UPDATE: Forcible Conversion Allegations Dismissed

Last week, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on accusations of forcible conversions leveled against Christians in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (click here for more details).  According to a July 28 report from AsiaNews, a panel set up to investigate the allegations has shown them to be completely false.  Hindu leaders in the area told the panel that the tribal people in the area have been drawn to Christianity because of the care they receive and not because of coercion.  A local leader of the Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pintoo Jaiswal, told the panel that the missionaries "embraced" the tribal people when Hindus were hesitant to even touch them.  Jaiswal sends his own children to a Christian school and reports there have been no attempts to convert them.

India Information

  • Current Ministry Projects

    VOMC assists persecuted Christians with legal support and rehabilitation assistance, and cares for children of martyrs by providing them with a safe place to be nurtured physical and spiritually. VOMC also partners to equip Christians in India with Biblical training and works to strengthen and support marginalized and persecuted Christian women. Additionally, VOMC helps to provide medical assistance to believers who have faced injuries after being attacked.”

    Project Funds: Families of Martyrs, Equipping the Saints, Legal Defense, Relief and Development, Women’s Ministry, Medical Fund

  • Country Information

    Population
    1,399,179,585 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Indo-Aryan (72), Dravidian (25), other (3)

    Religion (%)
    Hinduism (79.8), Muslim (14.2), Christianity (2.3), Sikh (1.7), other (2)

    Leader
    President Droupadi Murmu (2022)

    Government type
    Federal parliamentary republic

    Legal system
    Based on English common law; separate personal law codes apply to Christians, Hindus and Muslims.

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for India

    Despite the intimidation and violence that have taken place in many of India's states, may Christians wisely yet unashamedly preach the Gospel. Pray that indigenous Christians and foreign missionaries will minister in ways that do not hint at fraudulent conversions, unmasking the intentions behind the anti-conversion legislation. Intercede for India's leaders, that they may reign with justice and righteousness.

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India News

  • Call for Death Penalty for Coercive Religious Conversions
    Mohan Yadav
    Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
    Photo: India Prime Minister's Office (GODL-India)

    The Chief Minister for the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has publicly announced plans to impose the death penalty on those convicted of forced or fraudulent religious conversions. In a public meeting for International Women's Day on March 8th, Mohan Yadav equated such conversions with child molestation, stating that both crimes warrant the imposition of capital punishment. Later that evening, the state government released a statement affirming the announcement made by Mohan.

    Read more...

  • Large Mob Attack at Pastors' Gathering
    A group of people in India.
    Pastors and church leaders in India.
    Photo: VOMC

    On February 19th, a group of pastors had gathered in Kusumba Village, a town located in the Jalgaon District of Maharashtra, India. As the meeting was taking place, a mob of approximately 400 Hindu nationalists suddenly attacked, brutally assaulting many of the pastors. As a result of the violence, two of the church leaders were left in critical condition.

    Read more...

  • Arrests for Alleged Conversion Activities
    Christians are gathered in worship.
    Christians in India.
    Photo: VOMC

    Multiple Christians were recently arrested by authorities in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, resulting in charges of coercive religious conversions. In each case, allegations against the Christians by Hindu nationalist groups led to sudden police raids.

    Read more...

  • Christian Couple Released on Bail
    Three crosses are seen against a clear blue sky.
    A church in India.
    Photo: Flickr / Nevil Zaver (cc)

    In a Persecution & Prayer Alert report published earlier this month, it was revealed that a pastor and his wife in India had been convicted of allegedly attempting to convert Dalit villagers within their community. Pastor Jose Pappachan and his wife Sheeja were both fined and sentenced to five years in prison (see our previous report).

    Read more...

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