Continuing Persecution in India

The Voice of the Martyrs received several reports of continuing persecution of Christians in India this week.

On March 10, members of the Hindu militant groups VHP and Bajrang Dal attempted to stop a women's prayer meeting in the home of Pastor Amit Sidhu in Bathinda, Punjab. The incident came to the attention of other area Christians who sought to intervene. In the ensuing clash, one of the VHP members was injured. Three pastors, Kulwan Raj, Chootta Singh and Harfool Singh were subsequently charged with making an attempt on the lives of the activists. The three appeared in court on March 12 and are being held in custody. Area Christians maintain that all allegations against the pastors are false. The following day, Vijay Bhardwaj, general secretary of VHP, and Sumit Kumar, co-coordinator of Bajrang Dal, led a group of fifty Hindutva activists and tried to attack the occupants of Pastor Amit Sidhu's house.
(Source: All India Christian Council)

On March 11, Pastor Matthew was returning to his home in Bangalore, Karnataka after serving as a translator at a meeting when he was ambushed by three men. He was repeatedly beaten with a cricket stump and has sustained injuries to his back and arms. It is believed the incident is in protest to a church Matthew has begun in the village of Cholanayakanahalli.
(Source: Global Council of Indian Christians)

On the evening of March 13, an independent church in the village of Tadiparti in East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh was burned by Hindu militants after Christians would not yield to warnings to stop proclaiming Christ. This is the second church in the village burned to the ground in the past month. Pastor G. Premanadam has appealed to the authorities to provide protection to the Christians in the community.
(Source: Global Council of Indian Christians, All India Christian Council)

Pastor John Selvan and assistant Vijay Photos from Global Council of Indian Christians

On March 16, Pastor John Selvan (29) and his assistant Vijay (24) were about to leave a prayer meeting in Bangalore when approximately thirty young men surrounded them. The Christians in the home managed to hide Pastor John, but Vijay was taken to a eucalyptus grove and beaten.
(Source: Global Council of Indian Christians)

On March 16, two pastors, Pastor Juan Singh Sesobia (24) and Thogabai (25), were arrested in the Khargon district of Madhya Pradesh and charged under Section 295A for a deliberate and malicious act to offend religious feelings. If convicted, the two could face up to three years in prison. (Source: Global Council of Indian Christians)

Hindu militants in the village of Nuagad in Ganjam District, Orissa are threatening to burn the homes of twenty Christian villagers. The threats follow the defeat on March 17 of the BJP candidate in local elections. Furious, the candidate attacked one of the Christians in the village, Abraham Burdhan, chopping off a finger and inflicting serious cuts to his hands. Police have arrested seven Christians and nine BJP supporters. (Source: Global Council of Indian Christians)

Pray for those church leaders who are presently in jail on false charges. Pray that Christians will stand firm, knowing that their comfort is in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:5). Pray that the persecutors will come to know Christ's love, forgiveness and blessing through the faithfulness of these Christians (Romans 12:14, 21).

VOMC has released a new video report on the persecution in India entitled "Faith Under Fire: India." The video can be purchased from our online catalogue. A preview of the video is available at https://www.vomcanada.com/. For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India, click here.