India (MNN) — Police continue the hunt for all culprits behind last Monday’s suicide bombing outside of the Red Fort in New Delhi. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the attack that killed at least 13 a “terror incident” done by “anti-national forces.”

So far, the investigation has revealed that the car carrying the explosives was driven by a Muslim doctor, Umar Nabi. Over the weekend, authorities arrested the owner of that car, an alleged accomplice.

People look around in a colorful market in Pakistan (Photo courtesy of Umar Farooq via Unsplash)

John Pudaite with Bibles For the World says most of the violence between religions in India occurs between Hindus and Muslims.

“This is a really interesting development, seeing here the educated among the Muslims who are serving in India becoming radicalized and getting involved,” says Pudaite. “This is a huge cause of concern, certainly for the country of India.”

The clash between the faiths crosses national borders as well. Tensions between majority-Muslim Pakistan and majority-Hindu India have been exceptionally high since April, when a terror attack in Pahalgam, India-administered Kashmir, killed dozens of civilians and sparked a four-day war between the nations.

As if to underscore this, hours before the Red Fort blast, police in India-administered Kashmir uncovered a terror cell involving at least seven people, including two Kashmiri doctors. Then, hours after the attack in India, Pakistan suffered its own terrorist incident in its capital.

A target on their backs

Pudaite notes that there’s another layer in this tragedy to be aware of: whether Christians will be harmed.

Women wearing colorful clothing walk into the historic Agra Fort in Agra, India. (Photo courtesy of IMB)

“One of my first thoughts when I heard [about the suicide bombing was], ‘Oh boy. Where are the Christians going to get attacked in revenge for this?’” he says. “Even though we had nothing to do with it there in India, it seems like we are the easy target for revenge from either side.” 

That’s because attackers know that while their enemies might strike back, Christians won’t strike back. It leads to a sobering trend: On average, two incidents of persecution against Christians happen every day in India.

Now that you know, keep watching India. Pray that Indian authorities will administer justice fairly. Pray for believers who may be caught in the backlash.

“These are the tensions. This is real, happening,” says Pudaite. “Just to be able to pray into that context a little more informedly, that these are real conflicts going on and real threats that they [Christians] face every day. And yet within this, we see so many wonderful Christians, ministries, [and] churches doing outreach among their fellow Indians. It’s just amazing.”

Header photo: “Through the barricades” | The iconic Red Fort or Lal Qila — the 17th-century historic fort in Old Delhi, India built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site — as seen beyond the security barricades [Photo: October 2022] (Stock photo and caption courtesy of Brijender Dua via Unsplash)

On Thursday, the United Christian Forum based in New Delhi reported 525 violent incidents against Indian Christians within the first eight months of 2023 — up from 505 incidents over the entirety of 2022.

Notably, the report doesn’t even include incidents from Manipur as many parts of that state are still inaccessible. Tribal Christians in Manipur are being targeted and killed by the majority Meitei ever since conflict erupted in May this year.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

Regan Miller with Mission India says Christian persecution in India takes many forms. “Some people lose their lives in the worst case scenario. Other times, pastors are attacked [and] churches are burned down.

“[There are] some things we don’t think of too. Like if someone becomes a Christian, the locals might cut them off from the village water supplies so that they can’t access water. Or I’ve heard stories where someone becomes a Christian and the village leaders tell everyone not to hire that person for a job or not to allow them in the local shop to buy groceries.”

To help you learn and pray, Mission India is releasing a week-long devotional leading to the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) on November 5.

Mission India works with and encourages Christians in India suffering for the name of Jesus.

Miller shares, “They don’t say that their prayer is for persecution to end. They say that their prayer is for courage and for the ability to keep spreading the Gospel. They’re so confident in their faith and so strong in following Jesus that it’s all worth it for them.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

“That’s what you’ll find in this devotional as we highlight the story of one of these families. I won’t give too many spoilers but it’s really amazing to see how they respond.”

Sign-ups for Mission India’s devotional are open now! Click here to sign up.

Churches can also register for Mission India’s free devotional and receive a Church Resource Pack. It includes videos, announcement slides, a bulletin insert, and the study itself.

In the meantime, pray for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters in India. Ask the Lord to give them the courage and strength they desire to witness His love to their oppressors. Pray for softening hearts to the Gospel across India.

Header photo courtesy of Mission India.

During this time, many Afghans fled the country to India. John Pudaite says Bibles For The World has started to work with these refugees over the past few years. “It’s a little-known fact that there are probably 15-20,000 Afghan refugees that ended up in New Delhi, India. And some people put the number a lot higher than that. But that’s based on how many have actually registered with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.”

Children in these families don’t have access to good education, so Bibles For The World is helping run a school for them. Pudaite says, “This partner has been reaching out to these young people, getting them in school, trying to get them up to a level of education across the board. Because they have some huge gaps in their education. The formal education system in Afghanistan has just been in shambles for many years.”

A new wave of refugees

Now, a new wave of Afghan refugees is reaching India. They travel to India for two main reasons. First, many have relatives in India that fled the first Taliban regime. And secondly, Pudaite says, “They perceive it as a nearby nation that’s somewhat similar culturally to them. They look at it as an opportunity.”

But many Afghan refugees living in India depended on funds sent from relatives in Afghanistan. Now, those funds have been cut off. Pudaite says, “They have really reached a point where they’re losing hope. This is a time that we can reach out with the message of Jesus Christ and bring hope to them.”

Bibles For The World plans to greet these refugees with gifts of food. Pray their ministry of education will benefit the children and display the love of Jesus. You can help this school and also help fund welcome kits here.

Header photo courtesy of FMI.

Indian farmers are angry over three new laws that they say will hurt their income. But the government says these changes will allow for greater competition in the market.

Protestors clashed with police in New Delhi and agricultural workers in several states are on strike. The government has responded with arrests and internet blackouts. The ongoing unrest has drawn international attention, with celebrities and politicians speaking out on the situation.

(Photo courtesy of Mission India)

It’s no surprise since these protests have social, economic, and political implications. Farmers are the biggest voting bloc in India, and approximately 58 percent of Indians rely on agriculture as their primary source of income.

As farmers and politicians try to discern the best path forward, Bartholomew* with Mission India says the local Church also has a role to play.

Bartholomew says, “They’re going to be engaging and try to be loving and just be the beacon of hope and showing love. Jesus loves all of those involved on both sides.”

Mission India supports local Indian partners to carry out biblical programs and be the hands of Jesus in their communities.

Please pray for Indian believers to have “wisdom on how to navigate that and how to best resonate with the groups of people that are hurt or are struggling through the recent laws that were enacted.” Pray also for productive conversations between agricultural workers and government officials. Ask God to ultimately use this situation to draw the eyes of Indians above their circumstances to Christ.

Header photo courtesy of Pexels.

*Names changed for security purposes.

"There is actually lots of rioting and protesting going on right now, because this woman and the man she was with were beaten, and she died after these men raped her," said Danny Punnose from Gospel for Asia.

On December 16, the woman and her male friend were traveling on a bus in New Delhi when they were attacked by six men. The men beat the couple, gang-raped the woman, and inserted an iron rod into her body, resulting in severe organ damage.

After 10 days at a hospital in New Delhi, the woman was brought Thursday to Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, which specializes in multi-organ transplants.

"This lady was flown over to Singapore to try to save her life, and that kind of caught the attention of the international press," Punnose stated. "I think it's going to actually cause the government to have to take some decisions, to crack down on this kind of violence. This happens all the time; people are living in fear."

Dr. Kevin Loh, the chief executive of the hospital said the woman had been in extremely critical condition since Thursday, and by late Friday, her condition had taken a turn for the worse.

"This happens quite often, but this is the first time it's got national news," Punnose said. "When women go through this kind of trauma (rape and abuse) in India, it's a shame to talk about it; so they don't say anything. They actually just go back home, and they live with the shame for the rest of their lives and never tell anyone."

According to Punnose, 21,000 rapes were reported in 2008. He explained, "Most these rapes that take place are against the Dalit community,. The Dalit's are kind of the unforgotten people and not cared for, so no one actually cares what happens to them."

Gospel for Asia specializes in ministering to women through its
"Women Reaching Women" outreach. 
Women missionaries are working in rural areas where unlawful abuse
occurs regularly, without retribution. GFA is also working in urban prostitution centers. 

Six men have been arrested in connection with the attack in New Delhi. "If this were a woman from a Dalit background, no one would care right now; this would not be in the press right now. But because she was from an affluent family–a 'better' family, urban family, people have paid attention, and it's taken very seriously. So on one side, I hope the government will take action to really give more protection for women."

Punnose added, "We just have to watch in the next couple of months: will there actually be some laws that they enact, or is it just going to be a token covering over?"

Prayer is essential. "This is a horrendous thing that is happening," Punnose lamented. "Pray with compassion and empathy that the Lord would comfort this family, and at the same time that God would give us the grace and the opportunities to be able to reach out to more women."

Click here to learn more about the social conditions of the Dalits and women in India.

"We received recently wonderful news from New
Delhi and Punjab, from our
national workers," Pudaite said. "They
reported to us that 45 new believers were baptized in Delhi
and 16 new believers in Punjab."

The Sikh religion originated in Punjab,
and most of the region's population still follow that religion. Hindus and Muslims also live
there, and historically the area has been difficult to reach with the Gospel.  Now, however, progress is being made.

"These are all new converts from other religions," Pudaite explained.  "These are all also adults who made their
own choice to receive Christ as Savior and Lord and follow Him
all the rest of their lives."

For the last few years, national missionaries have been
distributing hundreds of thousands of copies of the Gospel of John to homes in
the area between Punjab and New Delhi. Each Gospel contains an invitation to request
a free copy of the New Testament. Thousands of people are requesting New Testaments, and many are joining
new church plants. 

"We need many prayer partners for our national workers
serving in India to undergird them as they face the stronghold
of the enemy," Pudaite said. "And please
do pray that we may be able to provide God's Word in great abundance. God's Word is the good seed. As we sow the seed of God's Word in
abundance, there will be a bountiful harvest of souls in India and
around the world."

For only 25 cents, you can send a Gospel of John and give a
family in India
the opportunity to hear the Gospel.