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India

• Anti-Conversion Legislation Being Repealed

  

  Anti-conversion legislation has been a part of several Indian states for many years. It was first introduced in Orissa in 1968 and has since been introduced in six other states -- the most recent being Uttarakhand in March 2018. (For more details, visit this page.)

  In a surprise announcement, the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh intends to repeal the 1978 Freedom of Religion Act. In making the proclamation on June 28th, he stated that the act, rather than providing freedom of religion, "could undermine secularism and is probably targeted towards Christians." According to The Hindu news service, Christians account for more than half the population of the state.

• Anti-Conversion Legislation Expanding
  
  Photo: Mission Network News

  The North Indian state of Uttarkhand is now the seventh state in the country to pass legislation restricting religious conversions, particularly from Hinduism to Christianity. This law carries a jail term of up to two years.

• Efforts to Rewrite Indian History Worrisome to Christians

  

  Several months ago, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed a committee of scholars to study the history of India and the role of Hinduism in the country. It is only recently that details of the committee's recommendations are becoming publicly known, raising concerns among Christians and Muslims in the nation.

• Ministry Partners Acquitted
  
  Photo: Mission Network News

  Family and friends of eight Christian workers in India were elated when the men were acquitted of all charges. Nine years ago, the men were serving in a Children's Bible Club sponsored by Mission India. The attackers disrupted the meeting, beating those attending and burning Bibles and other materials. The workers were then charged with "forceful conversion."

• Pastor Found Slain in His Home
  
  Photo: Morning Star News

  The body of a pastor in southern India was found hanging in his home on January 20th, one week after a complaint had been filed about harassment from militant Hindu groups in his area. Gideon Periyaswamy, 43, was pastor of the Maknayeem Church in Adayachery village, Kanchipuram District. He was found in the early morning by two women coming to clean the building. Reports indicate that, while posed to look like a suicide, there are strong indications of murder, including a cut on his neck under the rope.

• Elderly Man Perseveres Despite Fierce Opposition
  
  Photo: VOM Australia

  A year after facing persecution for the eighth time, 90-year-old Jatya is prepared to suffer yet again. Despite fierce opposition, the elderly Christian man remains eager to share the good news of the Gospel to all who are willing to hear. The frail yet energetic believer lives in a village of southern India that's heavily populated with paid informants for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a national volunteer organization that aims to intimidate and even force Christians into returning to their nation's "Hindu roots."

• Churches Ordered to Close in Tamil Nadu State

  

  Officials and police in Tamil Nadu state have ordered ten churches to discontinue services. Hindu militants have compelled state officials and police to issue orders mandating the churches in Coimbatore District to stop conducting worship services unless permission is obtained from a government collector's office, a process that could take several years. Twenty more churches are under threat with similar bans.

• Anti-Conversion Law Poses New Challenges

  

  On August 12th, a bill was passed by the Jharkhand Assembly which will directly affect the religious freedoms of Christians. Despite receiving significant opposition from religious groups, the Jharkhand Freedom of Religion Bill-2017 has now been sent to the governor, whose approval precedes the president's review for final assent.

• Prisoner Released after Serving 42 Days

  
  Aju Mathew
  Photo: VOM USA

  Authorities arrested Aju Mathew as he took 14 needy children, who were under the care and provision of a Christian children's home, on a field trip in southern India. Local officials then falsely charged him with human trafficking and the conversion of minors. As a result, Aju, who was innocent and eventually cleared, spent 42 days in prison -- enduring poor conditions and intense interrogations. However, the wrongly accused ministry worker utilized this time of imprisonment to build relationships with other prisoners and share his testimony.

• Villagers Denied Access to Life-Sustaining Water

  
  Photo: Flickr / B. Sutherland (cc)

  On April 25th, a mob of militants in Jalalabad village of Ghazipur District, Uttar Pradesh, beat Manoj Kumar and his wife Pushpa Kumari - along with ten other Christians - with sticks, accusing them of forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity. The same mob, supported by the village president, tried to force the believers to drink water from the Ganges River (considered holy by Hindus residing in the country). Despite the attack, the victims refused to participate or deny Christ.