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India

  • Christians Forced to Worship Hindu Deities

    Over the past week, Indian Christians have been forced to worship Hindu deities in Karnataka state, according to two reports from Compass Direct.

    According to a November 3 report, when Hindu villagers in Kurumaradikere noted on October 29 that local Christians had not participated in the annual Depavali festival, they demanded that Pastor Naik (39) and the eleven families of his congregation worship Hindu deities as a "gesture of symbolic repentance."

    At a meeting called by local leaders, they interrogated the pastor about whether or not he taught his congregation to reject Hindu deities. They threatened and insulted the Christians and physically assaulted one man by repeatedly slapping him. They also demanded that every church member worship at the village temple. Eight of the eleven families in Pastor Naik's congregation gave in to the demands. The local council chief ordered that the three families who refused to cooperate be ostracized from the village. Pastor Naik has gone into hiding out of fear of further persecution from government officials. The pastor of a nearby village told Compass that a local politician named Raja Naik had instigated the persecution.

    On November 6, Hindu militants also forced Christians in the village of Bevainahalli to bow down before Hindi deities, according to a November 7 Compass Direct report. At 5:00 p.m., two Hindu priests and a group of twenty to twenty-five Hindu militants from the Rashitriya Swayamsevek Sangh (RSS) militant group and its youth wing, the Bajrang Dal, stormed through the village shouting threats to those in Christian homes and ordering the occupants to go to a site near the village temple. Christians who questioned their orders were slapped and told to keep walking.

    Once the Christians were gathered together, one of the Hindu priests began to speak against Christianity and told them to "reconvert" to Hinduism. The Christians were then marched to the temple and forced to bow down before the gods. The Hindu priests applied the vermillion marks on the foreheads of each man and woman and told them to eat of the Hindu offering.

    Pray that Indian Christians will confidently entrust themselves to God so that they can preach the gospel without hesitation (2 Timothy 1:5).  Pray that God will use the faithfulness of those who dared to set Him apart as Lord to bring about mercy in the hearts of their persecutors, as it did in the heart of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 3:28-29). Ask the Lord to keep Pastor Naik safe from harm. Pray that God will work in the hearts of those who denied Him and lead them to repentance.

    For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India,click here. Recent video reports on the persecution in India and what VOMC is doing to help are available on our multimedia website, https://www.vomcanada.com/.
  • Christians Beaten for Refusing to ''Reconvert''

    Two converts of a church in the district of Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh have been beaten for refusing to return to Hinduism, according to an October 27 report from Compass Direct.

    On the morning of October 19, Santu Prasad Barmaia and Kunjan Prasad Barmaia were attacked by as many as twelve villagers while on the way to farm their fields. A local Christian reported that both men suffered internal injuries as a result of the attack.

    These two men, who are the only Christians in their village, have been threatened and ostracized by their Hindu villagers since they converted to Christianity four years ago. For the past year, villagers have even refused to allow them to take water from the common drinking well unless they "reconvert" to Hinduism. Although Barmaia and Barmaia filed a police report that identified their attackers by name, the police have yet to make any arrests.

    Pray that these men will be assured that although the authorities ignore them, the Lord hears their cries (Psalm 34:17). Ask God to strengthen these men to lovingly and boldly proclaim the gospel (Ephesians 6:18-20). Pray that they will heal quickly from their injuries.

    For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India,click here. To view video reports about the persecution facing Christians in India and ways VOMC is working to help them, go to https://www.vomcanada.com/.
  • Updates from India

    (a) On September 10, Pastor Haroon Jonathan was arrested on accusations of "hurting religious sentiments" and "forced conversion" (for more details click here). According to Compass Direct, police had promised Haroon that he would be released on bail on October 16, but they have reneged on that agreement. In order for him to obtain bail, police have to file formal charges, which they did not do before the courts shut down for an October 18-October 26 Hindu festival. It is not yet known when the charges are scheduled to formally be filed.

    (b) On October 27, Karnel Nayak, pastor of the Good Shepherd Community Church in  Manikeswari, Orissa, was released on bail after two months, according to the All India Christian Council. Nayak had been falsely accused of rape by some disgruntled church members, who also instigated the destruction of Pastor Nayak's home (for more information, click here).

    For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.
  • Christians Arrested
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    On the morning of October 26, police arrested a recent convert to Christianity in the district of Mayapuri, Madhya Pradesh on charges of "insulting religious beliefs," according to an October 26 report from Compass Direct. After arresting the Christian, Ramesh Thakur (37), police pressured him to testify that his pastor, Jagdish Bharti, had coerced him into converting. Police also inquired, in an intimidating manner, whether Thakur had been given his home for converting. The church has been holding Sunday morning prayer meetings at Thakur's home.

    Thakur had come to faith in Christ six months ago and has since been worshipping with the Bethel Fellowship Church. Bharti and fifteen others had been arrested on the same charges in June 2006.

    On October 27, police arrested a Christian for "causing communal disharmony" after a group of Hindu militants harassed him for selling literature at a Christian evangelistic event near Udayagiri, Orissa, according to an October 31 report from Compass Direct. Amit Kumar Raul was operating a book stall at the event when he was approached by members of the militant group, Hindu Jagaran Samukhya. When they noticed that he was selling a book entitled "Oh, You Hindu, Awake," they began to hurl insults at him and beat him. They then had him arrested by police. At last report, Raul remained in custody after a judge rejected his request for bail. Police told Compass that Raul was arrested to "prevent communal violence."

    Indian converts to Christianity have been facing increasing pressure from militant Hindu groups throughout India. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, members of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatia Janata Party have been calling for the arrest and deportation of missionaries from Canada and the United States. According to an AsiaNews report on October 30, the vice-president of the BJP recently claimed, "Teams of Christian missionaries have fanned out in various tribal areas of Nalgonda district and are forcibly converting tribals to Christianity." He accused the missionaries of giving financial inducements to those willing to convert. He also called on individual Hindus to intervene, since the military is not willing to take action.

    Pray that Thakur will follow in the example of faithfulness that has been passed down to him by Pastor Bharti (1 Corinthians 4:9-14, 16). Pray that all charges will be dropped against Thakur, Bharti and Raul. Pray that oppressed believers throughout India will put their hope in the Lord as the One Who upholds their cause (Psalm 146).

    For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.
  • Government To Take Over Christian Health Centre

    The Chhattisgarh state government is planning to take over control of a Christan-run health centre following allegations of forcible conversions in the facility.  According to an October 19 report from Compass Direct, authorities ordered the takeover of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) facility in the village of Lundra on October 10, firing seventeen of the employees. According to one of the dismissed workers, Sister Emilina Xess, the government was jealous of the reputation that ICDS had in the community. An independent enquiry board was formed after allegations began in September 2005. In its May 2006 report, the board reported that it had been unable to find any cases of conversions connected to the facility. The facility in Lundra has been managed by the Raigarh-Ambikapur Health Association (RAHA), a Catholic organization, since 1995.

    Pray that the administration of the health centre will be returned to the RAHA. Pray that the employees who have been fired will be allowed to return to work. Ask God to work in the hearts of government leaders throughout India to allow religious organizations to carry on their work unhindered.

    For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India,click here. A video report on some of the ways VOMC is assisting Indian victims of persecution is available on the multimedia website, https://www.vomcanada.com/.
  • Eight Christians Arrested
    Graphic Design by Matthew Dyck
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    Eight workers at a home for the destitute in the Indian state of Karnataka have been arrested on false charges of wrongful confinement and abduction, according to an October 17 report from Compass Direct. The workers at the Lourd Matha Seva Ashram home in the village of Thyagarathi were arrested after a crowd of five hundred villagers stormed the facility because of false television news reports.

    According to police sub-inspector P.B. Hanummanthappa, a 75-year-old resident of the home had reported to police that residents (many of whom are mentally handicapped) were being confined, forced to work too hard and given strong medication. There had been reports that the home was involved in trafficking human organs, but police have dismissed any such allegations. They do say, however, that the home has not complied with some administrative requirements.

    Ask God to deliver these workers and bring about justice in their case (Psalm 140). Ask God to give them wisdom to know how to answer their accusers (Matthew 10:19). Pray that the ministry of the home would carry on uninterrupted.

    For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here. A new video report by Crossroads Communications about some of the ways that VOMC is assisting persecuted Christians in India is available on https://www.vomcanada.com/.
  • Continuing Attacks Against Christians

    Incidents of violence against Christians in India continue to pour in, as Hindus opposed to the spread of the Gospel use anti-conversion legislation to oppress the followers of Christ.

    In the district of Mahaboobnagar, Andhra Pradesh, militant Hindus have threatened to kill Christians if they continue to hold prayer meetings, according to an October 9 report from Compass Direct. On September 22, approximately forty people surrounded three members of the Good Shepherd Community Church in the village of Nandiwaddeman while members of the Hindu nationalist organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) beat them. When the church's pastor, Nagaiah, went to the village head, Usha Anna, to report the incident, Anna refused to listen to him and asked him to return the next day. When Nagaiah returned, he was accused of forcibly converting villagers. Anna warned the Christians to stop all prayer meetings in the village.

    According to an October 6 report from Compass Direct, a Christian youth from the Bhadrak district of Orissa was tortured, tonsured (shaved) and abducted from his home on October 4. Dr. Sajan K. George from the Global Council of Indian Christians reports that the situation in the village, where two platoons of policemen have reportedly been deployed, is "very tense" following the abduction and torture. At last report, Ranjan Dangua was still missing.

    False reports on the conversion of three hundred villagers to Christianity in the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh have triggered violence in the region. The incident began after a meeting was held at the home of Sanjay Singh on October 3, according to the Evangelical Fellowship of India. Singh's neighbour reported the meeting to police. Rumours that followed were spread by the local press and militant Hindus, leading to violence.

    In the Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh, hundreds of Hindu militants attacked a facility providing shelter for widows and schooling for poor children, according to AsiaNews. The facility is run by an American couple, James and Monica, who use the proceeds from a restaurant to assist the poor in the area. Some of the locals employed by the couple had been exploiting them but were discovered and dismissed from their jobs. Angered, they accused the couple of proselytism. After authorities dismissed the allegations, a mob raided the facility on October 8, taking anything of value they could find. The lawyer for the American couple claims that officials are reluctant to pursue the attackers and appear to be in collusion with them. 

    Pray that the believers who have been attacked and threatened will determine to obey God regardless of what man says (Acts 5:29). Pray that each of these believers will be assured that, as they have suffered with Christ, so they will be glorified with Him (Romans 8:15-17). Pray that they will find comfort in the fact that the Heavenly Father defends the oppressed (Psalm 10:17-18).

    For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here. A new video report by Crossroads Communications about some of the ways that VOMC is assisting persecuted Christians in India is available on https://www.vomcanada.com/.
  • Evangelists Released on Bail

    On September 27, the Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the September 22 arrest of two believers, Lakhan Pawar and Shailendra Pawar, on charges of insulting Hinduism (for more information, click here). The Evangelical Fellowship of India has since reported that the two were released on bail on September 25. However, the police report also names two others, Dr. Victor Choudhary and his daughter Manjula, as being involved in "conversion work." Continue to pray for the safety of these four believers.
  • Christian Missionary Brutally Beaten by Hindu Militants

    A Christian missionary, Chin Min Thang, was brutally beaten by Hindu militants in Uttar Pradesh on September 24, according to an October 2 report from Asia News. Chin's attackers accused him of proselytizing members of the Tharu Tribe, one of the poorest tribes in India. Chin is a teacher of Tharu children in Najota Village.

    Thirty-five Hindu militants forcibly entered Chin's home and dragged him outside in broad daylight. While some brutally beat him, others ransacked his possessions.

    When other villagers realized that Chin was under attack, they promptly came to his defense. They even refused to leave him after the attackers fired threatening shots into the air. Thang Boi, a Christian teacher who works with Chin, said: "Had [the villagers] not intervened, the mob would have lynched him." As the Hindu militants left, they warned Chin: "If you do not quit the village and stop your conversion work, we will kill you!"

    On September 27, Boi and Chin filed a report at the local police station. However, the police officers have yet to start their inquiries. Village residents claim that local police are in collusion with Hindu fanatics.

    For five years, Boi and Chin have been helping the Tharu children in Najota village attain high school diplomas and promoting literacy throughout the area. Jagat Rana, the leader of the Tharu tribe, made it clear that--although the Christians talk about their faith--"they have never asked or forced anyone to convert." Rana also said that "Our community will stand behind these Christians under all circumstances."

    Thank God that the villagers are determined to stand with the Christians. Ask God to give Chin Min Thang a heart of forgiveness and that both his friends and enemies will respond in faith to Christ as a result of his testimony (Matthew 5:14-16, Romans 12:14, 21). Pray that the police will act on this incident quickly and that there will be true justice.

    For more information on the persecution facing Christians in India,click here. A new video report on India is now available on VOMC's multimedia website, https://www.vomcanada.com/.
  • Christian Workers Assaulted

    Pastor Simon and Evangelist Salbin rent a house in Kasipur, in the northern Indian state of Uttaranchal. During a worship service there on September 24, a mob of approximately fifty people barged into the house, attacking the two men. According to VOMC sources, the mob continued to beat the men until they reached the police station, where they were accused of forcible and fraudulent conversion activities.

    The men, along with the owner of the house, continue to be threatened. Hindu organizations have been demonstrating at the police station and false rumours against the men have been spread to the local media in an attempt to discredit them.

    Ask the Lord to give Simon and Salbin strength to remain faithful to God's call (1Peter 5:1-4). Pray that the believers will continue to meet despite the threats (Hebrews 10:23-25). Pray that God would be glorified by their faithfulness (2 Corinthians 4).

    For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here. A new video report by Crossroads Communications about some of the ways that VOMC is assisting persecuted Christians in India is available on https://www.vomcanada.com/.

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