of such allegations appears to be increasing in recent months.

  Pray for emotional and physical healing for these women. Pray that they will continue to remain faithful to their Lord. Pray that Christian leaders facing these unfounded allegations will respond in a Christ-like manner and that accusations like these will not hinder the ministry of caring for the people of India.

  For more information on persecution in India, go tohttps://www.vomcanada.com/india.htm.

• Attacks by Militant Hindus Increasing

  Several reports in the past week indicate an increasing militancy by Hindu activists against Christians in India. In response, Christians are calling on the government for help. In the state of Madhya Pradesh, Protestant and Catholic groups have joined together in calling for the government to intervene in stopping attacks that are occurring at "regular intervals." According to a February 10 report in Asia News, militant Hindu groups are conducting anti-Christian rallies that incite hatred against Christians, resulting in attacks against schools, vehicles and churches, burning of effigies, as well as threats against Christians.

  In the state of Goa, thirty percent of the population is Catholic. Hindu groups, however, have been campaigning to take over several old Portuguese churches, claiming they were built on the ruins of Hindu temples. According to a report from Compass Direct, a stone claimed to be a part of a Hindu idol was recently discovered in the compound of the Catholic bishop's palace.

  According to a February 5 report by Charisma News Service, several churches in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states have also been attacked in recent weeks. Six local evangelists were also assaulted in Orissa State. Their lives were spared only because onlookers intervened. The men required hospitalization for their injuries.

  A delegation of American congressmen recently visited India to better understand the situation facing religious minorities in India. According to a February 5 report by Baptist Press, the congressmen expressed shock at the violence facing Christians and Muslims at the hands of militant Hindu groups. Representative Joseph Pitts promised that their report would be brought to the attention of the U.S. administration in formulating U.S. policy toward India.

  Pray that the government of India would be willing to intervene in preventing further threats and violence by militant elements in Hindu society. Pray for peace and strength for Christians facing these ordeals.

  For more information on persecution in India, go to https://www.vomcanada.com/india.htm.

• Christian Social Worker Warned to Stop Evangelism of Child Prostitutes

  On January 6, 2004, the Times of India ran an article about the plight of young children being used as sex trader workers in India and how police seem to be turning a blind eye to the growing problem. The article also spoke of a Christian social worker named Anson Thomas who is on a campaign to rescue these young children from a life of prostitution. However, he has recently faced opposition with claims that he has taken advantage of his position as a social worker to evangelize these young children. The Times claimed that the brothel owners had convinced police to serve Thomas notice to stop "indulging in unlawful acts which would lead to religious and social trouble." Police deny these allegations, saying that they were merely warning him. Deputy police commissioner Naval Bajaj told the Times, "I have full respect for Mr Thomas's work and we have followed up on every information that he has given us. But, there is no need for him to distribute cassettes and Bibles to the sex workers."

  Those involved in trying to rescue these children from a life of prostitution recount many reports of police taking bribes, including the testimony from one thirteen-year-old girl who was told by police that the brothel was the safest place for her. There are sufficient laws in India against child prostitution. However, according to Balkrishna Acharya of Rescue Foundation, which is involved in rescuing minors from these brothels, "I cannot think of one place which has been closed by the police."

  Pray for these young children being abused in this way. Pray for efforts like that of Anson Thomas to help these children find freedom from the brothels as well as the freedom found in Christ.

  For more information on India, go to https://www.vomcanada.com/india.htm.

• New Film Calls Missionary's Murderer a Hero

  In 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were burned to death while they slept. In September 2003, thirteen people were convicted of the murder, including a prominent militant Hindu leader, Dara Singh (for more information, see https://www.vomcanada.com/in-2003-09-17.htm).

  In October 2003, a film on the work of Staines was announced, with filming to begin in February 2004. A week later, another movie was announced, to be produced by the militant Hindu group Bajrang Dal, entitled "Dara: The Hero." While acknowledging that the actions of Dara Singh were criminal, a spokesman for Bajrang Dal, Subash Chouhan, said that Staines as a villain and the actions of Dara Singh were commendable as they relate to religious conversions. Earlier, a BJP legislator Bidhubhusan Praharaj had openly defended Dara, saying, "he is an ideological person, not a criminal. He is a protector of the Hindu community."

  An appeal of Dara's death sentence is presently pending in the Orissa High Court.

• Hindu Militants Attack Churches, Assault Nun

  A recent wave of attacks in the eastern state of Orissa, India has resulted in vandalism against church buildings, the burning of Bibles, Christian books, and an effigy of Jesus, as well as the sexual assault of a nun.

  In late November, around a dozen members of the militant Hindu movement Bajrang Dal broke into a church in Deogarh, removing hundreds of books and burning them. At last report, no one had been arrested in the incident. One of the attackers was identified as a reporter with the local Orissa daily newspaper. According to police, they were protesting the recent conversion of four families in the village of Ambulpani under the ministry of Pastor John Nayak. They also broke into Nayak's residence and vandalized it while he was away. Bajrang Dal has been implicated in the burning death of missionary Graham Staines and his two sons in January 1999.

  On November 20, Hindu militants demonstrated in front of the district governor's residence, burning an effigy of Jesus, along with Bibles and Christian literature. The mob then broke into a Catholic church in the village of Rajamunda where they smashed the windows and sexually assaulted a nun. They later went to a local magistrate, protesting the growing number of conversions in the area. They were told by the magistrate, however, that the Christians were doing nothing illegal.

  Orissa state is mostly Hindu and is ruled by the nationalist Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party, which strongly opposes the conversion of Hindus to Christianity or Buddhism. Orissa, along with two other Indian states, has anti-conversion legislation, requiring those who wish to convert from Hinduism to obtain written permission from the local magistrate.

  Pray that Indian authorities will enforce the rights of Christians and other religious minorities to freely practice their faith. Pray that many more come to Christ, despite the anti-conversion law. Pray for emotional and physical healing for the attacked nun. Pray for a peace of mind and heart for Christians throughout Orissa and other areas of India where militant groups oppose the spread of the Gospel.

• Evangelist Beaten and Refused Treatment for Converting Dalits

  Last month, an evangelist in Siddapuram, Karnataka, South India, T.J. Mathew, was returning home on his bike from the home of a fellow believer when he was attacked and beaten unconscious. According to VOM sources, when other Christians tried to take him to the local hospital, the attackers prevented them until police came and intervened. However, when he was taken to the Siddapura hospital, he was refused admittance. Mathew was then taken about one hundred kilometres away to Mysore, where he was finally treated. The attackers complained to the police that Mathew was converting Dalits (low caste Hindus) to Christianity.

  Mathew was expected to return to Siddapura on October 28 and a baptismal service is planned on November 7, when about ten converts from Hinduism are expected to be baptized.

  Pray for a full recovery for Brother Mathew and protection from further attacks. Pray that the baptismal service will continue uninterrupted. Pray for these new believers, as they take a stand for Jesus Christ, that they will have the spiritual strength to stand in the face of opposition.