Christian Couple Forced to Perform Hindu Ritual

Kollol and his family

In the month of June, 15 radical Hindus attacked a Christian couple during a prayer meeting in their home. "Kollol" and his wife were beaten and then dragged to a Hindu temple where they were forced to undergo a ritual "cleansing." During the ritual, the Hindus poured water on them to symbolize outward cleansing and dabbed red powder on their foreheads to mark them as devout Hindus. When the assailants force-fed the couple with food sacrificed to idols, Kollol's two teenage daughters began to protest. The young women were then beaten as well, to the point that they and their parents all required treatment at a hospital. Community members later evicted the family from the village, threatening to kill them if they returned.

The attack against this family is just one incident in an ongoing trend of violence against Christians. Since late May, when the country's new prime minister was sworn in, there have been more than 600 attacks on minority Christians and Muslims. The new governing party, Bharatiya Janata Party (or BJP), is well known for espousing Hindu nationalism.

Please pray for "Kollol," his wife, and their two daughters, asking God to shield them from any further assault. May He heal their bodies as they recover from the ordeal, while also guarding their hearts from fear. Also pray for the perpetrators of this attack, that they may repent and come to accept Christ as their Saviour. Also lift up in prayer India's new governmental leaders, praying that God will use them to advance His good purposes in this country.

For more information on India's persecuted church, check out our online country report.

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.