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India

• Christians Expelled from Tribal Village

  

  On December 4th, a group consisting of 13 Christian families were expelled from their home village in rural Chhattisgarh because they refused to deny their faith. The families, comprising a total of 66 individuals, were summoned to a village council meeting in the town of Mungwal. The villagers opposing these families tried to pressure them to deny their faith in Jesus Christ, mandating that they return to their former tribal religion.

• Christians Dealing with Aftermath of Mob Attack

  

  A small gathering of Christians suffered severe beatings during an attack on November 13th in which a mob, accompanied by a village leader, interrupted their Sunday worship service. The mob burst into the home where the believers had gathered and forcibly removed two families from the residence before brutally beating them. Since coming to faith in Christ four months prior to this attack, these families received harassment from other villagers. They have been accused of converting to a foreign religion and luring innocent tribal people to Christianity.

• Christians Arrested at Wedding Reception

  

  Numerous arrests took place at the wedding reception held for a pastor's daughter and son-in-law on November 28th. Acting on accusations from Hindu nationalists in the community, police raided the gathering at the pastor's house in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. The host attempted to explain that it was simply a wedding reception and not, as alleged by community members, a "conversion program." However, his pleas were ignored. Nine pastors and the newly married couple were arrested and charged under the state's anti-conversion legislation.

• Christian Leader Released on Bail

  

  Last week's Persecution & Prayer Alert reported on a Christian leader in northeastern India referred to as "Brother B." We are thankful to announce that this believer, who had been imprisoned since mid-October, was released on bail during his hearing on November 28th. For more details on the incident, visit this page.

• Christian Leader Facing Trial

  

  "Brother B," a leader of more than 30 churches and fellowships in northeastern India, serves as a program director for one of VOMC's International Ministry partners. VOMC recently received a report informing that the trial of this Christian ministry leader, who has been imprisoned since mid-October, was finally scheduled to take place this week.

• Anti-Conversion Law Passes in Karnataka State

  

  On September 28th, the Indian state of Karnataka joined several others by officially enacting laws that restrict conversion from one religion to another. The "Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Act" officially seeks to prohibit "unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means." While restricting coercive conversions is laudable, such laws have frequently been misused against religious minorities throughout India.

• Evangelist Killed by Family Members

  

  On August 14th, an independent Christian evangelist, Karthridasan Madhavan, was burned to death in the Indian state of West Bengal by a mob that included some members of his own family. The victim, known as Madhavan, lived in the village of Gobindapur. He was the sole Christian in his extended family and diligently worked to spread the Gospel message.

• Christian Women Released on Bail

  

  On August 18th, VOMC posted a Persecution & Prayer Alert containing a report about six Christian women in Uttar Pradesh, India, who were arrested for allegedly participating in forcible conversion activities. The allegations and resulting detainment took place after these women had gathered for a birthday party, where they prayed before they cut the cake. (See this page for more details.)

• Several Christian Women Facing Charges

  

  On July 30th, six Christian women in the Maharajganj area of Uttar Pradesh, India, were taken into custody based on charges of forced conversions. The charges were laid after members of a Hindu nationalist group, the VHP, alleged that the women were inducing others to convert to Christianity during a birthday party.

• Church Sealed Over Conversion Allegations

  

  Christians in the village of Geltua, which is located in Odisha State, are questioning the sealing of their church building after authorities issued a mandate on May 17th ordering the believers to stop gathering for worship. According to one official named Manoj Patra, complaints had been filed by Bajrang Dal members claiming that the church was involved in illegally converting others of their tribal community to Christianity.