Reports of Christian workers in India being assaulted for their ministry activities continue to be received by VOMC.
According to the Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC), at approximately 8:00 p.m. on March 20, a Christian worker identified only as Pawar was attacked in his home in Navi, Mumbai by fifteen Hindu militants. Pawar's troubles began on March 12, when he counseled a suicidal college student named Kundan Yadav. Yadav initially told his principal that he was thankful for Pawar's help. Eight days later, however, he brought fifteen members of the Maharasthra Navanirman Samithi Hindu group to Pawar's home. The militants blackened Pawar's face with ink and beat him. The police have arrested seven of the attackers for trespassing and assaulting Pawar.
GCIC also reported that, on March 23, an independent Gospel worker, Reverend P. Abraham, and a college professor, Jacob Thomas, were severely injured as they were beaten while returning from a gospel meeting in Shri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. The police arrested them and took them into custody at the Jawahar Nagar police station. The attackers later arrived at the station and filed a complaint of forcible conversion against Rev. Abraham and Prof. Thomas.
On March 24, a group of evangelists of Salem Voice Ministries (SVM) was beaten up by Muslim militants in the village of Mullakkudi, Kerala state. The three evangelists, Satheeth Kumar, George Thomas and Kunjumon Mani, were preparing for a meeting at noon that Saturday when a group of Muslims questioned them about their activities and then assaulted hem. They destroyed the megaphone the evangelists were using to preach to the public and threw Bibles and other Christian literature into the river. It is possible that the attack took place because a few young Muslims had recently come to faith in Jesus and had been helping the SVM evangelists distribute literature.
SVM also reported this week that, on March 22, a group of Brethren Church evangelists was also assaulted while doing personal evangelism in Marayur, Kerala. The evangelists had finished distributing tracts throughout the village and were inside a lodge preparing to go to evening Bible class when a group of people suddenly arrived and severely beat them.
Ask God to heal those injured in these attacks. Pray these workers will remain faithful to the task God has given them, knowing that they will receive the crown of life (1 Peter 5:1-4). Pray for the continued spread of the Gospel in India in the midst of severe opposition.
For more information on persecution in India, click here. The Voice of the Martyrs has recently released a DVD report entitled, "Faith Under Fire: India." To order a copy, online catalogue.
Population
