Pressure continues for Hopegivers in India, bounty for leaders lives

By March 7, 2006

India (MNN) — While India’s federal government is now getting involved, it hasn’t stopped the threats against the work of Hopegivers International in the state of Rajasthan.

M.A. and Samuel Thomas are in hiding right now in India, asking Christians worldwide to pray for them. In an e-mail obtained by Mission Network News, Samuel Thomas reports, “Today in (the) Rajasthan newspaper, they have said that anyone who will bring the head of (the) Thomas’ will be awarded Rupees.11,00,000 ($12,500) for each head.”

Thomas also says Hindus have issued an order, “To capture all the Emmanuel schools, kick out all our pastors and take over all the 65 Christian schools in Rajasthan and all 13 orphanages and sell them.”

These radicals are also angry with local police from preventing the state’s Social welfare board from taking the girls in the orphanage away. According to Thomas, “The reason the local police is not allowing (this) is because of your prayers and the order from the National Human Rights Commission. This is proof of confusion in their camp.”

This all comes as Hopegivers was planning the largest seminary graduation ever, more than 10,000 students.

Hopegivers is asking people to continue to pray. They’re also asking people to fax the National Human Rights Commission in India, Prime Ministry and the President and tell them that Rajasthan has put a price on their head and are demanding that the girls from the orphanage be handed over to the radicals. In your correspondence, ask that the situation be transferred to another state court.

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