Christians Beaten by Militants

27 June 2007

^{Father Sylvester Pereira
Photo from}^GCIC

On June 25, a Carmelite priest and four other Christian men were attacked by a group of Hindu militants in Kundapurna, Karnataka state. Father Sylvester Pereira, Joyson Saldanha, John Pradeep, and Mukunk Bhandary were in the waiting room of the Surgeon General Hospital along with their neighbour, Valerian D'Silva, when the militants started to insult them and accuse them of forcibly converting Hindus. The attackers threw Fr. Pereira down a flight of stairs and beat him. When the four others came to his aid, they were also beaten. The Christians were then taken to the police station where the militants filed a complaint of forcible conversion against them. All five have been hospitalized for their injuries.

On June 21, Pastor John Peter M (30) was beaten by approximately twelve Hindu militants near the village of Medak, Andhra Pradesh. According to the All India Christian Council, Pastor John was on his way to Medak when the militants stopped his vehicle with their car. They took him to a temple in the village of Narayankede, approximately 100 km away and demanded that he worship an idol. When he refused, they stripped him, shaved his head and beat him. As he lay unconscious, they robbed him and left him in a forest area. He was able to make his way home the next day. A month ago, Pastor John was reportedly warned by Hindu militants not to share the Gospel in the area.

Ask God to give strength and healing to these Christians. Pray that there would be many conversions as a result of their testimony. Pray that increased persecution in India will result in increased boldness among believers there (Acts 4:29-31).

For more information on persecution of Christians in India, click here. You can view video reports and testimonies of the Persecuted Church in India on VOMC's multimedia website, www.vomcanada.com.

India

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 Couple Forced from Their Home

A village in India.
Photo: Wikimedia / Nikhil More (CC)

Three years ago, "Sameer" (whose name has been changed for security reasons) came to faith in Jesus after witnessing his wife's miraculous healing from a life-threatening health condition. "That day, we knew the love and power of God," he recounts, "and we gave our lives to Christ." Following their decisions, however, the new believers began to experience opposition from unapproving members of their community.

Read more...
Pastor Acquitted of Anti-Conversion Charges

Believers in India.
Photo: VOMC

In October 2021, Pastor Nandan Singh was gathered with 25 other Christians for an all-night prayer meeting when militant Hindus, primarily from nearby villages, stormed into his home. Accused of converting people to Christianity, Pastor Nandan became the first individual to be charged under Uttarakhand's anti-conversion legislation.

Read more...
Supreme Court to Review Anti-Conversion Laws

The Supreme Court of India.
Photo: Wikimedia / Subhashish Panigrahi (cc)

The Supreme Court of India has agreed to hear a series of petitions challenging the constitutionality of anti-conversion laws enacted by several of the country's states. On September 16th, the court issued notices to the respective state governments, requesting their formal responses within four weeks. The case is scheduled to be heard in six weeks, and the judges have indicated that they may consider ordering the states to pause the enforcement of their existing laws until a decision is made.

Read more...
New Policies Further Restrict Religious Freedom

A church in India.
Photo: Flickr / Ashish Kumar Milap (cc)

Recent developments in two Indian states have raised serious concerns for Christians, particularly in relation to the newly heightened restrictions on religious conversions. In the first incident, police in Chhattisgarh notified more than 200 house churches around the state capital city of Raipur that worship gatherings within private homes are no longer permitted.

Read more...