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India

• Two Indian Pastors Face Death in the Past Month

  On May 21, the body of Pastor K. Daniel from Kummarvadi, a village on the outskirts of Hyderabad was found with marks indicating he had suffered from an acid attack. Three days later, another pastor from the outskirts of Hyderabad also went missing.  According to a June 6 report from Compass Direct, the body of Pastor Isaac Raju was discovered wrapped in a jute bag behind bushes on June 2.  It is reported that police received an anonymous phone call giving the location of Raju's body. It would appear that both men were lured to their deaths by someone asking to meet with them to discuss their availability to conduct a wedding ceremony.

  An unknown group calling themselves the "Anti-Christian Forum" is claiming responsibility for the attacks.  Police have questioned over 150 members of local militant Hindu groups in an effort to find those responsible.  A notice has been posted in "The Hindu" newspaper offering a reward for the capture of those responsible for the attacks.

  Pray that those responsible for these attacks will be found.  Pray for peace, comfort and wisdom for other pastors in the area who are facing the possibility of an organized attack against pastors.  Pray for strength and comfort for the families of those who have been killed.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in India,click here.

• India Update: Attack on Church in Lamding

  For the fourth time in seven months, the Believer's Church in the village of Lamding was attacked by unknown gunmen.  On the evening of May 29, a group of thirty missionaries and church workers were at the church because the pastor, Rev. S. Prim Vaiphei, had received notice that the church was to be attacked that evening.  A jeep slowly approached the church around 11:00 p.m.  When the Christians turned on their flashlights to see who was in the vehicle, gunfire erupted.  As many as forty shots were fired. Thankfully no one was seriously injured.  The church had been previously attacked on November 23, March 9 and April 19 (click here). 

• Indian Mission Accused of Forcible Conversions

  Seven staff members of the ATMIK Vikas Trust (AVT) mission in Uttar Pradesh, India are under police investigation following accusations from a group of former employees.  According to a May 31 report from Compass Direct, the former employees claim they each gave the mission a deposit 20,000 rupees ($575 Cdn) when they signed up for a training program.  They claim that the staff at the mission converted them under the guise of finding them jobs.  When the group lost their jobs in November 2004, they allege that they were beaten and threatened with death when they requested their deposit back. 

  One of the accused denies that money was ever received. Another defendant, M.M. Philip, told Compass, "This is simply an expression of frustration by our ex-employees. We provide Biblical teachings and focus on the personal transformation of a trainee, but some come in with false expectations. They think they will get a job and money, and when such expectations are not met, they think they have been wronged."

  The seven have been accused of criminal breach of trust, voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation.  If convicted, they could face imprisonment of up to seven years, a fine or both.

  Pray that the truth will come out in this case.  Pray for the continued ministry of AVT.  Pray for strength, wisdom and courage for each of those accused.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.

• Hindu Groups Pressure Government as Christians Face Continued Attacks

  In the village of Jamanya in Jalgaon district of the Indian state of Maharashtra, believers who refused to renounce their faith in Christ have faced intimidation and beatings, according to a May 20 report from Compass Direct.  On May 15, eleven Christian families were summoned to a community court and accused of bringing bad luck on the village.  They were asked to renounce their faith in Christ for the common good of the village.  When they continued to refuse, a mob chased the Christian men from the village, beating those they caught.  When the Christian men attempted to return that evening and found armed villagers outside their homes, they fled to neighbouring villages. 

  Angered at the escape of the men, the Hindu mob attacked the women and children the next day.  Some of the children fainted from the beatings they received.  In the meantime, the Christian men had reported the incident to the Yawal district police.  In response, village officials filed complaints against the Christians, accusing them of forcible conversions and disrupting the peace.

  According to Compass, two militant Hindu organizations, The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP or World Hindu Council) and the Bajrang Dal, both have a strong presence in the Jalgaon district.

  In Orissa State, the VHP has been actively pursuing restrictions on Christians.  According to the Catholic news agency Zenit, the VHP is pressuring the government to dismiss all public workers, police and civil servants who are Christians.  The VHP is also opposing a government ruling which gives equal rights to tribal Christians.

  Pray for Christians throughout India who are facing opposition for their faith.  Pray for protection for the families in Jamanya.  Pray that government authorities will push for equal treatment for Christians.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.

• Attacks on Christian Workers in India

  While walking to the funeral of a church member, eight students from the Beersheba Bible College of the Indian Pentecostal Church of God at Maramon in the Pathanamthitta District of Kerala State, India were attacked by approximately fifteen members of the militant Hindu group, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).  According to a May 16 report from Compass Direct, all eight were treated for injuries from knives and other sharp weapons. Three of those students required hospitalization.  Police confirm that this was an unprovoked attack and have pressed charges against those responsible.

  Those injured in the attack were: Blessen Abraham, George Abraham, Binu Babu, R. Ravindran, Rajesh, B. Rony, T.E. Varghese, and Vinod.  Babu and Blessen Abraham were admitted to the hospital and released on May 15.  According to the last report, Varghese remained in hospital.

  The incident has provoked fear in the student body.  Two days later, a group of RSS militants gathered outside the college shouting threats and anti-Christian slogans.  The campus is under police protection.  The school has responded by offering forgiveness to the attackers.  They do not wish to press charges, though police have registered a criminal case against the RSS workers.

  Pray for the healing of those attacked.  Pray that the peace of God will reign in the hearts of the students and that fear will not rule over them (1 Peter 3:14-15).  Pray that those who instigated this violence will see the love and grace of God and turn to Christ.

  For more information on persecution in India,click here.

• Crowd of 500 Attacks House Church

  On May 1, sixty members of the King Jesus Church were gathered for worship at the home of Pastor Paulraj Raju in Mangalwarapete village in Karnataka state, when a crowd of nearly 500 people converged on the home.  According to a May 4 report from Compass Direct, they violently attacked Pastor Raju, his wife and others.  Some of the women were sexually assaulted when they attempted to intervene.  Bibles and Christian literature were publicly burned and the furnishings of the church were destroyed.  Raju, his wife, and an elder of the church, Mr. Nagraj, were seriously injured.  At last report, Raju remained in hospital.

  Raju is no stranger to suffering.  On April 1, a similar mob of 200 gathered, demanding that services cease.  In January, Pastor Raju had gone to the nearby village of Rampur where he was beaten and accused of converting Hindus. He was arrested under Section 153A(1)b of the Indian Penal Code, which prohibits any act leading to religious disharmony and detained until March 3.  He was released only after his wife filed a petition to quash the charges and the Karnataka High Court ordered his release.

  Pray for a full and quick recovery for those injured and assaulted in this attack.  Pray for the continued ministry of the King Jesus Church.  Pray that those responsible for this attack will see the love and grace of God portrayed in the lives of Christians.

  India continues to be a country of particular concern to The Voice of the Martyrs, as reports of violence against Christians continue to mount in both number and intensity. "Believers in India are in a spiritual battle," says Glenn Penner, spokesman for The Voice of the Martyrs. "The pressure put upon them by militant Hindus to stop spreading the Gospel is tremendous. Praise God for those who continue to carry out Christ's call to bring the message of reconciliation to those who are hostile to Him and His messengers."

  For more information on India and the suffering of Indian Christians,click here.  The June edition of The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter focuses on the "insane" obedience of those who refuse to disobey God and remain silent.  Click here to subscribe today to The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter.

• Church Building Burned by Hindu Mob

  Armed with sickles, pickets and torches, approximately two hundred Hindus converged on the Believer's Church in Lamding village on April 19.  Lamding is located 21 kilometres from Imphal, the capital of the Indian state of Manipur.

  Opposed to a church being built in the predominantly Hindu area, the mob overpowered a police patrol assigned to protect the building, which was still under construction, and set it ablaze. The police guard was due to previous threats made against the church.  Reports vary, but at least four Christians were injured in the attack.  Three people have since been arrested.  Damage to the property has been estimated at 445,000 rupees ($12,680 CDN).

  Opposition to the work of the Church in India has been increasing in recent months; particularly from militant Hindu organizations striving to enact or enforce anti-conversion legislation. In an unusual act of solidarity against Christians, the Indian news agency "The Telegraph," reported on April 17 that Hindu and Sikh organizations in Chandigarh State have joined hands to stop religious conversions in their state after as many as fifty-six low-caste (Dalit) Sikhs converted to Christianity on April 16.  A state leader of the militant Hindu VHP threatened, "We warn Christian missionaries to lay their hands off Punjab."  Anti-conversion legislation is presently in place in five Indian states: Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.

  Pray for the Christians in Lamding village, as they meet to consider the appropriate response to this attack and consider future plans.  Pray that those responsible for this attack will come to understand the grace and love of Jesus Christ.  Pray for Christians throughout India facing opposition as they seek to share the Gospel.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in India,click here.

• Businessman Charged with Forcible Conversion

  Vidya Sagaran, a Christian businessman from Kayamkulam Taluka, in Kerala State, India was arrested by local police on March 30.  He has been accused of forcing a Hindu man to convert from Hinduism.

  According to an April 14 report from Compass Direct, Vishwanathan Pillai claimed that Sagaran loaned him money as a bribe to encourage him to convert. Pillai claims that Sagaran demanded the money back when he would not become a Christian.  Sagaran's lawyer, Ranjit George, denies this, telling Compass that his client was simply a mediator in a money transaction between Pillai and a third party.  When Sagaran requested the money back, Pillai accused him of bribery.

  While Kerala State does not have anti-conversion legislation, Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code outlines punishment for anyone who "promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious groups."  Local members of the Hindu militant group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are reportedly involved in encouraging Pillai to file the complaint.

  Pray that charges against Sagaran will be dropped and that the ministry of Christians in this area will not be hindered.  Pray that those opposed to Sagaran will see the love and grace of God shown through him.

  For more information on the problems facing Christians in India,click here.

• Villagers Burn Prayer Hall and Beat Christians

  Three years ago, a prayer hall was built in the slum area of Panamvilla village in Trivandrum, Kerala State, India.  Other than the twelve believers who meet there, the rest of the community is either Hindu or Muslim. 

  Pastor Paul Ciniraj Mohammed Photo from Salem Voice

  Speaking to Compass Direct, the pastor, Paul Ciniraj Mohammed, said that, while there have been negative comments about the prayer hall, there had been no incidents of violence until a baptism ceremony was held on April 1. Twenty-six adults from different villages were baptized in the early-morning service.  Later that day, a group of villagers comprised of both Hindus and Muslims attacked three of the church members praying in the hall.  After the assault, a fire was set to the hall, completely destroying the building.  Two days later, Pastor Ciniraj and his assistant were also assaulted. Christian leaders in the area attribute the attack to an increasing presence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu activist group.

  Pray for the recovery of those attacked.  Pray for the continued ministry of the Christians in Panamvilla in the wake of this attack.  Pray that those who have recently decided to follow Christ may be courageous and stand in God's grace in the face of opposition.

  For more information on persecution facing Christians in India,click here.

• Re-Conversion Ceremony Results in Threats of Violence

  Dilip Singh Judeo Former junior minister in the BJP party

  On April 2, a ceremony was held, during which Hindu activists claim that 700 Christians were "reconverted" to Hinduism in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh, India.  During that ceremony, a former junior minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, Dilip Singh Judeo, is reported to have made that threat that, "If Christian missionaries don't stop converting people, we will take up arms."

  The reconversion claims are in question, according to an April 7 report from Compass Direct.  A local Hindi newspaper puts the number at 97 rather than 700.  A local church leader, Pastor A. David, president of the Dhamtari Christian Fellowship, told Compass that those reconverted were actually Hindus who may have attended a Christian meeting once or twice.  Another Christian leader states that none of those reconverted had been baptized. Christians in Chhattisgarh see such events as a way for militant Hindu groups to encourage the state government to continue their plans to strengthen anti-conversion legislation (click here for details).

  Anti-conversion legislation is a controversial issue in India, with five states presently having such legislation.  The state of Tamil Nadu revoked its legislation in May 2004.  The western state of Maharashtra was in early April when a junior minister stated that such legislation would be introduced.  This was quickly denied by the state's Chief Minister.

  Pray that Christians will be free to continue sharing the Gospel of Christ in India.  Pray for steadfastness for those facing opposition from militant groups.

  For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.