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India

  • Convent Attacked

    In the early morning of January 23, a group described as "miscreants" uprooted and smashed a cross at a convent run by Carmelite nuns in Ambernath near Mumbai, India.  Hand-written pamphlets were left behind, threatening, "Now it is the Cross, next time it will be your heads", "Run away, otherwise we will not spare you."  Those responsible claim to belong to a militant Hindu group.

    Pray for peace and protection for the nuns.  Pray for Christians in various areas throughout India who face opposition from groups opposed to the spread of Christianity.

    For more information on persecution in India,click here.
  • Churches Face Opposition in Various Ways

    The Voice of the Martyrs received two reports this week, demonstrating the challenges facing the Church in India.

    Naxalite rebel
    Zenit reported two separate incidents of violence against the Catholic church in early December.  On December 3, vandals broke into St. Francis of Assisi Church in Mathal, Tamal Nadu.  The door and windows were destroyed, along with the statue of St. Francis outside the church.  Days before, the church had received threats from a militant Islamic group called Byath.  The pastor, Father Perpetual, expressed surprise at the violence, saying that the Hindus, Christians and Muslims had always lived in peace in that area.

    Two days later, Naxalite rebels ransacked and burned down the Church of Matha Mary in the village of Pusnar in the state of Chhattisgarh.  According to Bishop Simon Stock Palathra, the Maoist Naxali rebels do not want the people to become either Christian or Hindu, but to "retain their tribal culture."

    On another note, St. John's Church of England in Jatni in the eastern state of Orissa is facing a legal battle with a Hindu temple.  In 2002, Hindu villagers built a Hindu temple on the grounds of St. John's Church.  According to a report from Compass Direct, the 150-year-old church is on land formerly owned by a church member who died without a will in 1989.  The land was passed to her brother who also died without a will in 1991.   The Hindu temple was built fifty metres from the church on the property claimed by the church.  The church has appealed to the National Human Rights Commission, asking for intervention in the face of inactivity by local authorities.

    Pray for the difficulties facing Christians in India from various sources, whether authorities, individuals or militant groups opposed to the spread of the Gospel.

    For more information on the challenges of being a Christian in India,click here.
  • Church Ransacked

    On November 7, a mob numbering 15-20 disrupted a Sunday prayer service in Kodikal, Mangalore, vandalizing the church and warning the worshippers against taking a part in religious conversions.  The attackers hurled stones and smashed windows, chairs, fans, pots and musical instruments. There were no injuries reported and twelve suspects have been arrested.

    Logo for Bajrang Dal

    Priscilla D'Souza, president of the Jesus Bread of Life Ministry, lodged a complaint accusing the militant Hindu organization Bajrang Dal of involvement.  She told Compass Direct that a local newspaper, Kravali Ale, had published a derogatory report against Christians on November 2, saying that their prayer hall would be attacked.  They have faced repeated threats since the hall was built in September 2003.

    Pray for this church as they repair the damage and face continuing opposition.  Pray for Christians throughout India as they face the threat of groups opposed to conversions.  At a three-day national executive meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last week, it became obvious that the former governing party is reverting to its anti-minority, pro-Hindu platform that observers fear could lead to increased violence against Christians and Muslims in India .

    For more information on India and the challenges facing Christians there,click here.
  • Native Missionary Severely Beaten On the morning of November 19 Budhudas, a Gospel for Asia missionary, was severely beaten by a mob opposed to his ministry.  The mob beat and kicked him while others ransacked his home, burning over 200 New Testaments and other literature, including his son's schoolbooks.  They also stole money found in the home.

    According to Gospel for Asia , the son of a local police official intervened but was also beaten.  Finally the police official was able to stop the beatings but was forced to ask Budhudas to leave the village immediately.  Budhudas has fled for safety, along with his wife and children.

    Pray for healing for those injured in this attack.  Pray for the continued ministry of Budhudas and other Christian workers spreading the Gospel in India .  Pray for those who participated in this attack, that the Lord will work in their lives, leading them to faith in Christ.

    For more information on persecution in India ,click here.
  • Five Christians Face Trial for ''Wounding Religious Feelings''

    On October 21, Abhiram Dhala, a local Christian convert, and four companions from Mumbai, Pastor Karl Silva, Roshan D'Souza, Ganesh Wankhede and Ramesh Thawar Chandwa, traveled to Suliapada in the Baripada district of Orissa, to address a Christian gathering and distribute Christian literature. Baripeda district is in the tribal belt of Mayurbhanj, Orissa.

    According to a November 2 release by Compass Direct, local police arrested the five Christians later that day, after a student lodged a complaint against them claiming that they had insulted him when he asked them to stop preaching near a shrine dedicated to the Hindu goddess Durga. The five were charged under Sections 294, 295(a), 298, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. Charges included "uttering obscene words in a public place," "uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of others," and "issuing threats or criminal intimidation to several persons." While the sub-divisional Balipada court rejected an appeal for bail on October 22 and sentenced the five to police custody, the five were released on October 28, after a Sessions Court granted bail.

    Pastor Karl Silva, one of the accused, told UCA News, "The case is fabricated. We were at least one kilometre away from the Puja Pandal [shrine] in an open square, and we were simply sharing the love of God…. When we felt a section of the people could turn violent, we went to the police station, hoping we would be protected by the police, but the police turned against us. They didn't even allow us to make a phone call. On the contrary, one of the policemen abused us."

    Their lawyer, Pratap Chhinchani, contends that this complaint is a deliberate attempt to malign Christians. He told Compass Direct that the student complained that the preachers had used abusive language and threatened to kill him when he asked to refrain from preaching near the shrine. Chhinchani pointed out that the preachers did not even know the local tribal language and could not have used the obscene and abusive language that they are being accused of.

    Father Dibakar Parichha, a Catholic priest in Bhubaneswar, told UCA News he believed the complaint was part of a hate campaign of Hindu extremist groups against Christians. The World Hindu Council (VHP) has been aggressively carrying out a "reconversion" drive in Orissa unhindered by local authorities. Local Christians reject the term "reconversion" as many of the tribal people were traditionally animist before turning to Christianity. However, Indian law categorizes all tribal peoples as Hindu, placing them at the lower level of the Hindu caste system.

    Pray for these five men as they prepare for their trial on these false charges. Pray that local Christians will remain faithful to Christ in the face of relentless pressure by the VHP.

    For more information on persecution of Christians in India,click here.
  • Kidnapped Pastor Released

    The October 6 Persecution and Prayer Alert reported on the kidnapping of two pastors in India, one of whom escaped (click here for details). Gospel for Asia has since reported that the remaining pastor, Tulsiram, was released on October 6, after being kept in an unknown location and beaten.

    Continue to pray for Pastor Tulsiram, that he will completely recover from his injuries. Pray for the continued outreach into the village of Chhattisgarh and throughout India.

    For more information on persecution facing Christians in India, click here.
  • Reconverted to Hinduism After Death

    "It is ridiculous that an attempt was made to convert a dead man back to Hinduism," said Rev. Richard Howell, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India. However, that is what villagers in the Indian village of Gurandi, Orissa attempted to do last week. According to an October 12 report from Compass Direct, the incident began on October 4, after Bala Tulasiga, a 35-year-old Catholic convert from Hinduism, was buried in the only cemetery in the area, a Hindu one. Although Christians had been buried there in the past, the district leader of the militant Hindu organization, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), organized a protest. As a result, Tulasiga's family was compelled to dig up his body. The body then went through a re-conversion ceremony before being re-buried using Hindu burial rites. Tulasiga's wife, mother and brother were also reportedly reconverted to Hinduism at the time.


    Hindu Re-Conversion Ceremony 

    The local police claims to have received letters from the family stating that they reconverted of their own free will. However, Christian leaders believe the family was forced to convert through pressure from other villagers.

    Pray for strength for Christians in Gurandi and other areas of India where pressure to return to Hinduism is strong. Pray for the family members who went through the reconversion ceremony, that Christ will speak to them and draw them back to Himself.

    For more information on the challenges facing Christians in India,click here.
  • Pastors Beaten and Kidnapped As They Prepare for Baptism


    Photos fromGospel for Asia

    On October 5, Gospel for Asia (GFA) pastors Tulsiram and Vijay were preparing to baptize thirty-two new believers in Chhattisgarh, India when they were severely beaten and kidnapped. According to a report from GFA, Pastor Vijay was able to escape and ran almost twenty-five miles to tell the GFA district leader what happened. At last report, there is no information on the whereabouts of Pastor Tulsiram.

    Pray for the safe release of Pastor Tulsiram and physical strength and healing for both men. Pray for the continued spread of the Gospel in India, despite the attempts to hinder and stop the ministry.

    For more information on the persecution of Christians in India,click here.
  • Missionaries of Charity Attacked

    Nine missionaries working with a Catholic order known for their work with those most desperately in need in India were attacked and injured on Saturday, September 25. The attacks began as two missionaries visited a slum area on the outskirts of Kozhikode. According to news reports, they were dragged from their jeep and the crosses around their necks were broken. They managed to escape and took refuge in a police station after the people living in the slum intervened on their behalf.

    An hour later, as the Mother Superior and six others arrived in a jeep to assist those attacked, they were likewise surrounded by a group of around forty, wielding iron rods. Shouting "Long Live BJP," "Long Live the RSS" and other pro-Hindu nationalist slogans, the mob assaulted the missionaries. Both the BJP, the opposition nationalist party, and the RSS, its parent organization, are known for their pro-Hindu practices and policies.

    None of the injuries was life-threatening, but the authorities are taking this situation very seriously. The Missionaries of Charity, best known because of their founder, Mother Teresa, have refused to file a report, saying they are called to forgive. The assailants are reported to be young adults opposed to the work of Christians in the country. At last report, four of the attackers have been identified by police.

    Pray for those involved in the attack, that they will see the love and mercy of God and will repent and come to trust in Christ. Pray for a full recovery for those attacked.

    For more information on difficulties facing Christians in India,click here.
  • Suspected Killer of Priest Arrested, Cover-up Suspected

    On September 8, we reported on the murder of Father Job Chittilappilly (view the story). According to Zenit, Reghu Kamar, 25, has confessed to the murder, saying he feared that Father Chittilappilly would convert Hindus to Christianity. Kamar also apparently wanted to revive a Hindu temple close to the church, Our Lady of Grace, where the priest served. The Hindu temple had been closed for twenty years. According to local beliefs, a Hindu priest had been killed twenty-five years earlier and the temple would only be restored by offering the blood of another priest.

    Local Christians are not convinced that Kamar had acted alone and are suspecting a police cover-up. Pray for peace in the community and a resolution to this murder.

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

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