Books on the Life of Christ Burned

Five hundred copies of a book called "The Life History of Jesus Christ" were burned on June 18 by Hindu militants in central Karnataka who claimed the books were being used to convert school children to Christianity. When the militants received word that the books were to be distributed in local schools, they went to the Block Education Office in Sirsi, Karnataka to protest. Discovering no books there, they learned that the books were being stored in the office in Siddapur, a city south of Sirsi. They took the books from the Siddapur office, brought them to Sirsi and burned them.

Pray for the continued spread of the Gospel in India, despite the attempts to hinder and stop the ministry. Pray that Christians in India will continually and confidently rest in the promises of God's provision and strength (Heb. 10:32-39).

For more information on the challenges facing Christians in India, click here.

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.

Select a Region

India News

  • Villagers Forced from Their Homes
    Furniture and other possessions are strewn across the ground. Several people are gathered around, observing the mess.
    Belongings removed from the homes of Christian families.
    Photo: CSW

    Six Christian families from Karingundam, a village located in the Sukma district of Chhattisgarh state, were evicted from their homes on April 12th for refusing to renounce their faith in Christ. Opposing villagers loaded their belongings onto a truck – only to be hauled out of the village and dumped. The desolate families were forced to spend the night in the forest without any shelter. At least 25 individuals were affected by this dire situation.

    Read more...

  • Released Murderer Receives a Hero's Welcome
    An illustration of Graham Staines and his boys. All three are smiling.
    Graham Staines with sons Philip and Timothy.
    Photo: VOM USA

    On January 23rd, 1999, Australian missionary Graham Staines, along with his two young sons Philip and Timothy, were burned to death by Hindu nationalist militants. Initially, authorities denied that the assailants had any connection to the Hindu nationalist group, Bajrang Dal, though such ties were later substantiated. While 14 men had been arrested in connection with the incident, 12 of the perpetrators were acquitted due to lack of evidence. The other two men, Mahendra Hembram and Dara Singh, were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

    Read more...

  • Christian Pilgrims Harassed by Hindu Nationalist Group
    The front of two buses in India.
    Two buses in India.

    Two busloads of Christians that had embarked on a Lenten pilgrimage tour were stopped by members of a Hindu nationalist group on March 31st and subsequently handed over to police. The incident led to the physical and verbal assault of some Christian leaders.

    Read more...

  • Call for Death Penalty for Coercive Religious Conversions
    Mohan Yadav
    Mohan Yadav, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh.
    Photo: India Prime Minister's Office (GODL-India)

    The Chief Minister for the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has publicly announced plans to impose the death penalty on those convicted of forced or fraudulent religious conversions. In a public meeting for International Women's Day on March 8th, Mohan Yadav equated such conversions with child molestation, stating that both crimes warrant the imposition of capital punishment. Later that evening, the state government released a statement affirming the announcement made by Mohan.

    Read more...

View All

India Videos

 
India: Anti-Conversion Laws Used Against Christians
/component/allvideoshare/category/india.htm
 
Special Video Edition - 2024 in Review - India
/component/allvideoshare/category/india.htm
 
India: Christians Face Relentless Pressure To Convert To Hinduism
/component/allvideoshare/category/india.htm
 
Persecution Trends Report for 2024: Nigeria, India, Pakistan and China
/component/allvideoshare/category/india.htm
 
India: Defending Christians Against False Charges of Forcible Conversions
/component/allvideoshare/category/india.htm
 
Persecution Trends Report for 2023: Nigeria, China and India
/component/allvideoshare/category/india.htm
More