THE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS CHANGED INDIA'S CLASSIFICATION TO "FORBIDDEN COUNTRY".

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, January 20, 2024

Unidentified devotees hold the holy cross on their head during the annual celebration of the Malankara Orthodox Church on November 2, 2010, in Parumala, Kerala, India. | iStock/ajijchan

In the Global Prayer Guide 2024, Voice of the Martyrs turns India into a "forbidden country" due to Hindu radical extremism and the increasing persecution of Christians under the Hindu nationalist government of Bharatiya Janata.

The VOM, an interdenominational organization Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand founded to assist persecuted Christians, commonly refers to states with federal laws explicitly restricting Christian worship and evangelism as "restricted states." The group argues that the ideological shift taking place in the current government makes India's situation unique.

In a statement shared with the Christian Post, VOM stated that Christians in India have faced more opposition and violent attacks since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's election in 2014 and his re-election in 2019. This happened despite the constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion.

The Christian ministry claimed that the Modi government had spread a faith called Hindutva, or Hindu purity, with the aim of building a "pureHindu state. They state that this belief has increased harassment of religious minorities.

Notably, twelve states in India have adopted laws banning what they consider to be "forced" religious conversions, punishing Christian evangelists with severe penalties, including lengthy imprisonment for basic activities such as sharing a Bible or praying with someone, according to VOM.

According to anti-conversion laws, Christians "force" or give money or material goods to Hindus to persuade them to become Christians. They usually say that no one can use the "threat" of "divine displeasure," which means that Christians cannot talk about heaven or hell because it would be considered enticing someone to repent.

Persecution of Christians in India occurs mainly in areas of gospel ministry active in predominantly Hindu communities. The government does not penalize this mistreatment, but courts frequently hold offenders accountable.

However, the VOM stated that Hindutva had created an environment of nationwide restrictions for Christians under the Modi government. VOM President Cole Richards emphasized that alarming hatred and violence against Christians have become the norm, with instigators often the most prominent political figures.

Richards states that the goals of Hindu nationalism include eliminating Christians from what is referred to as the "Hindu homeland." "Hatred and violence against Christians have become normal, and those who encouraged it are now prominent political leaders."

VOM provides support to Christians in India, including the Bible, and helps those who have lost their jobs, had their homes destroyed, or suffered physical injury as a result of violent attacks.

In addition, VOM provides inspiration by reminding oppressed believers of the prayers and support of Christian communities around the world.

Since 1997, the VOM has recorded persecution of Christians in its 2024 Global Prayer Guide, which describes countries or regions as "limited" or "hostile" in their annual prayer resources.

This year, the VOM introduced a third category, "areas of concern," to indicate places where persecution of Christians is increasing and occurring.

About 2.3% of Indians who are Christians continue to experience discrimination.

The failure of the United States Department of State to portray India as a country concerned with violations of religious freedom has led the department to come under scrutiny. This appointment could lead to diplomatic consequences. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan team assisting the federal government, requested a hearing on the State Department's refusal to name India and Nigeria as national representative commissions.

Attacks on Christians have increased in recent years, according to the United Christian Forum in India, since 2014.

UCF reported 400 incidents of violence against Christians in the first half of 2023, an increase from 274 incidents in the same period the previous year. According to UCF's annual report, vigilante gangs, often composed of religious extremists, disrupt prayer meetings and target people suspected of forced conversion.

UCF attributes this high incidence of Christian persecution to the prevailing sense of "impunity," which allows a group of people to threaten and physically assault people as they pray before accusing them of forcible conversion to the police.

News Sources: https://www.christianpost.com/news/india-reclassified-as-restricted-nation-by-voice-of-the-martyrs.html