INDIA(Wikipedia) – World Watch List #31 (Open Doors UK)

Population: 1.2 billion (71 million Christians)
Main Religion: Hinduism
Government: Federal republic
Source of Persecution: Religious militancy/Islamic extremism/ Organised corruption

Religious militants are one of the most prominent attackers of the Christian minority, claiming that every Indian has to be Hindu. ‘Anti-conversion laws’ have been adopted in several states and are frequently used as a pretext to disrupt church services and to harass and accuse Christians. Permission to build or renovate a church building is almost impossible and church activities can be perceived as ‘hurting religious feelings’ and ‘disturbing peace and order’. The caste system, which is deeply rooted in society, makes outreach extremely difficult.

PLEASE PRAY:

• For Christians attending Open Doors’ ‘Standing Strong through the Storm’ seminars to strengthen them in the face of persecution
• For converts from Hindu or Muslim backgrounds, who face exclusion by friends and family
• Praise God that, despite the troubles, the Indian church is growing.

PERSECUTION DYNAMICS:

Religious militants who follow the Hindutva ideology believe that every Indian must be Hindu, and are one of the main sources of persecution. The Christian minority therefore never relies on fair treatment and is discouraged from claiming their rights. The successful political party relying on this is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). ‘Anti-conversion laws’ have been adopted in several federal states and are frequently used as a pretext to disturb and disrupt church services as well as to harass and accuse Christians. Permission to build or renovate a church building is almost impossible and all church activities can be perceived as ‘hurting religious feelings’ and ‘disturbing peace and order’.

A Maoist-Communist movement called the ‘Naxalites‘, which fights the government, can be found in at least 12 states. They perceive Christians as enemies who have links with the government and the West. Islamic extremism also continues to grow and converts from a Muslim background have to withstand exclusion by their family, friends and neighbours, which can be also true for Hindu converts. The Hindutva movement is also targeting tribes aggressively and corruption is rife in the country. The caste system, which is deeply rooted in society, makes outreach extremely difficult. Despite all these troubles, the Indian church is growing. It is very likely that persecution will increase in 2013 and in the run up to 2014 elections.

ANECDOTAL REPORT:

On March 12 in a southeast India village, the local newspaper published allegations that the Divya Jyoti Church had been built on government land.

The next day, a crowd equipped with a backhoe demolished the small church building, encountering no resistance from the leaders of Guriya Village, in Chhattisgarh state.

Pastor Budhram Baghel said the church building had stood on land belonging to him.

“A temporary shed had been constructed in 2006 on this land, after gaining permission from the authorities and the shed was later replaced by a permanent building,” said Rev. Rakesh Dass, a friend of Bahel’s.

Three residents of Gadia village, filed a complaint that the building encroached on government land. Their allegations were published in the local newspaper, Dass said.

The crowd arrived the next day, led by Kailash Rathi and Yogendra Kaushik, officers of the local Visva Hindu Parisad, or VHP, a Hindu nationalist organization.

Budhram tried to summon help, but it did not arrive quickly enough to prevent the demolition.

Those who protested were assaulted by members of the crowd, Christian witnesses said. They said several local officials, including the revenue officer, land officer, village head, police chief and a group of police officers, watched the demolition without objection.