A single room thatched hut, the home of a Vision India pastor in the Gajapati district, was burnt to the ground on the morning of July 6th by Hindu extremists. All of their earthly belongings were destroyed. The pastor and his wife were ministering in a nearby village at the time of the raid. Four other huts in the district were also set fire and destroyed – all homes of fellow believers. There is no report of any physical harm. Neighbors who witnessed the crimes were restrained by fear to intervene. Our Indian brothers and sisters are now living in the ruble of what were their homes. Still, they continue taking care of their fellow believers and teaching the Word of God daily. Vision India has provided clothing and immediate personal needs, but would like to help them re-build. The materials to rebuild a hut and provide basic items (cooking utensils and blankets) will cost approximately $600.

India (MNN) — Recent protests in India brought the question of whether or not the country could risk facing its own “Arab Spring.” Dave Stravers with Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Mission India says, “India is fed up with governmental corruption and injustice. They’re demanding a new standard of accountability and a new standard for actions from government officials.” While there are some parallels with the Arab Spring, Stravers thinks that India’s diversity will take it a different direction. “There have been non-violent protests, demonstrations at government buildings. I think this is actually good news. I attribute this, partly at least, to the success that the Gospel has had in the last 10-15 years in India.” The message of the Gospel brings hope, and hope brings change. “When people learn that there’s a God who loves them, that they’re human beings, and that they have potential, then there’s a whole change, a kind of a transformation in attitude.”

Chhattisgarh, India, August 17 (Compass Direct News) – After receiving a letter from Hindu extremists demanding the closure of Grace Church in Dhamtari, district government officials on Aug. 6 stopped the church’s worship service, warning those present that they could be attacked if they continued to hold services in the area. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that the officials warned that if there is anymore Christian worship at Grace Church, the Christians would be responsible for any subsequent rioting. The church, led by Pastor Rohit Sahu, discontinued meeting, but area Christian leaders are taking steps to solve the matter.

Andhra Pradesh – In Ramagundam, Karimnagar, police on Aug. 3 arrested a pastor, five of his evangelistic team members and a local bystander after Hindu extremists filed a complaint against them of forceful conversion. All India Christian Council representative Moses Vattipalli told Compass that the Christian team was on an evangelistic outreach that included scrawling Bible verses on the rocks of a hill near a Hindu temple when the extremists appeared and began verbally abusing them, took their cell phones and beat them. The assailants forced the Christians to erase the Scripture verses and manhandled an onlooker who had been reading them, according to Vattipalli. Six Christians and the bystander were charged with promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and were sent to the district sub-jail of Karimnagar, he said, adding that they were released on bail after two days.

Uttarakhand – A mob of about 300 Hindu extremists in Makhdoompur on July 31 beat Christians at a church service and accused Pastor Bachan Singh of forceful conversion. The All India Christian Council (AICC) reported that as the church was about to take the Lord’s Supper, a large mob of Hindu extremists gathered, accusing the congregation of forceful conversion. Those the extremists beat included women and children as the extremists demanded that the Christians stop all church activities, according to the AICC. Local police arrived after about 25 minutes and stopped the commotion, and no one was seriously hurt.

Madhya Pradesh – Hindu extremists in Dewihar, Bajna, Ratlam on July 15 barged into a prayer meeting conducted by a Christian convert from Hinduism, damaging a roof and ransacking the house, stealing 20,000 rupees (US$440), some silver and five kilograms of corn. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that they entered Suresh Maida’s house and verbally abused those at the gathering for their faith in Christ. The Christians filed a police complaint, according to GCIC, but at press time police had made no arrests.

Uttar Pradesh – Police in Katra Divan Kheda, Dhagpur, Unnoa on July 14 arrested pastors Om Prakash, Ganga Prasad, Premshankar, Desh Kumar and one identified only as Vinod of the New India Church of God for leading a prayer meeting in Prakash’s home. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that the Hindu radicals ordered Prakash and his family to give up their faith in Christ and stop the services in their home. Police along with the Hindu extremists had earlier threatened Prakash’s wife, Uma, and her three grown daughters if they continued in their faith, according to the GCIC. The church subsequently stopped Christian activities in the area.

Orissa – Hindu extremists in Banapur, Khurda, on July 8 harassed a Christian family for their conversion from Hinduism to Christ, ending in a Hindu woman beating her Christian daughter-in-law. The Global Council of Indian Christians (GCIC) reported that after Satyaban Nayak and his family began to trust Christ as Lord and Savior and were healed from physical ills, Nayak’s mother strongly opposed her son’s worship of Christ and warned him to either forsake Christianity or be deprived of his birthright; she also told him she might commit suicide if he and his family did not deny Christ. When this failed, according to the GCIC, she planned a village meeting or “panchayat”  with area hard-line Hindus so that the community would pressure him into forsaking his faith, but the village head questioned him and his wife about their faith in Christ and found them guilty of no wrongdoing. Nayak’s mother took a firewood log from a burning furnace and began beating her daughter-in-law in front of the crowd, cursing and verbally abusing her, knocking her to the ground as the extremists demanded the family’s expulsion from the village, the GCIC reported, adding that Nayak’s wife, Sarojini, continued to pray and praise the Lord amid the beatings. As her mother-in-law continued to deal her painful blows, Sarojini prayed louder, praising God with calls of “Halleluiah” and asking forgiveness for her, according to the GCIC. The village head and some villagers rescued the Christians.

Orissa – Hindu extremists in Sundergard district on April 13 held a Christian family captive, imposing a socio-economic boycott on them and other Christians for helping Christian neighbors rebuild houses burned in 2008 violence. The Global Council of Indian Christians reported that Hindu extremists laid siege to Keshav Digal’s house in Bodimunda village, and held his family captive, including four women, for one night. Announcing the boycott, the extremists said they would fine shopkeepers who sold goods to him and other Christians. Subsequently, all truck owners refused to transport goods to Christians, as the Hindu extremists had already damaged one truck Digal had leased. The GCIC reported that police did nothing to help Digal’s family even after they arrived, though Superintendent of Police Praveen Kumar said a case had been registered and was under investigation. Naveen Nayak, a local Christian leader, said that no vehicles were even allowed to bring Christians to hospitals, according to the GCIC. Another village resident, Joseph Digal, said, “When I brought housing materials in a rented tractor, the vehicle was damaged. Police filed a case only when the superintendent of police was informed about it.” At least 97 area Christian families whose houses were damaged during the 2008 violence were trying to rebuild their dwellings after the state government released initial funds for repairs. – MS