Posted on 02/20/2006 12:10:18 PM PST by mhuye
Greetings from Pastor silvi, India. My nation India needs your urgent prayers and intercession as satan is doing its work.
You might have been hearing about the preparations of attack and re-conversion of hundreds of thousands of Tribal Christians to Hinduism in Gujarat. This is mainly focused in the District of Dang in Gujarat and the three districts of Maharashtra that are bordering to Gujarat, namely Nandur Bar, Nasik and Dhule. All these districts have hundreds and thousands of Tribal Christians.
You may remember the atrocities of the Hindu Militants especially the VHP( Viswa Hindu Parishad) to the Christians of Dang in1998 when many Christians were attacked, churches were damaged and properties of Christians were destroyed. The one that they are planning now is much bigger in focus and intensity.
It is also alleged that the VHP has brought 5000 Hindu Sadhu's ("holy men") most of them with HIV+ and that some 20 each would be sent to every Christian village to molest the Christian women and girls.
It may please be noted that these Christians do not have too much commitment to non-violence especially if their women and girls are touched.
The state Governments of Gujarat and Maharashtra and the district collectors are all (It appears) committed to help the Hindu Militants. Even the media is not giving any coverage according to the seriousness of the situation. The Human Right Organisations seem to be interested to do things only after everything is over.
This is a time to pray and intercede for the Christians of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Many Churches all over India have declared Saturday's as a day of fasting and prayer. Please join in this prayer and continue till the evil designs of Hindu Militants are defeated in Gujarat and Maharashtra.
Please forward this prayer alert to as many and as quickly as you can.
Thanking you,
Yours in Him, Pastor Silvi Kothapally www.sem-india.org
I thought the Hindu were supposedly a peaceful people?
Hmmmm.....
Prayers for all Christians who suffer persecution.
Prayers for the Tribal Indian Christians. May the Lord grant His protection and bring them peace.
From what I have heard there have been some serious hatred between the missionaries there and the Hindus.
Prayers for His hedge of protection around the children of the one true God, their persecution will not go unpunished.
I will be praying and I'll pass this along!
We will pray for you and pray that God softens the hearts of your enemies.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
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ON THE NET...
PERSECUTION.ORG: INDIA
http://www.persecution.org/newsite/countryinfodetail.php?countrycode=3&PHPSESSID=a22427fde1f074ac4c5be2875a74d72d
http://www.persecution.org
Keep posting your updates on this thread please.
We would appreciate it.
We will continue to pray.
Prayer ping.
Note: The following text is a quote:
---
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06020078.htm
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
Friday, February 17, 2006
SHABRI KUMBH COMES AND GOES WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT CHRISTIANS FEAR WHAT’S AHEAD
By: John M. Lindner
Special to ASSIST News Service
KOTA, INDIA (ANS) -- The Shabri Kumbh came and went peacefully in the Dangs District of Gujarat State, India, last weekend. Christians thank the international exposure and the actions of courts and federal and state authorities for ensuring order, but fear attacks may be down the road.
Dr Joseph D’Souza, President of the All India Christian Council, in a news release obtained by ANS, thanked India’s Supreme Court for directing the Federal and State governments to “ensure security to the Christian community in Dangs District of Gujarat” during the Shabri Kumb (translated “Reawakening Rally”).
The AICC noted that state funds intended for use by local panchayats [townships] had been used to build an infrastructure for the festival and had asked the Supreme Court to ban the rally. Though the court said it would not be proper to ban the rally, “it directed the central and state governments to ensure protection of the minority Christian community and its institutions,” according to D’Souza.
An estimated 300,000 people attended the event, which had “homecoming” as its theme. Organizers felt that the Dang tribals should leave Christianity and “come home” to Hinduism.
According to a February 14 news release by Compass Direct, Gujarat Chief Minister Narenddra Modi said the conversion (from Hinduism to Christianity) would not be tolerated and time had come for converted tribals to go back to Hindusim. However, Modi could not mention one incident of forced conversion.
The Calcutta Telegraph quoted K. Sudarshan, head of the RSS (Hindi acronym for National Volunteer Movement, a strongly anti-Chrisitan Hindu nationalistic movement), as saying, “[Fighting induced conversions] has to be combated with everything at our command and with the use of tactics that the opponent has been using against us.”
Basant Rawat, writing for the Calcutta Telegraph, said the gathering passed a resolution denouncing forced conversions and urging states to pass tougher anti-conversion laws. Again, the resolution did not document one incident of forced conversion.
Though no attempt to force Dang Christians to “revert” to Hinduism marred the event, Christians fear trouble may be down the road once the army of police guards return to their home places.
According to Compass Direct, Jesuit Father Cedric Prakash, official spokesman of the Gujarat United Christian Forum for Human Rights, monitoring the rights of both Catholics and Protestants, was interviewed by Nirmala Carvalho. “Once the media glare dies down and security is withdrawn—then we expect the real trouble to begin,” he said.
Another event looms on the horizon and will be watched with equal interest. This time thousands of Christians will gather outside the city of Kota, Rajasthan, for the graduation of more than 5,000 students from Emmanuel Ministries International Bible schools and theological seminary. An additional 5,000 students from southern schools are graduating this weekend in the states of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
Last year, Hindu activists attacked Christians arriving by train and bus for the annual event, detained, beat and robbed them, and sent many back penniless on returning trains. Buses had their tires slashed and windows smashed, and several students and leaders received injuries requiring medical attention. So the world will be watching to see if authorities are able to ensure peace and order for this Christian event.
EMI was founded in 1960 by Bishop M.A. Thomas, and his son, Dr. Samual Thomas, president of EMI, known also as Hopegivers International in the U.S., said they had always informed authorities of their intent to hold the event, but had never been required to get permission to do so.
John M. Lindner is a missionary writer with 25 years experience and now heads World Christian Ministries with a goal of publishing a new World Christian magazine depicting the tribulation and triumph of missionaries of the two-thirds world. He also edits Hopegivers Journal and was given a Doctor of Ministry degree by Emmanuel Theological Seminary, Kota, India, in 2005. He has authored two books: God's Special Agents, depicting the biographies of 12 mission leaders from the two-thirds world, and The Mountains Shall Sing, the story of P.M. Thomas and the Himalaya Evangelical Mission.
www.WorldChristianMinistries.org
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.
TRAVEL.STATE.GOV - CONSULAR INFORMATION SHEET: INDIA
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1139.html
stepping back in time...
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=43377
"U.S. bars official for religious persecution
Rights groups hail denial
of visa to head of India state"
Posted: March 19, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The U.S. State Department denied a visa to a high-level official in India, contending he is responsible for persecution of religious minorities, including Christians and Muslims."
ARTICLE SNIPPET #2: "Modi was scheduled to be chief guest of the 2005 Annual Convention and Trade Show of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., March 24-26. He also was to speak March 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Last year, the Indian Supreme Court said trials surrounding the Gujarat riots will never be held fairly due to Modi's state leadership.
Since taking office in 2001, Modi has overseen introduction of Nazi literature into Gujarat education standards and the passage of anti-conversion legislation targeting Muslims and Christians."
Prayers up!
Only slightly Off Topic...
http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/2/172006c.asp
"Hopegivers' Graduations Mark Changed Destiny for India's Dalit Missionaries"
By Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
February 17, 2006
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "(AgapePress) - Hopegivers International, a Christian ministry that rescues orphans from the streets of India and trains native missionaries to spread the gospel, is preparing to hold graduation ceremonies at its seminary later this month. Many of those graduating are from India's lowest social class, the Dalits, who were once widely known as "untouchables."
More than 10,000 students are expected to graduate from Hopegivers International's seminary during the commencement ceremonies in Kota, India, this month. Most of the students in the ministry's Christian missionary training programs are members of the Dalits, a group that Dr. Samuel Thomas says has faced severe persecution in their Hindu society for more than 3,000 years."
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Traditionally in India, Thomas notes, "Dalits were treated worse than animals." But this year, he says, for the first time the formerly untouchable, outcaste, and unwanted Dalits will become an integral part of God's plan for reaching out to all of their nation with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"Twenty-five percent of India's population is Dalit," Hopegivers International's president emphasizes. "How can we reach them?" he asks. "We can reach them by reaching their own people and then sending them to the mission field."
Last year, Hopegivers International's graduation ceremonies faced opposition from terrorists who tried to prevent the commencement exercises from taking place. But Thomas says these faith-filled Christian seminary graduates will not be deterred. Upon graduation, he notes, each student receives a bicycle and a one-way ticket to their first assignment on the mission field."
Thank you for the ping. I've forwarded the message to our world missions prayer team. Personally I am praying as well.
Our prayers are with you
Dear Friends in Christ,
I am an Indian Catholic Christian of Portuguese Dexcent from the Former Portuguese Colony of Goa on the South-West Coast of India.
I wish to highlight here the atrocities and persecution of India's miniscule Catholic and Christian Minority.
While living in the United States more than 4 years back, I was appalled that no News Media Organization is interested in creating awareness about the persecution of Catholics and Christians of India.
I am posting a number of articles for your perusal here all with their relevant URL'S.
I am also appalled that Western Christendom is just not interested in the welfare of all Indian Christians given the fact that in many parts of the country Our "Religious Freedom" is under threat from Extremist Hindu Groups.
Finally, Some of y'all may be aware that President Bush will be visiting India next week, I really wonder if the Persecution of India's Christians and Catholics is on his agenda.
If y'all know of any U.S. Senator or Congressman or Congresswoman who is a Republican and is interested in the welfare and safety and is truly concerned about Indian Christians and Catholics and our religious freedom-- please Freep mail me as I have a number of relevant articles with their apppropiate url's at my disposal and I am willing to give it to anyone who is really concerned about Indian Christians and Indian Catholics.
Your Brother in Christ
Your Prayers are requested for all Indian Christians and Catholics in India.
Please also visit http://www.fiacona.org -- It is the Web Portal of the Federation of Indian American Christians of North America. They also have a good archive of articles on what is happening in India with regard to the Christian Community.
This is the most recent incident as of February 2006 and almost every day there are attacks on Indian Christians by Extremist Hindu Groups throughout the country.
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/observer/story.html?id=405b0298-81b1-480d-852e-f89244bbc03f
Hindu militants attack bishop
Calgary Herald
Published: Sunday, February 05, 2006
Indian Catholic Bishop Thomas Dabre of Vasai was assaulted by a Hindu mob last Sunday as he visited a home for orphans in a remote village in western Maharashtra state.
About 200 Hindu militants shouted slogans and threw stones, damaging three vehicles that carried the bishop and several priests to Ghosali, 160 kilometres north of Bombay.
The attack followed renewed charges of "forced conversion" levelled by Hindu activists at the Indian Catholic Church, in response to education data released Jan. 21.
The Indian Catholic Church runs about 20,000 schools, a third of them in poor rural areas. Of the six million-strong student population, only 23 per cent are Catholic, while 55 per cent are females who would otherwise receive no primary education.
Several provincial governments have passed anti-conversion laws primarily against the Christian minority (2.3 per cent or 25 million), but a Conference of Catholic Bishops of India spokesman insisted forced conversions are "impossible in India," where "police and district administrations are Hindu-dominated."
Source: www.asianews.it
© The Calgary Herald 2006
http://www.compassdirect.org/content/index.php?id=15&critere=&countryname=India&rowcur=0
(This URL as it is above contains a fantastic Archive of Articles on the persecution of Indian Christians as well as Catholics from 2006-1999.
http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newslongen.php?idelement=4134
1. India - Thursday December 15, 2005
A YEAR OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CATHOLICS
Rather than prosecuting Hindu extremists, police often refuse to file charges.
December 15 (Compass) – As Catholic believers across India gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus, many will carry physical or emotional scars as a result of attacks launched by Hindu extremists over the past year.
Many incidents of violence against both Catholics and Protestants went unreported, since the police often refused to record the victims’ complaints, but by last June the number of violent attacks recorded by Christian organizations had reached over 200.
This number was expected to double by year’s end. Catholics, who make up about 60 percent of Christians in India according to Operation World, were often targeted in these attacks.
“This year Hindu extremists have beaten our priests, assaulted our nuns, broken crosses and urinated on sacred vessels,” said Dr. John Dayal, president of the All India Catholic Union. “These acts of desecration show the true nature of the attackers.”
Attacks were reported in Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the states of tribal central India.
“We also have reports of attacks on Catholic clergy from West Bengal in the east to Andhra Pradesh in south central India,” Dayal said.
Desecration of religious objects is common in such attacks.
Police, however, often ignore the religious aspects of a complaint because of the legal implications.
“Indian law has specific provisions against actions that sow seeds of hatred between communities,” Dayal explained. “We also have laws against violence directed at a specific religious or other minority group. Still other laws come into operation if the victims are Dalits.”
In several cases of religiously-motivated violence this year, police have refused to record a “First Information Report,” leaving the victims with no legal means to pursue their complaints. In other cases, desecration of religious objects is recorded only as petty crime or theft.
Rajasthan has the highest number of recorded incidents. In February, Rajasthan’s state government announced plans to adopt anti-conversion legislation, echoing laws already in force in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Arunachal Pradesh.
Gujarat state passed a similar law in March 2003, but the law has not yet been enforced.
The Rev. Dr. Babu Joseph, director of communications and spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, told Compass the total number of violent incidents reported had declined over the past year.
“This is partly due to the change of government in 2004, and its policies of inclusiveness ... which have given a better sense of security to those who suffered harassment,” Joseph claimed.
Other Christian leaders rejected Joseph’s claim of decreasing religious violence, but all agree that anti-Christian violence surged after the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won federal elections held in 1998. The BJP government was ousted by a Congress Party-led coalition in new elections held in April 2004.
Joseph admitted that the situation is still far from ideal.
“As the spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, I ardently hope that the new year will see a positive change in the social scenario of India, [so that] people of all religions, cultures and castes can find an honorable place to live and develop as equal citizens of our beloved India.”
For his part, Dayal has issued a call for all church groups to work together in combating violence.
“We must not accuse each other of attracting violence from extremist groups,” he told Compass. “Instead we must teach our groups, both Catholics and Protestant, to be more culturally sensitive and to exercise common sense.”
But once an attack has taken place, he said, it must be recognized as a crime that should be denounced and punished.
The most recent attack occurred on December 12, when Hindu extremists forced more than 40 Dalit Catholic families in Raipur district of Chattisgarh state to convert to Hinduism.
The villagers were threatened with loss of employment and Dalit social benefits if they refused.
Other examples of persecution of Catholic churches or individuals in 2005 include (alphabetically, by state):
* In Assam state on September 2, armed assailants murdered Mgr. Nellickal, vicar-general of Tezpur diocese, on church premises.
* In Delhi on May 23, vandals set fire to St. Mary’s church complex in Saharanpur, 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) outside Delhi. They set fire to records in the director’s office and destroyed 200 textbooks and 1,000 new diaries intended for students. “There was nothing left in the rooms except the tables,” said one tribal sister who taught at the school.
* In Jharkhand state(Eastern India) on September 13, a tribal Catholic priest identified only as Father Agnos was murdered during a peaceful demonstration for tribal rights. A mob of some 40 Hindu extremists armed with knives, arrows and swords stormed the rally and attempted to disperse the 3,500 demonstrators. Fr. Agnos was stabbed in the back and bled to death.
* In Kerala state on October 17, four unidentified men armed with wooden sticks attacked the home of Bishop Vincent Samuel in Neyyatinkara. Attackers had destroyed the windows and were about to break in when a police patrol arrived. A security guard was injured in the attack, and three vehicles were damaged.
* In Maharashtra on January 23, armed extremists attacked the Teresian Carmelites Convent, which runs a home for the elderly in a suburb of Mumbai(Bombay). The door and cross were smashed. Pamphlets left by the attackers encouraged the nuns to “Run away – or we will come back. This country is ours. Now it is the cross; the next time it will be your heads.”
* In Manipur on April 19, a mob of 200 extremists armed with sickles and torches set fire to a Catholic church in Lamding village.
* In Rajasthan on June 9, mobs of extremists attacked two Catholic convents; on June 11, a mob attacked a third convent and held the nuns captive overnight; on June 12, extremists broke into the Holy Trinity Church in Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan, and threw rotten eggs and blue-colored water at a shrine dedicated to the infant Jesus.
* October 16 [in Rajasthan state], members of the Hindu extremist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) accused Catholics holding a procession of planning forced conversions among tribal people in Udaipur district. Bishop Joseph Pathalil’s car was pelted with stones as he left the procession, but he escaped unharmed.
* Also in Udaipur district, on October 25 five nuns waiting at a bus stop were beaten with sticks.
* In West Bengal on February 12, police arrested 81-year-old Father. Luciano Colussi, vicar-general of Krishnagar, giving no reason or explanation for his arrest.
2.http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newslongen.php?idelement=4142
India - Friday December 30, 2005
CATHOLICS ATTACKED ON WAY TO CHRISTMAS MASS
Extremists beat four travelers, including priest, leaving them unconscious.
December 30 (Compass) – Hindu extremists launched two attacks on Catholics in the northern state of Rajasthan during the week before Christmas, in one case beating four people until they were unconscious.
On Saturday (December 24), nine members of the Hindu extremist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) attacked four Catholics, including a priest, in Jambuda, about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the district capital of Banswara. Jaisingh Baria, Sunil Minama, and two people identified only as Father Thomas and Santosh were traveling by jeep to attend a Christmas mass in a nearby village.
The attackers had parked their motorbikes just after a curve in the road in Tandi Moti village, waiting for the four to arrive, a parish priest told Compass. After forcing the jeep to stop, the attackers hit Fr. Thomas with an iron rod.
“Then they pulled the other three off the jeep and beat them,” said the priest, who identified himself only as Father Alexander. “They also made them strip down to their underwear.”
The victims lay unconscious on the road for four hours until a local Christian discovered them at 9:30 p.m.
Fr. Alexander had asked for police protection for the four after villagers warned Fr. Thomas not to attend the Christmas celebration that night.
“Now I’m wondering how the attackers learned of their travel plans,” Fr. Alexander said.
RSS members had spread a rumor that the Catholics were carrying two children with them in the jeep in order to sacrifice them as part of their Christmas worship. As this rumor spread, people living in nearby villages came out to join in the beating.
Attackers also broke Fr. Thomas’ mobile phone and stole his wallet containing 5,000 rupees ($115), along with a small television and VCD player that were in the jeep.
Fr. Thomas and the other victims have since identified five of the attackers – Kamlesh Tambolia, Rakesh Damor, Bharat Nutt, Harlala Roth and Galjee Khatara – all allegedly members of the RSS.
Inspector Prithvi Singh said he had asked Fr. Thomas to stop by the police station on his way to the mass, but the priest had not done so.
“Why did he go straight to Pattia-Parvali without coming to the police post as I had asked them to?” Singh said. He added that he had filed charges against the attackers and arrested four of them, though they were released on bail.
In a separate incident on December 23, three men assaulted two nuns, Sister Tessia and Sister Kletty, who were waiting at a bus stop in Ambapara sub-district at around 9 p.m.
“The men came on a motorbike and slapped and verbally abused them,” a priest from the Udaipur diocese told Compass. “They also snatched the crosses they were wearing around their necks.”
One of the attackers was identified as Motilal Patel, already named in several violent attacks on Christians. Patel had earlier used a sharp weapon to attack three Catholic youths waiting at a bus stand in Banswara on October 21.
The Banswara city police registered a complaint against Patel and arrested him on October 22, but he applied for bail and was released immediately.
Police have yet to arrest Patel in connection with the attack on the two nuns.
Police believe Patel was also involved in the theft of a statue of the Virgin Mary from St. Andrew’s Church in Ambapara on December 22.
Inspector Devi Singh told Compass he had registered two separate complaints against Patel, who had gone into hiding – “but we will surely arrest him very soon.”
3. http://persecution.org/Countries/india.html
India--Christian Persecution in India
Asia: India
Country Report Last Updated: June 2003
Code: A-2, 3; B-1
(Click here for a code description.)
(Click here for a list of ICC articles on India.)
List of Articles Last Updated: May 1, 2003
COUNTRY STATISTICS
Area: 3,287,590 sq km
Capital: New Delhi
Main Cities: Bangalore, Calcutta, Bombay, Madras
Population: 1,045,845,226
Population Growth: 1.51%
Birth Rate: 23.79 births/1,000 people
Death Rate: 8.62 deaths/1,000 people
Infant Mortality: 61.47 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy: 63.23 years
Religions: Hindu, Muslim, Christian Languages: Hindi, English, 14 other official languages
Ethnic Groups: Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Mongoloid
Currency: Indian rupee (INR)
Exchange Rate: 48.336 INR = 1 USD
Total GDP: $2.66 trillion
Per Capita PPP: $2,540
Imports: $53.8 billion
Exports: $44.5 billion
(Source: CIA World Fact Book 2002)
Religious Atmosphere:
India’s population is 80% Hindu, 12% Muslim, and 2.4% Christian. Both Muslims and Christians have been the object of attack by Hindu extremists who want to make India a Hindu state.
Government:
•Religious freedom is protected by law. However, enforcement of the law has been poor, especially at state and local levels.
•The Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) is the Hindu nationalist coalition government. Since the group came to power there has been an increase in persecution and opposition of minorities, especially Christians. The BJP is an offshoot of the extremist RSS (see Extremist Groups below). Prime Minister Vajpayee is a member of the BJP. However, Vajpayee has reportedly called for religious tolerance and spoken out against the persecution of Christians.
•In November 1999 Orissa State (where missionary Graham Staines and his two sons were killed) passed an order prohibiting religious conversions without the prior permission of local police and district magistrates. The person wishing to convert must explain his/her reasons to the police who then collect information from neighbors and friends. Police draw up a report, which is passed on to the district magistrates who may grant or withhold permission.
•Low caste Hindus who convert to Christianity lose their eligibility for affirmative action while those who become Buddhists, Jains, or Sikhs do not because these faiths are included under the definition of Hindu in the Constitution. Affirmative action is often necessary in order for lower caste members to receive good jobs as discrimination on the basis of caste still exists.
•Since the mid-1960s the government has refused to admit new foreign resident missionaries. Missionaries must thus enter the country with a short- term tourist visa. In March 1999 it was reported that the government was refusing to renew these visas.
•Missionaries and religious organizations must comply with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) which restricts funding from abroad and therefore the ability of some organizations to finance their activities.
Extremist Groups:
•Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) – the "National Volunteer Corp." – a nationalist Hindu party which espouses a return to Hindu values and cultural norms. The group was responsible for the murder of Mahatma Gandhi.
•Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) – a Hindu religious organization affiliated with the RSS. On September 30, 1998 the Secretary of the VHP warned Christian missionaries to get out of India. In December of the same year the VHP announced that it would launch a campaign to stop missionaries from converting Hindus to Christianity.
•Bajrang Dal – a militant Hindu youth organization which boasts about half a million members., many of whom receive military training.
•Sangh Parivar – the extreme fanatical group that murdered missionary Graham Staines and his sons. It controls much of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh states.
Recent Actions:
•May 22, 2003 - One Catholic nun was killed and another was injured after Islamic extremists threw grenades at the St. Luke Convent School in Nai Basti, Anantnag in the Indian-controlled area of Kashmir. Sister Kamlesh was killed in the attack on the convent, which was believed to be a result of exaggerated media reports claiming thousands of Muslims were converting to Christianity in Kashmir. (Compass Direct)
•March 26, 2003 - The Gujarat Freedom of Religion Bill was passed in the State Assembly. The bill bans religious conversions by coercion and stipulates a prison sentence of up to three years and a fine of 50,000 rupees for being involved in a forcible conversion.
The law further states that all conversions must be registered and accepted by the District Magistrate. Failure to register a conversion is liable to a fine or up to one year in prison. (ANS)
•March 12, 2003 - Hindus attacked and damaged a Protestant Church in Maharashtra after church members refused to re-convert to Hinduism. At least one member of the congregation has received death threats. (VOM)
•March 2003 - Gospel for Asia reported that the men who beat Titus for showing the Jesus film are now eager to see the film themselves (see February 18, 2003 below). Titus' equipment was returned to him undamaged. (GFA/ANS)
•February 2003 - A. Anthony, a Roman Catholic priest, was robbed at gunpoint in Chintalapudi. The culprits are believed to have been Hindu extremists. (Compass Direct)
•February 2003 - The Criminal Investigation Department of Gujarat state has been conducting surveys among the Christian community in preparation for an anti-conversion bill scheduled to be considered by the state legislature in late March. Christians have complained that the surveys have been conducted in a very intimidating way.
The surveys demanded information on the number of conversions, the reason for these conversions, as well as information on funding from overseas. The All-India Christian Council filed a complaint with the Gujarat High Court over the use of the surveys, which have currently been halted.(Compass Direct)
•February 18, 2003 - An Indian evangelist and several of his team members were beaten while showing the Jesus film in Jharkhand. Twenty-six-year-old Titus was strangled, punched, and beaten with sticks until he passed out. Christian friends carried him to their house where an angry crowd later gathered to demand that Titus renounce his faith. He was beaten again when he refused to deny Christ.
Currently the village leaders are refusing to return Titus's video equipment without a ransom and have demanded that he and two Christian families from the village provide food for 2,000 village people for two days. Village leaders may be plotting a way to force the two Christian families to return to an animist faith. (Gospel for Asia)
•February 2003 - The BJP government is beginning to align itself more closely with the RSS and VHP (see extremist groups above) to advance the Hindutva agenda. It is feared that a national anti-conversion law similar to the one currently in place in Tamil Nadu may not be far off. Some new cabinet members are aggressively anti-missionary. (WEA)
•February 2003 - Compass Direct reported that a list of at least 50 missionaries has been given to Indian authorities by the VHP, in hopes that they will be deported on visa violations such as the one used against Joseph Cooper (see below). This could create difficulties for missionaries teaching in seminaries and Bible colleges.
•January 20, 2002 - Missionary Joseph Cooper (see January 13, 2002 below) was ordered to leave the country within a week after being released from the hospital in Trivandrum. Police Superintendent Vinod Kumar said Mr. Cooper had violated the terms of his vistor's visa by preaching. (Washington Times)
•January 13, 2002 - Joseph Cooper, a 67-year-old missionary from Pennsylvania was attacked by Hindu fanatics outside of Trivandrum in Kerala. Cooper was beaten with sticks and cut with a machete as he was returning from a church meeting. Indian pastor Benson Sam and his wife also sustained injuries in the attack.
Cooper was taken to a Trivandrum hospital where he is being treated for a deep wound to his right palm and other cuts and bruises. RSS activists are believed to have been responsible.
•December 25, 2002 - A Catholic church in Malipota, near the India-Bangladesh border was attacked during midnight mass. A priest and several others were injured as the attackers threw bombs at the church, forcing at least 1200 worshippers from the building. The Catholics were then robbed of their personal possessions, including wristwatches. (ANS)
•December 6, 2002 - More than 9,500 Dalits wishing to convert to Christianity and be baptized were turned back by police in Chennai. Several people were beaten and 11 people who helped organize the mass conversion ceremony were arrested in connection with Tamil Nadu's new law against "forcible" conversions. Chairs set up for the event were also destroyed and various human rights violations were reported (ANS/AICC).
•December 3, 2002 - A Christian worker and four Bible school students were eating dinner in Kanker Taluka, Madhya Pradesh, when they were attacked by a group of 50-60 people armed with sticks. Some members of the crowd shouted, "We will burn you alive, and whichever village you will go, you will be beaten up there also." When the Christians reported the attack to local police they were accused of converting people. (EFI News)
•December 2002 - Compass Direct reported that Mr. G. David, the Chief Superintendent of Prisons in Pondicherry was accused of forcibly converting prisoners by the Munnani Hindu fundamentalist group.
However, the Inspector General of prisons said there were no reports of forced conversions, though 3 inmates had been recently baptized.
•November 18, 2002 - A local pastor and three Operation Mobilization workers were beaten in Goa after showing the Jesus film in a family home. The men were attacked by a mob of about 30 people as they were sitting down to eat with the family, who had been very receptive to the film.
The mob also damaged a vehicle used by the Christian workers. Police eventually dispersed the mob and the Christians were able to file a formal complaint. (ANS)
•November 16, 2002 - Hindu militants punctured the tires of Pastor VM Samuel's vehicle while he was visiting another Christian's home in Udupi, Karnataka.
When the pastor attempted to change the tires, an angry mob of RSS activists beat him and four other men. The mob also damaged a vehicle belonging to one of the Christians. Local police refused to register the case. All four men were hospitalized. (ANS)
•November 2, 2002 - An armed gang attacked the convent of St. Mary of the Angels in Parthibanoor, Tamil Nadu state. The gang knocked a security guard unconscious, cut telephone lines, and stole $450. The nuns were able to keep safe by locking themselves in a room. (Compass Direct)
•October 6, 2002 - The governor of Tamil Nadu, P S Ramamohan Rao, issued an ordinance banning religious conversions by "fraudulent means" or "forcible allurement." The punishment for violating the ordinance is up to 3 years imprisonment and/or a fine up to Rs. 50,000. All religious conversions must also be reported to district authorities according to the ordinance.
The new ordinance does not bode well for Christians, who are commonly accused of using coercion to produce converts because they offer food and medical care to the poor. Hindu fundamentalist groups are happy with the new ordinance and hope other states will adopt similar legislation.
•September 22, 2002 - Eight Korean missionaries in Bihar State were beaten during worship services by members of the Bajrang Dal, a militant youth organization.
•August 2002 - A group opposed to the construction of a church building in Maharashtra state burned church materials, including corrugated sheets of metal, during the middle of the night. The building materials had just been purchased with a special fund raised by church members. (Intercessors Network)
•July 29, 2002 - The Bharatiya Janata Party, India's ruling political party, has gone public with their anti-Christian agenda. BJP vice president, Kailashpati Mishra, accused Christian missionaries of provoking large scale violence in the North Indian state of Jharkhand. In a separate incident, a BJP member presided at a mass conversion ceremony where 400 tribal Christians were reconverted to Hinduism. (Compass Direct)
•July 23, 2002 - A secret 4 page circular is being circulated among extremist Hindus. It calls for a "terror campaign to be waged against tribals, backward castes, Muslims, and Christians." The circular gives detailed instructions on how to terrorize and ethnically cleanse India from these people groups.
It calls for rape, riots, assassinations, infecting of infants to create handicap, and the poisoning of food and liquor. Propaganda is strategically being spread through the media. The instructions at the end of the circular say, "this paper is to be burned and destroyed after passing the instructions along." (Compass Direct)
•July 18, 2002 - Sister Vridhi Ekka, a Catholic Ursuline nun 56 years of age, was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment for converting Hindus to Christianity. Christian Schools closed in protest and Hindu fundamentalists groups retaliated staging protest marches outside the schools.
The court deemed the schools actions as provocative and said the Christian organizations have no business protesting the verdict. (Compass Direct)
•June 16, 2002 - 143 Christians from the Oraon, Munda, and Khadia tribes were "reconverted" to Hinduism in a ceremony in Kanker village organized by the VHP. Church leaders have protested these reconversions, noting that the tribals followed indigenous beliefs before becoming Christians; they were never Hindus.
This is only one of many reconversion drives being carried out by the VHP, which is known to use violence and intimidation. (Compass)
•June 12, 2002 - Gladys Staines' husband, Australian missionary Graham Staines, and her two sons were burned to death by a mob of Hindu fundamentalists. On June 12, Gladys made her first appearance at the district court of Orissa and told her testimony.
She "faced hostile questioning on her role in using the Leprosy Mission to convert people to Christianity." Disturbed by the testimonies, Hindu fundamentalists are working to save prime suspect Dara Singh, hero in the Hindu belt of Orissa. (Compass)
•June 7, 2002 - Gospel for Asia (GFA) reported that a GFA Bible school student was murdered in Indian controlled Kashmir. IT is believed that local Muslim extremists were responsible for his death. (ANS)
•May 26, 2002 - The family of a Christian pastor was attacked and beaten up by a gang of 10-12 Hindus in Jharkhand.
•April 2002 - A Christian pastor in Orissa State is being taken to court for allegedly producing forced conversions. Rev. Niranjan Bardham is being accused by a Hindu fundamentalist group, which claims he gives food and education to poor children to lure them into the Christian faith. Twenty-two children benefiting from Bardham's ministry have become Christians in R. Sitapur and Katalakaitha villages. (Compass Direct)
•April 22, 2002 - Indian Christians claim the VHP is conducting re-conversion ceremonies in West Bengal and forcing Christians to abandon their faith to re-embrace Hinduism. At least 16 tribal Christians were forced to participate in a Hindu purification ceremony in Chopra village. Over the past month an estimated 300 people have been affected by the re-conversion campaign. (Compass)
•April 14, 2002 - The New Life Fellowship Church in Moodabidari, Karnataka was attacked by about 60 armed Hindu militants. The church was attacked because some Hindu young people in the area were attracted to Christianity. (Compass)
•March 26, 2002 - A Christian man was beaten up by an anti-Christian mob in Badaga village. Brother Raman died on Easter morning as a result of the injuries incurred during this beating. (India Mail)
•February 17, 2002 - A Catholic church near the city of Mysore was attacked by a group of Hindu militants wearing saffron bandanas. Several people were injured by the armed group, which shouted slogans blaming the church for coercing people to accept Christianity. Four of those attacked were admitted to a local hospital for treatment. (India News)
•February 8, 2002 - A group of Christians gathering at a new convert's home in Nagpur, Maharashtra state were attacked by a mob of over 500 people, who threw stones at the Christians and threatened to burn them alive.
The local police chief refused to help the Christians but instead warned them to quit their evangelistic activities. The church is being targeted by Hindu fundamentalists because of its bold outreach and the number of Hindus converting to the Christian faith through their ministry. (Compass)
•October, 2001 – The government is threatening to confiscate various church estates in the state of Bihar, northern India. Already, the government attempted to take 75 acres of Gaya Mission School land. Christians in the city of Patna said that a “well planned conspiracy by communal forces to eliminate Christianity from Bihar” was heavily in process. (Compass)
•September 18, 2001 – Hindu fundamentalists attacked Bharathari village, in the Gujarat state, injuring a Methodist pastor and four others. (Compass)
•September 11, 2001 – 113 Christians were forced to denounce Christ and yield to Hinduism by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), in Orissa state. (Compass)
•September 11, 2001 – Christian pamphlets were burned by the student wing of the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP). (Compass)
•August 27, 2001 – A pastor and his congregation were attacked by Hindu activists in the village of Badadra, in Alirajpur Taluka, Madhya Pradesh. (Compass)
•August 27, 2001 – A chapel was razed by pro-Hindu tribals in Mehndikheda, in the Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. (Compass)
•August 25, 2001 – Three Catholic nuns were beaten with sticks and cudgels by Hindu fundamentalists in the Dahou town of Gujarat state. (Compass)
•August 21, 2001 – Catholic church leaders met with chiefs of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu fundamentalists, in response to a recent rumor of falsely reported “forcible conversions” by Christians, and attacks of Hindu fundamentalists on Christians. RSS denied the attacks, and promised a thorough probe into the matter. (Compass)
•August 15, 2001 – India’s Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee told a gathering, “There is a conversion motive behind the welfare activities being carried out by some Christian missionaries in the country’s backward areas and it is not proper, though conversion is permissible under the law.”
Vajpayee’s comments seemed to have spurred a rage of violence against Christians, especially in the last 10 days of August. (Compass)
•August 13, 2001 – A nun and missionary were attacked by Hindu fundamentalists in Pipalwada village, in south Gujarat. (Compass)
•July 2001 – It is reported that members of India’s Dalit (untouchable) class are planning to convert en masse to other religions, including Buddhism and Christianity. Tired of social subjugation, these low caste Hindus are seeking liberation in other religious traditions. This move could lead to violence as the militant Bajrang Dal has been recruiting and training a large number of youths in recent months.
•June 2001 – Around 60 families from a certain district of Orissa State were forced to flee their homes after repeated threats against their lives and property from extremist elements.
•May 15, 2001 – Members of an insurgent group known as the People’s Liberation Army, shot and killed three priests in Ngarian, Manipur state. Pali Akara Raphael, Andreas Kindo and Shinu Joseph Valliparampil were shot at after they refused to give protection money to the insurgents. The same group has demanded that Catholic schools across the state pay them "taxes" or risk being bombed.
•May 8, 2001 – Two bombs exploded inside a Roman Catholic Church in Muzaffarpur, Bihar state. A note found at the scene said "Stop conversion under pretext of social service. India is a Hindu nation. Christians leave India."
•April 28, 2001 – Ten men were sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of gang raping four nuns in 1998. This decision is significant for Christians because Hindus are seldom punished for crimes against Christians and other religious minorities.
•March 26, 2001 -- Two members of the Indian Evangelical Team were beaten by a group of radical Hindus while traveling in Orissa. Pastor Paul Joseph and Pastor Urio Bhatra had been visiting with believers in Chandahandee village. They left the meeting on a motorbike and were then attacked by the Hindus who beat them and badly damaged the motorbike. Both pastors were knocked unconscious. They are now recovering from their injuries.
•February 2001 – Christian aid workers in Gujarat reported that Hindus have been hindering their efforts to help victims of the earthquake in Ahmedabad. A Catholic priest, Father Cedric Prakash, said he was chased away by people with sticks and told to "get out." Apparently the RSS is trying to dominate the relief efforts. Gujarat has had the most incidences of persecution against Christians in the country.
•January 4, 2001 -- Two priests were beaten in Jaher Village, Gujarat. David Masih and Simon Sakria were attending a prayer meeting when 40 to 50 armed men stormed the meeting, beating the priests and then abducting them. David Masih was later hospitalized. Simon Sakria remains missing.
•November 27, 2000 – At Piplipura church a 64-year-old priest was attacked by a mob wielding iron rods and sticks. Father C. Alphonse is currently hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the attack.
•Novermber 26, 2000 – 200 gun-toting members of the RSS and VHP forcibly entered the Evangelical Church of India in Chindia, Gujarat. The group destroyed the church’s cross and placed Hindu idols in the sanctuary, apparently in an attempt to take control of the church.
The land for the church had been donated by local people about 4 years ago. VHP representatives argue that one of the local people is no longer happy with this decision; therefore the church should be turned into a Hindu temple. The case is scheduled to appear in court.
•November 26, 2000 – St. Mary’s convent in the Jwalapur district of Uttar Pradesh was attacked by armed Hindu extremists. In a separate incident Christian evangelists were stoned by Hindus in Kolar, Karnataka.
•November 5, 2000 – Seven members of the Friends Missionary Prayer Band were thrashed by villagers at Raigad, Vyara Taluk, in Gujarat.
•October 13-15, 2000 – At the 75th Anniversary celebration of the RSS, leaders warned the nearly 75,000 people gathered there about the threat of Christianity, a religion they described as foreign-dominated and funded. Christians and Muslims were criticized for abandoning their Hindu heritage and standing in the way of Hinduvta, the creation of a Hindu state.
•September 12, 2000 – A Christian preacher was beheaded in Karimnagar. Unidentified assailants struck Mr.Yesu Dasu in the neck with an axe several times before he died.
•September 1, 2000 – A missionary school is Uttar Pradesh was robbed. The robbers also attempted to attack the home of the school’s principal.
•August 28, 2000 -- Two missionaries were kidnapped from their home by fanatical RSS members. The husband and wife were taken to an undisclosed location where they were told to denounce Christianity and become propagators of the Hindu faith.
When they refused, the husband was beaten unconscious. Even after being offered a substantial amount of money to recant her faith, the wife still refused and was also beaten. The couple’s unconscious bodies were found the next day in a forest and taken to a hospital for medical care.
•July 30, 2000 – Three men attempted to kidnap Sister Celine John in New Delhi. The men covered her face with a sheet and forced her into their van. The nun was able to escape when the van stopped briefly to pick up an accomplice.
•July 25, 2000 – Catholic priest Father Victor Crasta, and three missionaries were killed when a militant group opened fire on them in Balucherra, north Tripura district.
•July 14, 2000 – A Catholic priest was murdered after being robbed.
•July 7, 2000 – Bajrang Dal activists attacked a priest and a nun who were distributing bags of wheat to drought affected areas. The Dal accused the Catholics of trying to lure Hindus to Christianity by giving them food. When the missionaries refused to stop the distribution of wheat, they were attacked and 144 bags of wheat were looted.
•June 15, 2000 – A priest was beaten for his role in religious conversions. The incident occurred in Vishrampuri in Jagdalpur district where the priest had his head shaved and was paraded through the village by the gang of youths who attacked him.
•June 12, 2000 – Construction workers found the body of evangelist Ashish Prabash in his rented house in Punjab State. The body had multiple stab wounds. Mr. Asish worked for Campus Crusade for Christ; his main ministry was showing the JESUS film.
Suggested Actions you might take:
•Pray for the Christians and Catholics of India that they may continue to be protected from harm and that the Christian message may be heard and received by all.
•Write a respectful letter to one or more of the government officials listed below. Express your continuing concern for the safety and well being of the Christian community in India. Request information about what steps the government is doing to ensure their protection and freedom to practice their faith laid out in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights documents.
•Contact the elected national officials (Senators, Congressman etc.) for your area as well as the U.S. State Department and express concern for the well being of the Christians in India asking them to make an inquiry into their status.
•Please keep us informed of any replies or results you may receive! Contact ICC by email at icc@persecution.org.
Official Contacts:
Ambassador Lalit Mansingh
Embassy of India
2107 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington D.C. 20008
Tel: (202) 939-7000
Fax: (202) 483-3972
Permanent Representative of India to the UN
235 East 43rd Street
New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 490-9660
Fax: (212) 490-9656
E-mail: india@un.int
The President of India
Abdul Kalam
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi 110004
India
Fax: 011 91 11 3017290
011 91 11 3017824
Prime Minister
Atal Behari Vajpayee, but from 2004 it is now Dr. Manmohan Singh.
New Delhi
India
Tel: 011 91 11 3018939
Fax: 011 91 11 3016857
*We make every attempt to keep up with and reflect changes in the national government of India and the current human rights situation. We appreciate your feedback if you find any discrepancies in this information. You can contact us by e-mail at: icc@persecution.org. Thanks.
POSTED: June 6, 2003
ICC Articles on India:
•May 2003 - Prayer - Eritrea, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan
•February 2003 - Prayer - China, India, Iraq, Sudan, Vietnam
•January 16, 2003 - News - Press Release - American Missionary Attacked in Southern India
•January 2003 - Prayer - Belarus, India, Nigeria, North Korea, United Arab Emirates
4. http://www.theindiancatholic.com/news_read.asp?nid=1122
February 14,2006
Religious Fair Calls For Conversion Of Christians To Hinduism
SUBIR (DANGS), India (UCAN) -- A top-ranking Hindu leader urged Hindus to work toward converting India's Christians to Hinduism when he addressed a religious fair in western India.
In remarks made at the Feb. 11-13 Hindu fair in Gujarat state's Dangs district, K.S. Sudarshan set 2011 as the target year for making every Christian a Hindu. Sudarshan heads Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS, national volunteers corps), an umbrella body of right-wing Hindu groups.
His call came despite organizers telling media that the fair in the largely tribal area would not discuss religious conversion.
The fair began after months of criticism from Christian leaders and secular groups in India, who charged it would endanger peace in the region. Complaints from them and human rights groups led the Supreme Court and the federal National Human Rights Commission to ask the fair organizers to clarify their motive for holding the fair.
Hindu groups organizing the event later announced that religious conversion would not be the aim of the fair or part of its agenda. Their website (www.shabarikumbh.org) billed it as a religious gathering "towards awakening the Hindus in general and the 'vanavasi' (tribal) Hindus in the Dang region of Gujarat in particular."
Suresh Kulkarni, an organizing committee member, had told UCA News, "Ours is a program for Hindu spiritual awakening and has nothing to do with any other religion."
On Feb. 12, however, Sudarshan told a crowd of 200,000 people that "satanic powers from the West are re-emerging and must be defeated." He called for the "Indianization" of Indian Muslims and Christians.
The soft-spoken leader, regarded as the patriarch of the clan of Hindu groups that want to make India a Hindu nation, said Christian missioners influence tribal and poor people through their schools.
"We should also set up quality schools to provide an alternative to convent education," said Sudarshan, who is unmarried as is the practice among RSS leaders, reportedly to enable them to give the organization total dedication.
"We can't throw our Christians into the sea -- we have to Indianize them. And for this, we have to communicate with them the importance of this objective," he told the gathering.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi opened the fair. His government, led by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian people's party), has been accused of tacitly supporting attacks on Christians and Muslims in the state.
Modi said the controversy over the fair generated by media, NGOs and the opposition party worked toward making the event successful. "Otherwise, nobody outside this area would have taken note of this," he commented.
Several speakers then focused on the need to convert Christians to Hinduism.
"We are not airlifting Christians from the Vatican to convert (them)," said Morari Bapu. "We are calling our own brethren to come back to our fold."
The folk artist charged that missioners take advantage of tribal people's poverty, illiteracy and illnesses in luring them to Christianity. "I am asking you whether Jesus Christ would ever agree to this?" he asked, drawing thunderous applause.
The fair was held in one of the most remote areas of southern Gujarat. People could be seen carrying baggage with their bedding and food, and many brought their entire family along.
One of those who came with his family was Mansingh Vasava, a Protestant. He told UCA News he came to the gathering to "experience" what he called "the first Kumbh" in the region.
The area is not one of the traditional Kumbh Mela sites, holy places along rivers where a "mela" (festival) is held during which Hindu pilgrims take ritual baths to wash away their sins. The Kumbh Mela is held every three years, in rotation, at one of these sites.
Vasava, who traveled 13 kilometers to the Dangs fair site from his Vasnda village, said that "under no circumstances" would he change his religion.
Father Anthony Myladampura, superior of the Jesuit's Subir mission, which covers the area, told UCA News that tribal people are united by their particular culture and identity rather than by religion.
"How did these people (right-wing Hindu groups) suddenly realize there are some fringe marginalized groups in this part of the world? Where were they for all these years?" he asked.
Christian tribal villagers said Christians in and around Jarsol village, where the event was held, have been threatened by the right-wing activists. According to Jivabhai Monia: "They suddenly appeared and said that Christians should no more call themselves Christians. They wanted us to immediately change to Hinduism or get out of the village."
The hate campaign has upset Christians in the area, Father C.M. Raphael told UCA News. "We are not against 'spiritual awakening,' but it should not be at the cost of maligning us, our work," said the assistant parish priest of the Subir mission.
5.http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newsarcen.php?idelement=2318&critere=&countryname=India&rowcur=125
India - Friday September 12, 2003
HINDU FUNDAMENTALISTS TARGET KERALA
(Compass) — Hindu fundamentalists have increased their activities in Kerala, India’s “cradle of Christianity,” sparking fears that it may be next in a series of Indian states to adopt “anti-conversion” laws.
Regarded as a safe haven for religious minorities, Kerala’s population is 19 percent Christian, 23 percent Muslims and 58 percent Hindu. Religious groups have lived in relative harmony for many years, but numerous clashes between them have been reported in recent months. American missionary Joseph Cooper was attacked at a meeting there last January and later expelled from the country.
In justifying the expulsion, Kerala Chief Minister A.K. Antony claimed religious minorities were misusing their organized strength and blamed them for economic disparities between minority groups and the majority Hindu population.
In July, the state census director ordered a community-based survey of churches. Christians were alarmed by the news, because a similar survey in 2002 led to the adoption of anti-conversion laws in neighboring Gujarat state.
6.http://www.compassdirect.org/en/newsarcen.php?idelement=1520&critere=&countryname=India&rowcur=150
India - Friday August 09, 2002
NUN JAILED ON CONVERSION CHARGES
(Compass) — On July 18, a Catholic nun was sentenced to six months imprisonment for converting Hindus to Christianity. Sister Vrishi Ekka, a 56-year old Ursuline nun, was jailed in Ambikapur in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh on charges of violating the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act of 1969.
When Christian schools closed in protest against the arrest and imprisonment of the nun, Hindu fundamentalist groups supported by the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retaliated by staging protest marches outside the schools.
Terming the action of the Christians “a provocative gesture,” BJP legislature party chief, Nand Kumar Sai, said that Christian organizations had no business to protest the court’s verdict. Meanwhile, Ursuline nuns at the Vidya Jyothi Christian school in Mysore have decided to defy threats by Hindu groups to drop the Lord’s Prayer from the school assembly.
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