The Voice of the Martyrs was delighted to learn this week that India's new Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, has appointed P.R. Kyndiah from northeast India to become his Minister of Tribal Affairs. Kyndiah is known to be a strong Christian and his appointment, it is hoped, will help stem the rising persecution of Christians that has marked India over the last five years. The electoral defeat of the ruling pro-Hindu BJP government and the appointment of India's first non-Hindu Prime Minister are hopeful signs that religious minorities can expect greater protection than they have in recent years.
Thank God for recent developments in the India government. Pray that militant groups loyal to the former government will not instigate acts of violence against Christians and other religious minorities in retaliation.
For more information on challenges facing the Church in India, click here.
VOMC assists persecuted Christians with legal support and rehabilitation assistance, and cares for children of martyrs by providing them with a safe place to be nurtured physical and spiritually. VOMC also partners to equip Christians in India with Biblical training and works to strengthen and support marginalized and persecuted Christian women. Additionally, VOMC helps to provide medical assistance to believers who have faced injuries after being attacked.”
Ethnicity (%) Indo-Aryan (72), Dravidian (25), other (3)
Religion (%) Hinduism (79.8), Muslim (14.2), Christianity (2.3), Sikh (1.7), other (2)
Leader President Droupadi Murmu (2022)
Government type Federal parliamentary republic
Legal system Based on English common law; separate personal law codes apply to Christians, Hindus and Muslims.
Source: CIA World Factbook
Pray for India
Despite the intimidation and violence that have taken place in many of India's states, may Christians wisely yet unashamedly preach the Gospel. Pray that indigenous Christians and foreign missionaries will minister in ways that do not hint at fraudulent conversions, unmasking the intentions behind the anti-conversion legislation. Intercede for India's leaders, that they may reign with justice and righteousness.
In an affidavit filed earlier this month before India's Supreme Court, officials from the Indian state of Rajasthan announced their plans to introduce legislation that would ban so-called forced religious conversions. The proposal comes after the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took control of the state following elections in late November, unseating the more centrist Indian National Congress.
A Christian woman was beaten to death with a hammer and other weapons on June 24th because of her conversion to Christianity. The murder took place in Toylanka, a village in the state of Chhattisgarh.
On May 4th, 22-year-old Kosa Kawasi was killed during a violent mob attack while at his home in the village of Kapanar, Chhattisgarh state. The mob, believed to have been led by the young man's uncle and cousin, was angered that Kosa and his wife Jime had converted to Christianity. As a result, the opposing villagers had unsuccessfully tried to force the Christian couple from their home. Following this incident, the angry community members physically confronted the believer – ultimately inflicting a lethal stab wound.
A Christian couple was recently sentenced to prison after accusations were made that they had been involved in pressuring others to convert to Christianity. Pastor Ramesh Ahirwar and his wife Sakshi are from the village of Vivek Nagar in Madhya Pradesh. A man had accused the couple of abducting his estranged wife Sapna (who also happens to be Pastor Ramesh's niece) before allegedly pressuring her to convert, holding the woman against her will, and not allowing her to return home to be with him. He also purported that the Christian couple offered to build Sapna a home and give her money each month. The complainant, Abhishek, further claimed that the Christians attempted to convert him as well, offering him a job in return.