Persecution on the Increase in India

Gospel for Asia has reported a sharp increase in the "scope and intensity" of persecution in India.

GFA correspondents have reported three serious incidents of persecution recently that the charity says "clearly demonstrate the increased boldness of anti-Christian extremists in the country".

On March 26, around 40 anti-Christian extremists attacked and beat up a group of 15 students who live and study in a GFA-related home Bible school in Punjab, northwest India. GFA missionary Prakesh Ramteki was attacked on March 18 as he walked home from a nearby village where he had been ministering to the people. On March 25, extremists disrupted a worship service at a GFA-affiliated church, accusing the pastor in charge of forcible conversions of Hindus to Christianity.

GFA's President K P Yohannan said that Hindu religious extremists were "determined to do all they can to hurt those who believe and follow Christ".

"These minority extremists don't represent India nor the sentiments of the Hindu majority of the land," he said.

GFA said that the Hindu extremists "consistently" accuse Christians of forcibly converting people to Christianity and using "allurement" to convince people to receive Jesus as their Saviour.

"This is often the accusation when the conversion comes after a healing. However, in most cases, the people come to the missionaries requesting prayer for healing," said the charity.

Hinduism has long been regarded by many as India's official religion, but the extremists have become alarmed by the growing number of people leaving the religion, GFA said. Now the Hindu extremists claim that essential to maintaining a cohesive Indian society is the preservation of Hinduism as the country's chief religion.

GFA said that the recent reports of persecution were "clear indicators that preaching the Gospel and following Christ are dangerous propositions for the people of India".

Attacks on missionaries have "unfortunately become all too common", GFA said, adding that believers were also coming under increasing attack.

"We cannot be silent nor ignore what is happening to our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ in India," said Yohannan. "We must pray and fast for God to intervene and bring about a heart change and give boldness to His people to love and proclaim the Good News in the midst of persecution."