Though there are only twenty-five Christians in the village of Patsoi in Manipur, India, they agreed as a church to purchase land for the express purpose of establishing a Christian cemetery. When the mother of Pastor Amuba died, the church planned to bury her in their newly-established cemetery, but Hindu villagers protested against a Christian cemetery in their small village. According to a July 18 report by Assist News Service, the church members attempted to peacefully resolve the issue, but it quickly escalated to the point where they were accused of fraud. Nevertheless, the funeral continued and the woman was buried. After the funeral, however, village leaders led a group who dug up the body and took it to the pastor's house as a warning.
The woman has since been buried in a cemetery in a nearby village and with the support of Rev. N. Debenedra Singh, the Executive Secretary of Meitei Baptist Association in Manipur, a case was registered at the police station against those responsible for digging up the body. To this point, however, police have taken no action to deal with the culprits.
Pray for the Pastor Amuba and his family, as they face the loss of a loved one together with this added challenge. Pray for a peaceful resolution and that the church will continue to demonstrate the love of Christ to their neighbours in the midst of this situation.
For more information on persecution in India, click here.
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