 |
Dilip Singh Judeo Former junior minister in the BJP party |
On April 2, a ceremony was held, during which Hindu activists claim that 700 Christians were "reconverted" to Hinduism in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh, India. During that ceremony, a former junior minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Dilip Singh Judeo, is reported to have made that threat that, "If Christian missionaries don't stop converting people, we will take up arms."
The reconversion claims are in question, according to an April 7 report from Compass Direct. A local Hindi newspaper puts the number at 97 rather than 700. A local church leader, Pastor A. David, president of the Dhamtari Christian Fellowship, told Compass that those reconverted were actually Hindus who may have attended a Christian meeting once or twice. Another Christian leader states that none of those reconverted had been baptized. Christians in Chhattisgarh see such events as a way for militant Hindu groups to encourage the state government to continue their plans to strengthen anti-conversion legislation (click here for details).
Anti-conversion legislation is a controversial issue in India, with five states presently having such legislation. The state of Tamil Nadu revoked its legislation in May 2004. The western state of Maharashtra was in early April when a junior minister stated that such legislation would be introduced. This was quickly denied by the state's Chief Minister.
Pray that Christians will be free to continue sharing the Gospel of Christ in India. Pray for steadfastness for those facing opposition from militant groups.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, click here.
Population
