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India

• Pastor Dragged from Meeting and Beaten

  

  A home prayer meeting was disrupted by Hindu nationalists in the Kanshiram Colony of Uttar Pradesh on July 28th. As some men and women were walking to the meeting, nationalists who recognized them as Christians began to physically and verbally assault them. When they arrived at the home where the prayer meeting was taking place, the harassment continued.

• Christians Forced to Reconvert

  

  Christians who had been worshipping privately in their homes were dragged before local village leaders and forced to participate in a "reconversion" rite on June 14th. The action follows a pronouncement two days earlier that 12 Christian families in Mahuatoli would be banished if they did not return to the tribal Sarna religion. As a result of the threats, most have fled the village.

  According to an area pastor, threats are common in the Gumla District of Jharkhand, where Hindu militants have joined together with tribalists to revolt against the growth of Christianity. In this instance, a mob of 20 villagers broke into the home of Jogiya Munda, forcing him and his widowed mother to bow before an idol. Buckets of water were poured on them to symbolize the purification rite.

• Released After Ten Years!

  

  When the popular Hindu swami (religious leader), Lakshmanananda Saraswati, was killed in August 2008, Maoist rebels claimed responsibility for the attack. Despite this claim, Hindu militants turned their anger towards the Christians of Odisha state (then known as Orissa). Riots exploded, particularly in the Kandhamal district. Hundreds of Christians were massacred, thousands were forced to flee for refugee camps, and an estimated 1,400 homes -- along with at least 90 churches and numerous businesses -- were destroyed. In the months that followed, The Voice of the Martyrs Canada provided needed relief aid, along with long-term support for the many surviving children of those who had been killed.

• Election Results Raise Concerns for Christians

  

  As more than 600 million citizens cast their ballots in the Indian general election, Christians and members of other religious minorities had added concerns about the outcome. Those concerns were realized after the results came in, for the Hindu-nationalist BJP party captured 303 of the 543 eligible seats. No other party had secured the minimum ten percent of seats required to gain official party standing.

• Christians Forced to Burn Bibles

  

  A prayer meeting that took place at a home in the state of Tamil Nadu was disrupted on March 19th by a mob affiliated with Hindu nationalist movements. The intruders demanded to know what was happening and then dragged those participating onto the street.

  Neethiraj, a missionary with the India Evangelical Mission, had been visiting the home of a student in the city of Hosur to pray for a sick youth. As part of the incident, Neethiraj's bag, which contained Christian tracts, was emptied on the street. The attackers then gathered Bibles and hymnals from the home and forced the missionary to set them on fire.

• Slain Convert Left on Road

  

  A recent convert to Christ was found killed and beheaded in Odisha earlier this month. While the specific reasons for his death are not yet known, he had faced constant pressure and intimidation since becoming a Christian nine months earlier.

  On February 11th, Anant Ram Gand was home with his six-year-old son Purno when three men came to the door, tied him up and dragged him away. The young boy began to follow but the attackers pushed him away, threatening to harm the child if he followed. In fear, Purno ran to his uncle's home.

• Church Demolished Due to Placement

  

  A church building within the village of Narnepadu in southern India was torn down on January 9th because it was on the west side of the village. Those responsible claim that the location of the building violated principles of Vastu Shastra, a Hindu system of planning and placement similar to the Chinese practise of Feng Shui.

• Persecution Over Christmas

  

  In areas throughout India, as well as Burma, Christmas was not a season of peace and joy. Christians faced violence and resulting injuries, as those opposed to the message of Christ stoned, slashed and terrorized local believers.

  In the Kanta Kawn Township of Central Burma, 27 Christians had gathered together in a home for a Christmas service on December 17th. As they prayed, villagers surrounded the house and began throwing stones. They then broke into the house to vandalize it. Along with causing damages to the home, motorbikes, furniture and dishes, the perpetrator injured six of the worshippers.

• Persecution Over Christmas

  

  In areas throughout India, as well as Burma, Christmas was not a season of peace and joy. Christians faced violence and resulting injuries, as those opposed to the message of Christ stoned, slashed and terrorized local believers.

  In the Kanta Kawn Township of Central Burma, 27 Christians had gathered together in a home for a Christmas service on December 17th. As they prayed, villagers surrounded the house and began throwing stones. They then broke into the house to vandalize it. Along with causing damages to the home, motorbikes, furniture and dishes, the perpetrator injured six of the worshippers.

• New Attacks Signify Growth

  

  According to Christian leaders in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, a significant increase in attacks on Christians is part of a planned campaign by Hindu nationalist leaders.

  According to the leader of a church planting network, an average of four or five churches are attacked every day, and the number of arrests of Christians is unprecedented. In addition, the offices of some Christian organizations have also been attacked.