Prime Minister Modi has touted his commitment to peace and harmony across India, but Floyd Brobbel with VOM Canada says the leader turns a blind eye to persecution in his nation. 

“The silence of the authorities just perpetuates the problem on the ground,” Brobbel says.

Courtesy of
SIBI SAHANI from Pixabay

He encourages Westerners to bring awareness to state and national government authorities so they are equipped to address this issue in ambassadorial and state-related talks. Brobbel says we need to see persecution not only as a religious issue, but also as a human rights issue. 

Especially during holidays like Christmas and Easter, Christians in persecution hotspots like India and Nigeria are aware that any public display of religious activity could be met with hostility, Brobbel explains. Behind the attacks is a philosophy known as Hindutva, an effort to cleanse India of all religions other than Hinduism. Those with this mindset seek to form a Hindu state. 

“Anything that is not Hindu would be relegated to at least a second class status if not eliminated all together,” Brobbel says. 

In addition to physical attacks, Hindu nationalists target whatever looks religious, including creches and icons. So far, authorities have brought very few charges against the Christmas attackers. In fact, Brobbel says there are more charges against violators of anti-conversion laws than against perpetrators of religious attacks. 

“There’s nobody speaking out. The authorities do not arrest people when they attack. And yet pastors and evangelists are being charged, fined, and even being put in prison for converting others to Christianity,” he says. 

Anyone who converts faces further persecution and pressure to re-convert. 

Please pray for those suffering from religiously motivated attacks and for those at continued risk. Pray also for families with arrested loved ones who are facing financial pressure and need legal representation. And pray that the Church in India would be resilient in the midst of hostility. Even in states that are usually more peaceful, Christians are seeing an uptick of attacks. 

This rising persecution comes as mission groups face mounting pressure from FCRA laws threatening to expel them from the country. Despite this, Brobbel says God is on the move. 

“We do see that the work of the church is effective in India. We see people coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. We see the church growing in this region and in this part of the world.” 

Would you pray that the church in India would continue to have wisdom and boldness to do their work, and that many would come to saving faith in the midst of persecution?

Featured photo courtesy of Vincent Belho via Pexels

“We have changed India’s status from ‘hostile area’ to ‘restricted nation’ for the first time in 20+ years that we have been putting out our global prayer map,” VOM USA’s Todd Nettleton says.

“This is particularly significant as we approach national elections in April and May.”

Narendra Modi addressing crowd in 2014.
(Image taken from Narendra Modi’s personal feed on Flickr)

Typically, VOM classifies “countries where Christians are persecuted as either hostile areas or restricted nations,” Nettleton explains.

“In ‘hostile areas,’ the government at least pays lip service to religious freedom. But there is persecution from a terrorist group or family members or some other source. In a ‘restricted nation,’ the government is driving persecution in that country.”

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm, India has steadily declined in democratic and religious freedom in the past ten years. Hindu nationalism spread like wildfire in the same period.

“The Hindu nationalist ideology that Prime Minister Modi grew up in and espouses and has stocked his government ministries with – that’s what’s driving the persecution of our brothers and sisters,” Nettleton says.

“The government is the driving force behind the persecution of the Church.”

Hindu nationalists seek to purify India by getting rid of religious minorities. State-level anti-conversion laws and reconversion ceremonies have become increasingly common. More about that here.

“Prime Minister Modi wants a third term; he wants five more years to enact these ideologies,” Nettleton says.

“Christians in India look at that and say, ‘We know what’s happened in the first ten years under Prime Minister Modi; what will happen in the next five?”

Partner with VOM here to stand alongside persecuted Christians in India. Most importantly, pray. Pray believers in India will have courage and perseverance.

“Let’s pray against a sense of discouragement,” Nettleton requests.

“It’s easy to look at the government and what has happened in the last ten years and be discouraged because Christians don’t have as many rights as they did [before.] Pray that the Lord will be with them.”

Header image courtesy of VOM USA.

Modi and the BJP came to power a decade ago, dealing a severe blow to religious minorities.

Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says India’s constitution guarantees religious freedom. He states, “The Constitution makes a lot of promises. But if the government is unwilling to defend those promises, it becomes a piece of paper.”

The hostility against non-Hindu religions is tangible in India.

“Government ministers have talked about India being Hindu soil; [they’ve said,] ‘The very soil of our country is Hindu. If you’re not Hindu, you don’t belong here,’” Nettleton says.

“You can imagine how Christians and Muslims and other religious minorities respond to that message.”

India’s United Christian Forum reported 525 violent incidents against believers in the first eight months of 2023 — up from 505 incidents throughout all of 2022.

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

Authorities often use state anti-conversion laws as a premise to persecute religious minorities. Ask the Lord to protect His followers in India.

“If Prime Minister Modi walks out of those elections with a big victory and another five-year term, I think he will see that as a lot of political capital that can be spent on things like a national anti-conversion law,” Nettleton says.

“What would happen if the government suddenly started making [Christian] foreigners leave? [Or] kicking out Christian NGOs? We’ve already seen some efforts in that direction [with]… Compassion International,” he continues.

“I don’t want to be a doomsayer. But when you think about Prime Minister Modi for five more years, there’s not a lot that’s ‘off the table.’”

Header image depicts Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a 2021 teleconference. (Wikimedia Commons)

Unrest spread to surrounding areas, and Hindu nationalist gangs began attacking farmers. One farmer has died in the violence. The internet has now been suspended in many of the surrounding areas.

Power struggle

Another scene from the protest. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

John Pudaite of Bibles for the World says the new laws benefit only large corporations. “This is going to hurt the small farmers, which there are literally hundreds of millions of in India. The protests have risen up pretty much nonstop since September. The government has tried to squelch these protests, even digging up the roads and destroying their own infrastructure so that the farmers can’t get to the nation’s capital.”

These new laws threaten food security for people across the country, especially in remote areas. But the protests show the Hindu nationalist government may be losing some of its power. Pudaite says, “They’re anti-Christian, anti-Muslim, anti any other religion except Hinduism. They had come back to power for a second five-year term. This is possibly a positive sign that they’re losing control, losing their base [of voters].”

The growth of the Church

Meanwhile, the kingdom of Jesus Christ continues to grow throughout India. Pudaite says, “We’ve seen through our ministry partners, amazing, continuous reports of them going out with the Gospel, and just showing how the Gospel cannot be locked down during this time. Every week I get text messages with pictures of new baptisms, of new fields being broken, of churches being planted. And so it’s very exciting that they can continue their work.”

India currently holds the number 10 spot on the World Watch List, which details the most dangerous countries for Christians. Ask God to strengthen Indian Christians as they glorify Jesus despite persecution, and pray the Indian government will remove any barriers to people getting the food they need.

The header image shows protesting farmers marching to Delhi. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

“Uttar Pradesh is turning out to be their laboratory of how [the] Hindu state [will function],” explains David*, a Christian worker in India.

“In this context, we find the Dalits are completely helpless.”

Referred to as “Untouchable,” Dalits make up the bottom of India’s social hierarchy. David says attacks on Dalits and other minority communities are part of a broader push toward Hindu Rashtra. More about that here.

“There’s been a lot of protests going on all across India; one [reason was how] it was dealt with. After she died, the police buried her in the middle of the night without the family, which was very disturbing for everyone because it doesn’t happen in our country,” David says of the 19-year old victim.

“Burial and funeral, especially in rural India, is a big affair. They have rituals as well as a community meal.”

Three paths to Hindu Rashtra

(Photo by Shaouraav Shreshtha on Unsplash)

According to David, Indian officials are working toward Hindu Rashtra on three levels.

“[First], they’re constantly tweaking the policies and constitution. Second, they’re slowly dismantling all their independent agencies like the judiciary and other things. Third, [they have] empowered their RSS mobs to ‘set things right’ at the grassroots level,” he describes.

In 2014, Hindu leader Rajeshwar Singh reportedly predicted, “Muslims and Christians will be wiped out of India by December 31, 2021.” Authorities quietly removed Singh from the public spotlight the following year, but the Hindu nationalist push continues today.

In August, self-proclaimed secular humanist Khalid Umar wrote:

“India will remain a progressive country only until it remains a secular country. And it will remain a secular country only if Hindu domination persists in its demographics.”

Minorities beware

Upper-caste Hindus use violence to assert their authority over social and religious minorities. The movement reached every corner of government and society and gained traction with Prime Minister Modi’s rise to power in 2014.

“[By] 2024 they want to make sure that [inaudible] Hindu Rashtra,” David says.

“The first five years, they were mostly targeting the Muslims. This second term, they are on a ‘fast track’ in terms of working towards the Hindu Rashtra.”

Ask the Lord to strengthen His followers in India. “Persecution has been rampant the last two weeks in Jharkhand,” David says.

“They’ve been going village to village rounding up all the Christians and asking them to get back to Hinduism or pay the price. The police and the district administration didn’t give any help to these folks.”

*–Name and ministry withheld for security purposes.

Header image is a representative stock photo depicting a Shiva statue in India. Shiva is one of the most important gods in Hinduism. (Photo by spandan pattanayak on Unsplash)

Greg Kelley from World Mission says Christians in India regularly face religious discrimination, often from Hindu nationalists. “Just last week, as a matter of fact, we heard that two of our pastors were beaten quite extensively by some Hindu extremists. And it totally goes unpunished because the local authorities are not really stepping up. They don’t do anything about it because Hinduism is the majority religion. (It would be) tattling on your friends, so to speak. It just doesn’t happen. And Christians are the ones who suffer the most.”

Pray that Christ will use World Mission to reach India’s millions with the Gospel. (Photo courtesy of World Mission on Facebook)

COVID-19 has made daily life harder in India. Many live in poverty and anxiety even in normal circumstances, but under lockdown, it’s even worse. Kelley says, “If someone’s caught outside, they’re beaten, thrown in prison. And if you’re Christian, you’re given all the less grace as you’re trying to provide for your family.”

Growth of the Gospel in India

Kelley says India has the largest Hindu population on Earth and is on pace to have the largest Muslim population as well in the next 25 years. “Every follower of Jesus should be aware of [this] . . . because there are more people in that country that don’t have access to the Gospel than any other country in the world.”

It’s a huge task, says Kelly, but through the Church, God is already making headway. “Uttar Pradesh, the [most populous] state in India, if it were a country, it would be the fifth-most-populous country in the world. Statistically, there’s zero percent Christians . . . and I can say that that statistic is actually not true because we’re seeing churches planted [there].”

One way Christians are making progress in India is by reaching people that no one else will reach. Kelley says, “We’re doing ministry among blind people in leper colonies where no one is going. We hear amazing stories of how people are coming to Christ.” Oftentimes these are the people going out and proclaiming the Gospel to India and planting churches.

You can help this work financially by giving to World Mission. Kelley says you can help 100 people hear the Gospel for the first time for only $40.

And pray that Christ’s kingdom would continue growing in India and that more and more outcasts would serve Jesus as king.

The header image shows a Hindu statue in India. (Image by Harikrishnan Mangayil from Pixabay)

“We have heard that, politically, [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi is rather weak right now. There’s a possibility he may be kicked out by these national elections,” Nettleton explains.

“Christians and other minorities are watching that very closely because it will have a dramatic impact on how they are treated.”

The targeting and persecution of Christians by Hindu nationalists have spiked in recent years, primarily due to the nationalist agenda of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Dr. Anjaneya Swami is a perfect example.

The Face of Persecution: Anjaneya Swami

Hindu nationalists attacked Dr. Anjaneya Swami in 2017 while he handed out Christian materials near a Hindu temple. When his assailants left, “[Swami] was then taken to police station, where they questioned him about distributing Gospel tracts, instead of questioning the people who had beat him so severely,” recalls Nettleton.

The attack caused a brain hemorrhage, and one side of Swami’s body was paralyzed for 18 months. VOM USA and its wide network of believers never left Swami’s side, continually offering spiritual and financial support. Following multiple surgeries and months of physical therapy, Nettleton says things are finally starting to mend.

(Representative photo courtesy of VOM USA)

“We’re starting to see physical improvements two years after that attack, so [this is] a significant ‘praise the Lord!’ because a lot of people have prayed for him… and this is an answer to those prayers.”

Dr. Swami isn’t the only Christian targeted by Hindu nationalists. Nettleton says the group is behind a significant persecution spike noted by VOM and others.

“They (Hindu nationalists) believe that every Indian should be a Hindu, and that is not just a group of thugs who would beat up an evangelist – that is the position of the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Nettleton clarifies.

“His position, the position of his government, is that every Indian should be a Hindu.”

What’s next?

Though it is currently in favor of Hindu nationalism, the political tide may now be turning. Last month, we told you Modi was beginning to lose ground. The trend continues today, as noted here, following last week’s release of the annual budget.

Narendra Modi addressing crowd.
(Image taken from Narendra Modi’s personal feed on Flickr)

Nonetheless, notes Nettleton, Christians need to stay focused.

“Our Indian brothers and sisters are called to spread the Gospel in India, no matter what happens in these elections,” he says.

“We can pray that they will be faithful and bold witnesses for Christ – whatever way the votes go.”

See how VOM stands alongside persecuted Christians.

Header image courtesy Voice of the Martyrs USA via Facebook.

(Stock photo carolers in India courtesy Flickr/CC/SkiptheBudgie)

India (MNN) — ‘Tis the season, but singing about Christ in the Advent Season got a pastor and 15 carolers beaten up in India this weekend.

A report from International Christian Concern was confirmed by the Voice of the Martyrs USA. VOM spokesman Todd Nettleton says, “Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon occurrence to see a church meeting attacked, to see people harassed and beaten up, and sometimes, even the police are called.”

The ICC report notes that around 30 Hindu radicals attacked the group in Hyderabad, accusing the Christians of trying to convert people. The report details an assault that left Pastor Bhim Nayak of Banjara Baptist Church and four other Christians severely injured.

Christians make up around 2% of India’s population, but they face increasing hostility from some of the more radical Hindu nationalists in India. Nettleton says, “With the election of Prime Minister Modi this year, and the rise to power of the radical Hindu RSS-backed government, there is an atmosphere where Christians can be persecuted and the persecutors really don’t worry about repercussions.”

Nettleton says the issues: “they [radicals] don’t worry that they’re going to face stiff penalties for persecuting Christians. That’s the atmosphere that has taken hold in India.”

Here’s why they’re concerned about that: in August, the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said, “The entire world recognizes Indians as Hindus, therefore India is a Hindu state…. The cultural identity of all Indians is Hindutva, and the present inhabitants of the country are descendants of this great culture.”

Hindutva refers to Hindu religious fundamentalism and an ideology that all other religions are invalid. Now, an RSS coordinator in the Uttar Pradesh region says his organization plans to convert Muslims and Christians to Hinduism in two separate programs this month.

The Indian constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Yet 6 of the 29 state governments have implemented laws forbidding “forcible conversions.” Christians are concerned, especially as Advent draws closer to Christmas Day celebrations. Nettleton urges other believers to pray. “We can pray for their protection, and I think also pray for their response. One of the challenging calls that we have as Christians from the New Testament is to love those who are persecuting us.”

(Stock photo Christmas in India, courtesy Flickr/CC/DigantaTalukdar)

Why is it challenging? “You can imagine that if your pastor’s being beaten up, as has happened in this case, that’s a pretty challenging thing to try to show love and not anger and not animosity toward the people who are persecuting you.”

Stories of attacks on Christians are coming in every day. Even as churches are beefing up security amid terror threats, this is a season where the hope of Christ is the message behind everything the Church does. “[Pray] that God will supernaturally allow them to show love and to respond in forgiveness and love when they are being persecuted.”

However, Dave Stravers, President of Mission India of Grand Rapids,
Michigan says this 're-conversion' may or may not have happened, but it is a
priority of nationalistic Hindus. "For centuries this area has been very
resistant to any form of Christian witness. And now, just in the last few years
it's suddenly very open to the Gospel. So many conversions to Christianity are
happening that it really has the Hindu leaders worried. So, they have made this
a stated objective."

Stravers doesn't know if this particular story is accurate.
"The cases I know about amounted to forced re-conversions. I heard a story
last month. All the Christians were rounded up, surrounded them and basically
threatened them to be basically beaten or killed if they did not agree to
undergo the ceremony."

Christians are being asked to pray for new believers.
"When we pray for new Christians in India, we pray that the Lord would
give them courage and the Lord will help them to be discipled in their new
found faith. It's very possible that a young people would be intimidated or convinced
to leave his faith," Stravers says.

However, he says it doesn't happen very often and hardly
makes a dent in the millions of Indian people that have turned their hearts to
Christ. Stravers is asking people to pray the Indian Christians would be courageous
and bold in their faith.

The good news is there are many Christians that want to help
Mission India. "There are literally millions of Indian Christians who want
to be a part of outreach ministries, but they don't have the training or the
materials. We have in some cases a four and five year waiting list for training
programs."

Funding is needed to help these Christians who are waiting.
"We're desperate to help these people who are waiting to go out there to a
new village (or) a new neighborhood. There (are) 600,000 villages in India with
no Christian church."

$100 supports 100 children in the Bible club ministry and
provides funding needed to support three people in their literacy program.  Click here to support Mission India's work
there.