Christian workers beaten in Andhra Pradesh

Seven Christian men were brutally assaulted and arrested for painting Bible verses on a rock on a hill in Karimnagar, reports an All India Christian Council leader.

The team painted Bible verses on the rock to make them visible to people passing by on the main road. VHP and Bhajrang Dal activists noticed these verses and became enraged, as a Hindu temple is located on top of the hill.

The activists found the men responsible and brutally beat them. They also filed a case under 153(A) section. The police arrested the seven men on August 3. They were released on bail after two days in jail.

Please pray God would use these seven Christian men in mighty ways!

Orissa Christians acquitted!

Christians in India continue to
suffer persecution. Please pray!

On April 18, six Christians were acquitted of false accusations of arson, ending more than two and a half years of litigation, reported All India Christian Council.

The six men, Christians from a tribal background, were accused of burning down Hindu homes in Gajapati District, Odisha (formerly Orissa state), on October 20, 2008. Ironically, all of them lost their homes in the unprecedented anti-Christian riots of August 2008.

The Christians were charged under sections 147, 148, 452, 436, 506 and 149 of the Indian Penal Code.

Lawyers immediately appealed to the district court for anticipatory bail to prevent the arrest of the men who, as daily labourers, were the main source of income for their families. The district court rejected the request, and lawyers appealed to the Orissa High Court in 2010. The men went into hiding until the High Court granted their request, and then they immediately surrendered and were granted bail.

The Gajapati District sessions court began the trial in January 2011 and acquitted the men of all charges due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Praise the Lord!

18 Christians arrested in India

Eighteen Christians, including two pastors, were arrested on March 28 for converting to Christianity without official permit in Orissa's Mayurbhanj district, reported Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC).

The arrests came after a police complaint was filed against the two pastors and 16 newly converted Christians. The Christians were brought before the SDJM Court at Baripada and were released on bail on March 30 and 31, charged under the "Orissa Freedom of Religion Act," which bans any conversion lacking a permit issued by authorities.

Sajan K. George, president of GCIC, called on Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to withdraw the accusations and put a stop to anti-Christian violence in the state.

Pray all charges will be dropped and that freedom of religion will truly be experienced by the people of Orissa. Ask the Lord to minister to the new converts and deepen their faith to help them overcome this opposition. Pray the Lord will continue to build His Church. Pray for all those who would oppose Him in India.

Pastors attacked in India

Pray for believers to withstand
attacks by RSS members in India.

Pastor N V Eliyas, 45, and Pastor Milton George, 46, of New India Church of God, were returning home along with families, from a house dedication prayer service on March 31, when they were attacked by RSS activists, said the Global Council of Indian Christians.

Pastor Eliyas and his wife, Rachel, were returning on their motor bike and Pastor George was following them in his car along with his wife, Shiney.

They were stopped by about 50 RSS activists at Kara Beach Road and attacked. Sources say the activists also shouted slogans against them for “forceful conversions” while attacking the pastors. The car and the bike were very badly damaged by the activists.

Pastor Eliyas sustained injuries on his head and was rushed to the Kodungallur Government Hospital. The doctors advised the pastor to admit himself to Inrigalakuda Government Hospital for specialized treatment as they were not equipped for such serious injuries.

The police have arrested 35 Hindu activists belonging to the RSS. They have been charged by the police for their attack on the pastors and their family members.

Christians in India fear backlash at massive ‘reconversion’ event

Pray for believers in India today!

Responding to a petition by the state Catholic Bishops Conference, the High Court of Madhya Pradesh directed the state government to ensure the safety of Christians during a massive Hindu nationalist rally scheduled today through Saturday (February 10-12) in Mandla district, India, reported Compass Direct News.

Organizers of the Maa Narmada Samajik Kumbh on the banks of the Narmada River hope to draw 2 million pilgrims to the event. Christian leaders said that the Kumbh is the latest in a series of anti-Christian propaganda events that Hindu nationalist organizations have held in recent years.

A similar event in Dangs district, Gujarat state in 2006 was filled with hate speech against Christians and attempted mass “reconversions.” Area media in Mandla district have already begun carrying false stories of “forced conversion” and other malicious accusations against Christians.

A local tribal party known as the Gond Mahasabha (Great Assembly of the Gonds) has vehemently opposed the Kumbh. The Gonds, whose origins predate Hindu presence in the area, have stated that they are not Hindus and are against the proposed ghar wapasi or “homecoming” ceremony – a “reconversion” drive by the Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The RSS umbrella group of hard-line Hindu extremist groups asserts that all people born in India are Hindus, and that therefore anyone who believes otherwise must be “reconverted” back to Hinduism.

The Gonds have delivered an ultimatum to the RSS, threatening violence should even one case of “reconversion” occur at the Kumbh. They have called for a protest today, and clashes are expected.

Dr. John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council (AICC), told Compass that the RSS and its affiliates “have left no one in any doubt” that the main reason for the Kumbh “is to purge the region of ‘Christian missionaries’ they accuse of carrying on large-scale conversions of tribals, mostly Gonds, in this part of the country.”

Sources in the region have indicated to Compass that a hate campaign against Christians is already underway, fanned by local-language media reports hostile to Christian workers.

The current Kumbh is a follow-up of the Shabri Kumbh held February 11-13, 2006, in tribal-dominated Dangs district of Gujarat state.

Besides hate speeches before, during and after the event, the Kumbh also led to the beating of Christians, with many abandoning the area, and much loss of Christian property, including graveyards. Christian graves were reportedly dug up and crosses desecrated.

You can read the full report here.

Please pray for believers in India! Stay tuned for our March newsletter about India.

Indian pastor killed; authorities claim drowning

Authorities claim an Indian pastor
died from drowning, not from
being beaten.

Authorities are saying that an Indian pastor who was killed under mysterious circumstances on January 11, in Kandhamal District, Orissa state, died from drowning. The news has sparked the ire of Saul Pradhan’s family and villagers who accuse authorities of having manipulated the investigation to defend two Hindu extremists, reported Asia News and All India Christian Council.

Pradhan’s daughter and other relatives report that his body showed leg fractures and abrasions to the face and chest—clear signs of aggression.

Two of Pradhan’s employers were seen with him the day he died. The two men took part in an anti-Christian pogrom in 2008, during which Pradhan’s house was demolished. Fr. Bijay Kumar Pradhan, vicar of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar, told Asia News that before Pradhan’s murder, the two men had ordered the pastor to convert to Hinduism, threatening serious consequences for a refusal.

In recent days, Sajan George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christian (GCIC), spoke of the danger of the investigation being manipulated and sought the intervention of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Christmas celebrations held in Orissa, India; Christian's vehicle torched

Suranjan Naik with his vehicle
(photo from GCIC)

Several Christians were able to celebrate Christmas in Orissa state, India, this past weekend, say reports from All India Christian Council and ASSIST News Service.

In Bodimunda village, Christians reportedly celebrated Christmas together for the first time in three years. In Barakahma village, police kept watch as approximately 2,000 prayed together.

The peaceful celebrations came as a relief for many, as there had been fear that the holidays could lead to a flare-up in anti-Christian violence, especially as the state has been the site of intense attacks in recent years (see here). Fear of attacks prevented Christians in remote villages from holding Christmas celebrations.

Christmas weekend was not entirely without incident in Orissa, as a believer's vehicle was set on fire in Phulbani on December 25. Suranjan Naik and his wife, a nurse, were staying on campus at the government hospital. They were away attending a Christian celebration when their vehicle was set ablaze.

Thank the Lord that many brothers and sisters in Orissa were able to gather and joyously celebrate the birth of their Saviour, Jesus Christ. Pray a spirit of trust in the Lord, not fear, will govern the hearts and minds of believers in India. Pray those seeking to harm Christians in India because of their faith will repent of their ways and come to know Christ as Lord.