Christians Expelled from Tribal Village

A group of Christians.
Some of the expelled believers.
Photo: Chhattisgarh Progressive Christian Alliance

On December 4th, a group consisting of 13 Christian families were expelled from their home village in rural Chhattisgarh because they refused to deny their faith. The families, comprising a total of 66 individuals, were summoned to a village council meeting in the town of Mungwal. The villagers opposing these families tried to pressure them to deny their faith in Jesus Christ, mandating that they return to their former tribal religion.

When the believers refused to recant their faith, the other villagers angrily beat them. Entire families were then expelled from the village, including children and the elderly. The ousted Christians, who were forced to leave all of their belongings behind, have since gone to live with relatives in other villages. Though the incident was reported to the local police, no action has been taken. For additional reports addressing the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters in India, go to our country report.

The situation in Mungwal is part of a series of recent incidents that have altogether affected 150 families in various tribal villages throughout Chhattisgarh. Closer to the Fire podcast host Greg Musselman recently interviewed Nitin Sardar, the director of Dinabanhu Ministries, to address various recent incidents of persecution. To view this informative interview, and to learn more about the challenges facing fellow believers in India, see this video. (Discussion on the case specifically relating to the 13 expelled families, along with footage of the actual attack, begins at 25:18 in the recorded interview.)

Please lift up these expelled believers in your prayers, asking the Lord to minister healing, consolation, provision for their daily spiritual and practical needs, as well as divine guidance, so their families will experience a promising future. Despite the difficulties they've recently endured, may their faith in Christ remain strong, enabling them to be shining lights of His transformative love wherever they're presently residing. May the Lord give them opportunities to share the Gospel with their new neighbours, praying that the conveyed message will resonate as truth in many receptive hearts. Additionally, intercede for the members of their former village – including those who expelled them from the community – in hopes these villagers will come to a saving faith in Christ as well.

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.