Hindu Militants Attack Church Accused of Forcible Conversions

On May 14, Hindu militants beat a recent convert and the pastor of an independent church in Jabalpur, India and vandalized the building following the worship service, according to a May 15 report from Compass Direct.

About fifty members of the militant organization Dharam Jagran Sena threw stones at the Anant Jeevan Marg church before entering the building. They damaged furniture and equipment and beat Dinanath Tiwari, a former Hindu who had recently come to faith in Christ after his wife was cured of cancer.  The militants then roughed up Pastor Munnu Kujur and threatened to throw acid in his face and bomb his church if he did not stop converting Hindus to Christianity.  The mob took Kujur to the police station where he was charged under Madhya Pradesh's anti-conversion legislation. He was only released from custody after the Christian Legal Association of India intervened.  Tiwari has filed a counter-claim against four of the militants for their attack on him.

Pray that Dinanath's young faith will be strengthened through the trials that he has endured (James 1:1-4). Pray that this congregation will trust God to enable them to proclaim the Gospel regardless of what their opponents might say or do. (2 Timothy 4:16-18). Pray that Pastor Kujur know God's wisdom as he faces these charges.

For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, click here. The June edition of The Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter will feature testimonies and reports of the courage and suffering of our brothers and sisters in India. To subscribe today, go to our newsletter page.

India Information

  • Current Ministry Projects

    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.”

    Project Funds: Families of Martyrs, Equipping the Saints, Legal Defense, Relief and Development, Women’s Ministry, Medical Fund

  • Country Information

    Population
    1,399,179,585 (2023 est.)

    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.

India News

  • Christian Woman Killed by Relatives
    A woman is silhouetted against a sunset.

     

    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.

  • Young Convert Killed and Widow Forced to Flee
    Jime Kawasi is looking down with her eyes closed.
    Kosa Kawasi's wife, Jime.
    Photo: Morning Star News

    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.

  • Prison Sentence for Alleged Forced Conversions
    Pastor Ramesh Ahirwar and Sakshi.
    Pastor Ramesh Ahirwar and his wife Sakshi.
    Photo: Morning Star News

    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.