The Voice of the Martyrs received several reports of continuing violence against Christians in India this week.
On May 21, a pastor and a church elder in the town of Bangarpet, Karnataka were beaten by members of the militant Hindu organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for distributing gifts at a vacation Bible school. According to a May 25 report from the All India Christian Council, the militants accused the Christians of using the gifts to convert children to Christianity. Both men were arrested by the police and later released.
On May 23, two evangelists, Bernard Christopher and Ravinder Gautam, were beaten, tortured and tonsured by approximately forty-two Hindu militants in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. The militants also forcibly "reconverted" the Christians to Hinduism and threatened to kill them if they did not flee the district.
Also on May 23, seven evangelists were arrested in the village of Sira Taluk, Andhra Pradesh after local Hindu militants accused them of forcibly converting local Dalits to Christianity. They were interrogated and released with a warning.
On May 25, evangelists J. Tumada and R. Dilat were stripped, beaten and accused of forcible conversion by approximately twenty Hindu militants while returning home from a prayer meeting in the village of Sakwar, Maharashtra. Later that evening, four of the militants also stripped and beat two other believers while they were returning home from a prayer meeting in the village of Bhui Gaon and accused them of also forcibly converting villagers.
Ask God to give strength and healing to these Christians. Pray that they will continue to give themselves fully to the work of the Lord (1 Corinthians 15:50-58). Pray that their persecutors will see that their message is one of a free gift, not coercion, and respond in faith to Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
For more information on persecution in India, click here. Videos of interviews and recent attacks on Christians in India are available online at www.vomcanada.com.
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