HINDUS MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR CHRISTIANS IN INDIA

India's racial, ethnic, religious, and linguistic diversity is staggering. With over one billion people, it is the most populous functioning democracy in the world.

Though the majority of the people are Hindu, India is a secular nation with constitutional freedoms of speech and religion and, generally speaking, the government works to protect those freedoms.

Christians have often faced opposition due to the deterioration of freedoms under the influence of militant Hindus at the federal level. However, Christians were encouraged by a surprising turn in the May 2004 election when the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP party was overthrown, and the secular National Congress Party was voted into power. Their rise to power prompted almost immediate reformation in India.

The state of Tamil Nadu, which was the first of several states to adopt anti-conversion legislation under the BJP, was also the first to repeal that law when the government changed hands. Contrary to the action taken in Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh State has been actually working to tighten anti-conversion laws, stating that it has too many loopholes. Anti-conversion laws remain in place in several states, giving support to militant groups and resulting in ongoing violence against Christians.

Specific instances of personal attacks can be named all across India. In May 2005, the death sentence for the man convicted of murdering Australian missionary Graham Staines and his boys in 1999 was commuted from the death sentence to life imprisonment. Seeing this as leniency for those who kill Christians, a Hindu militant and at least two others entrapped and murdered two pastors on the outskirts of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

Reports of village churches being destroyed and church leaders being threatened by local Hindus continue to be a daily reality in India whilst converts to Christianity are often cast out of their families and face poverty and ostracism.

Prayer points for India

Pray that militant influences in the government will continue to decrease and that freedom of religion will be recognized throughout India.

Pray for protection for pastors, evangelists and other Christian workers as they share the Good News of Jesus.

Pray for that those who turn to Christ will find the means to have their needs met.

Pray that those who seek to hinder the work of the Church in India will see the love and grace of Jesus in the lives of Indian Christians.

Source: Voice of the Martyrs

May 2006