Pastor and believers arrested for preaching gospel in Karnataka, India

By James Varghese
Special to ASSIST News Service

KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) – A group of 30 Hindu radicals attacked an outreach meeting and took a pastor and some believers to police station get them arrested.

This incident occurred in Frazer town, Bangalore in Karnataka state, India on August 24.

According to a news issued by the website www.persecution.in, the incident took place at about 6.30 am when Pastor Nelson, along with about 10 believers belonging to different churches in Bangalore, were on an outreach, preaching and distributing Christian tracts in a place called Doddigunta.

It happened that about 30 radical Hindus came to the spot and started intimidating and abusing the pastor and believers and later they were taken to the police station and pressurized the police to file First Information Report (FIR) against them.

The story reported that the group was detained in the police station.

Pastor Nelson is the founder of Calvary Love Ministries, Bangalore. He has been in the ministry for the last 15 years and has about 150 believers in his church.

Orissa Update – Gospel for Asia

Pastors Attacked, Believers Killed, Churches Destroyed in Anti-Christian Rampage

Increasing attacks on Gospel for Asia-related work in Orissa have resulted in the deaths of at least six local believers since radical mobs went on a rampage after the murder of a leading anti-Christian activist.

Saturday night, Swami Laxamanananda Saraswati, a top leader of the VHP (World Hindu Council), was killed in an attack by 20 men suspected of being Maoist rebels. The Maosts had earlier warned the swami to leave the area. The attack, which included gunfire and a hand grenade, also killed four other people.

GFA President K.P. Yohannan strongly condemned the gruesome killing of Swami Laxamanananda and demanded that those who were guilty should be punished.

Because the swami was a leading opponent of Christian work in India, his followers in the ultra-fundamentalist VHP have used his murder to incite hundreds of their followers to go on a rampage of death and destruction across several districts in India’s Orissa state.

According to the latest reports, at least six Christians who attended GFA-related churches have been killed.

The latest detailed reports list more than 15 GFA-related church buildings destroyed and at least 110 church members’ homes burned to the ground. Other Christian groups have also suffered, with many deaths reported and attacks on ministers and missionaries being widespread. There are even reports of Catholic nuns being gang raped and murdered by the extremists.

“We are also deeply shocked and anguished to hear of the atrocities and violence meted out to the innocent Christians and churches in Orissa as a backlash of the sorrowful event,” Dr. Yohannan said, “and we are praying for an immediate halt to the violence.”

Dozens of pastors and their families have been attacked by roving mobs, and many have fled with their congregations into the surrounding forests. Some children and their parents have been in hiding, without food or water, since the rioting began on Sunday.

One GFA Bible college is under police protection, while a GFA Bridge of Hope children’s center was closed when a mob threatened to attack. They threatened to kidnap one of the workers, so the staff and 120 children left the area. It is not known what has happened to the center property.

“What is most disturbing is that these attacks seem to be well organized and orchestrated,” Dr. Yohannan said. “We have reports that the VHP have actually held strategy meetings in order to plan and coordinate this campaign of violence against peaceful Christian families and churches.”

Pamphlets have been printed and widely distributed accusing the Christians of the swami’s murder, even though most authorities indicate it was most likely Maoist rebels who were responsible.

“We thank God that the government officials are protecting our Bible college campus and trying to protect our people,” K.P. added. “That is a true blessing.”

But as the violence has increased, many fear the government’s actions are not enough.

Reports note that the mobs are using firebombs to attack homes and churches, and there is little evidence of police or other government intervention.

There are more than 295 GFA-related churches in Orissa. GFA has dozens of missionaries in the state, and the people have been very receptive to the message of Christ’s love for them.

“But the fundamentalist groups have always opposed us,” noted one GFA worker, “and now there is great tension prevailing, and Christians are running away for their lives.”

“My heart goes out to the missionaries and believers,” Dr. Yohannan said. “We must pray with all earnestness for the suffering church in Orissa at this time.”

Those who wish to help meet the needs of the suffering believers in Orissa may give to GFA’s Persecution Relief Fund.

Christians Murdered as Violence Spreads in Orissa

Compass Direct News reports:

NEW DELHI – At least 18 people are confirmed dead in 92 incidents of violence against Christians since suspected Maoists murdered Hindu leader Swamiji Laxmanananda Saraswati and four others on Saturday (Aug. 23) in Orissa state.

With Hindu extremists inciting hatred by heated accusations that Christians killed Saraswati, the national newspaper Hindu reported today that nine people had been killed in Orissa violence, and a Compass source near the state capital of Bhubaneswar confirmed an additional nine people slain.

The death count by the Hindu included four people killed in the Barakhama area. News agencies had earlier confirmed three dead in Raikia and two others, including a woman, killed in Bargarh, where a missionary-run orphanage was set on fire yesterday. The figure of 92 incidents thus far comes from the Global Council of Indian Christians.

Additionally, the Compass source said that Hindu extremists today killed pastor Samuel Naik of the Bakingia Seventh-Day Adventist Church at Kandhamal, and Jacob Digal and Gopan Naik of Damba village were slain this morning. Also killed today was Golok Naik of Pidinanju village (under Mondakia police station), and yesterday pastor Mukunda Bardhan from Mukundapur, Gajapati was burned to death.

Three other people whose names have not yet been verified, said the source, were killed in Katingia village of G. Udaygiri, along with a pastor belonging to Operation Mobilization from the same area. In Badimunda, about 12 kilometers (seven miles) from G. Udaygiri, nearly 25 Christian homes were burned down.

Read the full report at Compass Direct News.

Missionary Run Down by a Motorcycle

On August 12, an anti-Christian extremist on a motorcycle viciously ran over Gospel for Asia native missionary Anek Layak while he was walking on the side of the road with two other GFA missionaries. Then the radical got off his motorcycle and beat all three missionaries.

Anek, who serves as a professor at a local GFA Bible college, sustained severe injuries to his head and was hospitalized. After receiving treatment, the missionary was released. Although his wounds have not completely healed, Anek has resumed teaching the students at the college.

The extremist who attacked Anek and the other missionaries has been actively opposing the ministry in his village for quite some time.

“It seems he has taken a challenge to beat our people and oppose our ministry,” a GFA field correspondent said about the extremist.

GFA leaders in Assam filed a report with the local authorities, but at this time, the police have not taken action against the radical. The village leaders are also unwilling to stand up to the him.

Because the situation is still tense, GFA missionaries have not been able to minister as freely over the past week. They ask for prayer that the extremist will come to know the love of Christ, and that Anek’s witness will be an example to those in the village who oppose the ministry. They also request prayer that Anek will continue to heal quickly.

Pastor Attacked, Churches Burned in Wake of Swami’s Death – Gospel for Asia

At least one Gospel for Asia missionary has been attacked, churches and homes have been destroyed and Christians are fleeing for their lives in India’s Orissa state in the wake of the murder of a leading anti-Christian activist leader. A GFA correspondent has reported that as night fell Sunday on Orissa, “the roads are being blocked by felling trees, and attacks on Christians have started.”

Last Christmas, during similar attacks, the anti-Christian militants also blocked off roads into the area of their attacks to hinder the arrival of government forces.

Saturday night, Swami Laxmananand Saraswati, a top leader of the VHP (World Hindu Council), was killed in an attack by 20 men, suspected of being Maoist rebels. The Maosts had earlier warned the swami to leave the area. The attack, which included gunfire and a hand grenade, also killed four other people. It took place during a religious celebration.

While Maost rebels are the major suspects, Hindu radicals are using the death as an excuse to increase their attacks on Christians in Orissa. The swami was an outspoken critic of tribals and lower caste Indians becoming Christians, and last December, a similar attack on him incited severe attacks that resulted in numerous Christian deaths and dozens of burned churches and caused hundreds of believers to flee for their lives into the jungles.

The swami’s ultimate goal was to have India declared a “Hindu nation,” and to halt the growth of both Christianity and Islam on the subcontinent.

The GFA correspondent reported that in the wake of his death, “several church buildings are destroyed, Christian houses are torched and Christians under attack.”

One GFA missionary, Jeebaratna Lima, was attacked while en route to conduct Sunday services. “He was attacked by a mob and they were almost setting him on fire but the fire did not catch,” reported the correspondent. “By God’s grace, the police rescued him and have taken custody of him. We are trying to get him released.” Local government authorities have posted some police personnel at the local GFA Bible college, and advised the Christians “not to venture out.”

“We thank God that the government officials are protecting our campus and our people.” said GFA President K.P. Yohannan, “That is a true blessing.”

A late report noted that a mob destroyed one church by hurling bombs “and are on rampage to destroy several Christian houses. The condition may be same with other churches all over Orissa.” GFA has dozens of missionaries in the district where the attack took place, who work with more than 30 churches and numerous mission stations.

“The fundamentalist groups have always opposed us,” noted one GFA worker, “and now there is great tension prevailing, and Christians are running away for their lives.”

Three leading Hindu groups, the VHP; the radical RSS, which specialized in organizing street gangs, and BJP nationalist political party, have called for a bandh (an illegal strike that uses intimidation to keep everyone indoors) for Monday, and the government has put security forces on high alert.

“Having ministered in Orissa, I can only imagine the plight of these tribal believers, forced to run for their lives into the jungle,” K.P. said. “My heart goes out to the missionaries and believers. We must pray with all earnestness for the suffering church in Orissa at this time.”

GFA leaders in India have called for earnest prayer for protection of Christians and for harmony and peace among the various communities in Orissa. Specifically, they ask for prayer that:

* This unfortunate event will not be used to incite communal violence and target innocent Christians.
* The life of Christians, pastors and leaders will be protected, as well as the church buildings.
* That our pastors and believers who have been targeted in the past will be spared.
* That our state office and Bible college campus and all the students and staff will be safe.
* That the government will handle the situation ably so that thelife of innocent people will be saved and there will peace and harmony among all the people of the state.